FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35  
36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   >>  
Undoubtedly; indeed he is called flamingo.(1) f(1) An African bird, that comes to the southern countries of Europe, to Greece, Italy, and Spain; it is even seen in Provence. EUELPIDES Hi! I say! You! PISTHETAERUS What are you shouting for? EUELPIDES Why, here's another bird. PISTHETAERUS Aye, indeed; 'tis a foreign bird too. What is this bird from beyond the mountains with a look as solemn as it is stupid? EPOPS He is called the Mede.(1) f(1) Aristophanes amusingly mixes up real birds with people and individuals, whom he represents in the form of birds; he is personifying the Medians here. PISTHETAERUS The Mede! But, by Heracles, how, if a Mede, has he flown here without a camel? EUELPIDES Here's another bird with a crest. PISTHETAERUS Ah! that's curious. I say, Epops, you are not the only one of your kind then? EPOPS This bird is the son of Philocles, who is the son of Epops;(1) so that, you see, I am his grandfather; just as one might say, Hipponicus,(2) the son of Callias, who is the son of Hipponicus. f(1) Philocles, a tragic poet, had written a tragedy on Tereus, which was simply a plagiarism of the play of the same name by Sophocles. Philocles is the son of Epops, because he got his inspiration from Sophocles' Tereus, and at the same time is father to Epops, since he himself produced another Tereus. f(2) This Hipponicus is probably the orator whose ears Alcibiades boxed to gain a bet; he was a descendant of Callias, who was famous for his hatred of Pisistratus. PISTHETAERUS Then this bird is Callias! Why, what a lot of his feathers he has lost!(1) f(1) This Callias, who must not be confounded with the foe of Pisistratus, had ruined himself. EPOPS That's because he is honest; so the informers set upon him and the women too pluck out his feathers. PISTHETAERUS By Posidon, do you see that many-coloured bird? What is his name? EPOPS This one? 'Tis the glutton. PISTHETAERUS Is there another glutton besides Cleonymus? But why, if he is Cleonymus, has he not thrown away his crest?(1) But what is the meaning of all these crests? Have these birds come to contend for the double stadium prize?(2) f(1) Cleonymus had cast away his shield; he was as great a glutton as he was a coward. f(2) A race in which the track had to be circled twice. EPOPS They are like the Carians, who cling to the crests of their mountains for greater safety.(1) f(1) A people of Asia Minor; when pur
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35  
36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   >>  



Top keywords:
PISTHETAERUS
 

Callias

 

Philocles

 

glutton

 

Cleonymus

 

EUELPIDES

 
Hipponicus
 

Tereus

 

Sophocles

 
Pisistratus

feathers

 

people

 

called

 

mountains

 
crests
 

Carians

 

greater

 
confounded
 

circled

 

ruined


safety

 

descendant

 
Alcibiades
 

famous

 

hatred

 

meaning

 
honest
 

Posidon

 
coloured
 
contend

double

 

stadium

 

thrown

 

coward

 

informers

 

shield

 

grandfather

 

solemn

 

stupid

 
foreign

Aristophanes
 

amusingly

 

represents

 

individuals

 
shouting
 

southern

 

countries

 
African
 

Undoubtedly

 

flamingo