that after the Persian wars cock-fighting was introduced into Athens, and that the birds were brought, as an article of commerce, from Ionia. The conquered bird was called the Soûλos. Voss, cited by Bothe. Becker (Charicles, p. 64, note 6, English translation) touches upon the subject, and gives the authorities. See also St. John's Manners and Customs of the Ancient Greeks, Vol. I. p. 190, and the references in the note, ib. The construction of the genitive is the same as after the comparative oσov, which is implied by the verb. The Scholiast says, “ Φυσικὸν τοῦτο ἐν ταῖς συμβολαῖς τῶν

ἀλεκτρυόνων, τοὺς ἡττηθέντας ἕπεσθαι τοῖς νενικηκόσι.”

74. yáp. The particle implies the ellipsis of some expression intimating surprise on the part of the speaker. Here the spirit of it may be rendered by What! does a bird, &c.

75. ye is here an emphasizing particle, implying that, whatever may be the case with others, Epops certainly, as having once been a man, cannot do without a servant.

76. apúas. This name embraces several small species of fish, such as anchovies and, sardines. For an account of them, see Aristotle, Hist. An., VI. 14. 2, 3. According to Archestratos, in Athenæus, those produced in the neighbourhood of Athens were most highly prized. Chrysippos, cited by the same author, says that they were used as articles of food only by the poorer classes of the Athenians, though in other cities those of an inferior quality were greatly admired. Athen. VII.

79. Tpoxios. There is here a play upon the name, in reference to Tpéx in the preceding lines, - the running bird. 80. Οἶσθ ̓ οὖν ὁ δρᾶσον. See note to line 54.

84. "OTι. . . . éπeуeрâ. After uttering these words, the Trochilos disappears in the woods to wake up Epops, and the dialogue continues between the two friends.

85. Kakos.... déet. Addressed to the Trochilos as he

goes away. The fear, in this and in the reply of Euelpides, is caused by the tremendous opening of the beak of Trochilos.

86. μ' οἴχεται, i. e. μοι οἴχεται, unless, indeed, οἴχομαι may, like devyo, be constructed with an accusative of the person. The latter is the view adopted by Kühner (Jelf's Tr.), § 548, Obs. 1.

90. yáp. For this particle in questions, see K. § 324. 2. Here it is equivalent to then; as, Where then is he?

91. ap' is to be understood as spoken in an ironical tone. - ós.... ei, what a brave fellow you are!

92. "Avoɩye.... TоTÉ. The voice of Epops is heard, giving orders, in a tone of ludicrous importance, to open, not the door, but the woods, that he, the king of the birds, may come out.

95, 96. oi.. . . σe. The usual formula of introducing the twelve gods (by which are meant the twelve principal gods in the Attic worship) is in the invocation of blessings; but here, as the commentators remark, the tone is suddenly changed, and the ludicrous appearance of Epops, with his enormous crest and his feathers moulted, extorts from Euelpides the exclamation, that the twelve gods must have been afoul of him. Εἴξασιν = ἐοίκασιν. See Clouds, 341.

97. yáp. The particle here introduces an explanation of some idea to be mentally supplied, such as, "Don't laugh, O strangers, for I was once a man.”

99. Tò páμpos. The jest consists in saying, "We are not laughing at you; your beak seems to us ridiculous."

....

100, 101. Τοιαῦτα . Tnpéa. The subject of the metamorphosis of Tereus and Procne appears to have been treated by the tragic poets more than once. A Scholiast says. that Sophocles employed it first, and Philocles, who is al-luded to in the present play (v. 280), handled it afterwards. There are remaining ten or a dozen fragments of the play

of Sophocles, the largest of which contains twelve lines. See Dindorf's Poetæ Scenici, Fragmenta 511-526. The poet, who was an ardent admirer of Eschylus and Sophocles, yet takes occasion to make a good-humored hit at both of them.

102. ὄρνις ἢ ταῶς ; The first means either bird in general, or specifically cock or hen. Something like the spirit of the question may be given by rendering it, Are you a cock or a peacock? but the reply of Epops takes the word in its general sense.

105. πάντα. "Mentitur," says Bothe, " sed coram hominibus urbanis, quibus quidvis ejusmodi videtur persuaderi posse." ." With regard to the plumage of Epops, the Scholiast says, “ Παρ' ὅσον ἄνθρωπος ἐξελήλυθε, μὴ ἔχων πτερὰ πλὴν τῆς κεφαλῆς ἐπτερωμένης ὄρνιθος,” referring to the manner in which the actor personated Epops.

108. Οθεν .... καλαί. The allusion is to the boast and pride of the Athenians, their naval power. It has a special point here, because the splendid armament equipped for the Sicilian Expedition had so recently sailed from the Peiræus.

109, 110. ἡλιαστά, ̓Απηλιαστά. The Heliastic court was the most important among the judicial institutions of Athens. For a particular account of it, see Hermann's Political Antiquities, p. 265; Clouds, 863, note; Champlin's Demosthenes de Corona, Notes, pp. 109, 110; Schömann's Assemblies of the Athenians, § 92; also, Antiquitates Juris Publici Græcorum, pp. 262, seq. Epops, as soon as he has heard that his visitors are Athenians, immediately thinks of the most prominent characteristic of an Athenian citizen; namely, his quality of member of a court. The word anŋἀπηλιαστής expresses the opposite of ἡλιαστής, and seems to have been made for the occasion, one who is averse to the courts. The point of the reply cannot be given briefly in English. Something like it would be this: "Are you

jurymen?" "No; but, on the other tack, ex-jurymen." Μἀλλά = μὰ . . . . ἀλλά. The elliptical use of μά occurs generally with the article. Another reading here is

Μὰ Δία· θατέρου τρόπου, &c.

110. yáp, in the question here, though strictly used in an elliptical way, is equivalent to the expression of surprise, what! σπέρμ ̓.

111. Tò σTéрμ'. The language ascribed to Epops refers to his character of bird, though the word also means race, as seed is often used in the Bible for race or descendants.

115-118. ὠφείλησας, ἔχαιρες, ἐπεπέτου.

Observe the

change from the aorist, expressing the completed fact, to the imperfect, indicating the habit or general fact.

120. Taur'. A common construction διὰ ταῦτα. See Clouds, 319.

122. ¿ykaTakdivĥvai padbakýv, soft to repose in. The idiom of the Greek here corresponds exactly with the English.

123. Kpavaŵv. The epithet here applied to Athens has been variously explained: -1. As derived from the ancient mythical king, Kranaos. 2. As referring to the rocky surface of Attica. The latter is clearly its meaning in many places; here it is a jesting antithesis to μaλbakýv.

125, 126. Αριστοκρατεῖσθαι . . . . βδελύττομαι. There are two points intended to be made here. First, the imputation of aristocracy, which at Athens, as well as in republican France, was an efficient means of terror; and, second, a pun on the name of Aristocrates, the son of Skellias. This person was a man of much distinction at Athens, who passed through many vicissitudes in his life, for which his name is used as an illustration by Socrates in the Gorgias of Plato (p. 39, Woolsey's ed. See Woolsey's note to the passage). He was a member of the oligarchical party, and belonged to the government of the Four Hundred. In B. C. 407 he was associated with Alcibiades as one of the commanders of

the Athenian land forces. The next year, he was one of the generals who were brought to trial and put to death after the battle of Arginousai. He is mentioned by Demosthenes, Contra Theocrin., 1343, by Xenophon, Hellenica, I. 4. 5–7, and by many others.

127. Пolav Tv'. The interrogative and indefinite thus combined mean, What sort of a city, &c.

129. πρώ, early.

131. Όπως παρέσει. For the elliptical use of ὅπως with the future indic. in the sense of the imperative, see Kühner, $330, R. 4. Bothe remarks, - "Hac formula vel simili apud Græcos utebantur illi, qui aliquem invitabant ad convivium quo sensu Latini quoque dicere solebant hodie apud me sis volo, vel una simus."

132. μέλλω . yáμovs, to give a marriage-feast, the construction being the cognate accusative. For an account of marriage-feasts, see St. John, Ancient Greeks, Vol. II. pp. 19, 174. For the marriage ceremonies in general, see Becker's Charicles, Scene XII., and Excursus to the same. Isæus, De Civ. Hered., has the expression, "Kai yáμovs ei διττοὺς ὑπὲρ ταύτης εἱστίασεν ἢ μή,” in speaking of the proofs of a marriage.

134. Μή ... . κακῶς. The Scholiast says this line is a witty perversion of the proverb against those who do not visit their friends in time of trouble; the proverb being Μή μοι τότ ̓ ἔλθης, ὅταν ἐγὼ πράττω καλῶς, “ Do not come to me then, when I am doing well.”

135. тaλaiπάρwv, miserable, ironically applied.

136. δαί. For the force of this particle, see Kühner, § 315. 7.—TOLOúrov, such; not referring, according to the general usage, to the preceding, but to the following, enumeration of objects to be desired. See K. § 303, R. 1.

137-142. The Scholiast, in speaking of the wishes of the two old Athenians, says, " Ο μὲν τὰς τῆς γαστρὸς τρυφὰς

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