read, eέupnueve, which improves the parody of Euripides.-Effeminate persons began to shave their chins even in these times. (V. Athenæum, L. 13. and Thesmoph. v. 225.) p. 565. 233. The action against Pisistratus at Pallene, one of the Anuo of Attica, is mentioned by Andocides, de Mysteriis, whose great-grandfather Leogoras was Στρατηγος there. 346-47. Ανασείειν βοην, Ολιγου τ' απεθανον ανθρακες Παρνασσιοι. κτλ. Should we not read Παρνηθιοι? 387. &c. Hieronimus a tragick and lyrick poet.— Euripides and Cephisophon ridiculed. The Æneus, Phoenix, Philoctetes, Bellerophon, Telephus, Thyestes, and Ino of Euripides, are laughed at, where he had introduced the principal characters in poor apparel to move compassion. The sententious pertness of his personages, and the inactiveness and folly of his chorusses, are all noticed. The poverty of his mother is alluded to. 442.—Τους δ' αυ Χορευτας ηλιθιους παρεσταναι, &c. Euripides is here satirized for making his chorusses take little part in the action of the drama, but either telling long fables, or impertinently questioning and answering the characters. 504.Ουτε γαρ φοροι Ηκουσι, &c. The time, when the contributions of the allies were brought to Athens, was during the Dionysia Tа KAT aσTv, (see Isocrat. de Pace, 175,) in spring time in the month Elaphebolion; the Lenæa were celebrated in winter pretty late, two months before the other, and in the country, at which time this piece was played. Ηστραπτεν, εβροντα, ξυνεκυκα την Ελλαδα, &c. The fine fragment from the Anuo of Eupolis on Pericles. 602. Μισθοφορουντας τρεις δραχμας, δε. He seems to mean that they sent their ErparnYOU on various useless embassies, who gladly accepted them, as well to be out of the way of danger, as to earn the publick allowance, two or three drachmæ a day, and to be out of the power of their creditors. 628. Εξ ούγε χοροισιν εφεστηκε τρυγικοις ὁ διδασ καλος ήμων, &c. Tpvywdia seems always to mean comedy here. See above, v. 498 and 499. Is this Parabasis to be understood of Aristophanes himself, or of Callistratus the actor, in whose name he seems to have exhibited all his dramas, before the Equites? Some of the Scholia take it of the latter (see v. 654); they also rightly understand in a ridiculous light what is here said of the Persian king, which the writer of the Poet's life, and Mad. Dacier also, seriously report as a fact. 703. Is this the Thucydides, son of Melesias, who underwent the ostracism, or, as Idomeneus says (see Schol. ad Vespas, v. 941), perpetual banishment, and that he fled into Persia, Ol. 83, 4, nineteen years before this? Cephisodemus seems to have been his accuser. 875. Νασσας, Κολοιους, &c. Is Κολοιος the jay, or the jackdaw, or the magpye? It was, as it appears, an eatable bird. It appears also, that the Greeks eat hedge-hogs, foxes, locusts, moles, otters, and cats. (see Athenæus, L. 17, p. 300.) The Megareans brought salt, swine, garlick, &c., to sell at the Athenian markets, and bought corn there, &c. The Boeotians (see Irene v. 1003 and 4.) sold them water-fowl and wild-fowl of various sorts, manufactures of rushwork, as mats, wicks for lamps, &c., and fish from their lakes, particularly excellent eels. 883. The 'OTλv Kpiis of Eschylus is here parodied. 1000. It is certain that this comedy was played. during the Lenæa, and many parts of it seem a representation of the festival itself, as v. 238, where Dicaopolis and his family perform sacrifice to Bacchus, and here is the Certamen Bibendi, used in the Xoa: but we are not told that this ceremony was used except on the second day of the Anthesteria. Hence it seems probable, that it was used alike in the Lenæa. 1029. Οὐ δημοσιευων τυγχανω. The publick elected ind gave a salary to certain physicians (see Aves, v. 585, and Plutus, v. 408) who took no fees from particular people. It appears from some of the scenes in this comedy, that the Prytanes were present in the publick assemblies, seated in the place of honour; that they kept order there, and commanded the archers to apprehend any one who made a disturbance; and that they produced ambassadors to the people, and dismissed the assembly. Ambassadors were entertained in the Prytaneum at the invitation of the senate. EQUITES. Olymp. 88. 4. In Lenæis, Mense Posideone. v. 9. Olympus, the scholar of Marsyas, invented the symphony of flutes. 19. Alludes to Euripides. 61. Αδει δε Adel de Xenopous. Alluding to the Sibyll's oracles. χρησμους. 123. Alluding to the oracles of Bacis. The Scholiast says there were three of that name. 282. It seems, that Cleon, for his success at Sphacteria, had a publick maintenance allowed him in the Prytaneum. 399. The sottishness of Cratinus.-Morsimus, the son of Philocles, wrote Tragedy. 404. The Te@piππоι of Simonides cited. 504. This was the first drama which Aristophanes brought upon the stage in his own name, (see Vespæ, v. 1013.) and he himself played the character of Cleon in it. 517. Ειδως ὁ 'παθεν Μαγνης ἅμα ταις πολιαις κατιούσαις, &c. Magnes, the comick poet, had great success in his plays, named, Βαρβιτιδες, Ορνιθες, Ψῆνες, Βατραχοι, Avdo, but was hissed off the stage in his decline. 523. Κρατίνου μεμνημενος. Cratinus-his ancient glory is declared; but he afterwards grew negligent, drunken, and despised in his old age. Connas, the tibicen, lost his former reputation. 524. The passage cited from the Pytine of Cratinus in the Scholia must either not be in that drama, or the poet must allude here to some other similar passage; as the Pytine was not played till the following year, and (as the Scholia say afterwards) written upon the provo cation here given by Aristophanes. 534. Crates; his various success. Aristophanes assigns his reasons for not before exhibiting any drama in his own name. 586. The comick chorus (as the Scholiast informs us, and see also Aves, v. 298) consisted of twenty-four persons, the tragick chorus but of fifteen. They were (sometimes) composed of men, women, and children, mixed, as in the Vespæ, &c. Casaubon, in his notes to v. 495, gives an account of the Parabasis and of its seven parts, namely, the Κομματιον, Παραβασις (proprid dicta), Μακρον or Πνιγος, Στροφη, Επιρρημα, Αντιστροφη, και Αντεπιρρημα. 596. The humour of these lines, and of the naval expedition of the horses, is hardly intelligible at present. 701. Пpoespia was an honour conferred on principal citizens for their services: every one was obliged to give them place in the assembly, the senate, the theatre, &c. Cleon had this honour after his success at Sphacteria. 782. Την εν Σαλαμίνι. It is plain what part he means but why does he call it so? 790. ETOS Oуdoov. Must be understood of the eighth year only beginning. 810. Ω πολις Αργους. The sharpness of this parody of Euripides consists in this: Cleon, under a pretence of an embassy to Argos, was suspected of carrying on a |