The Clouds-Context

The fourth of Aristophanes’ works to be staged, The Clouds lampoons new schools of philosophy in Athens, most notably the sophistry of Abdera, Chalcedon, Gorgias, Leontini, Protagoras, and Thrasymachus, who were among the foreign scholars gathered in Athens, the then-intellectual capital of the world.

Though Aristophanes represents their ilk with his character Socrates, the well-known philosopher stood in absolute opposition to the sophist school. Socratic Method, otherwise known as elenchus, bears some resemblance to sophistry only insofar as it challenged the established views of the universe. Socrates’ generally eccentric persona, perhaps, also made him open to Aristophanes’ ridicule.

Σωκράτης

Aristophanes was a conservative who reflected the values of his aristocratic brethren in The Clouds. Their philosophy grew from the belief that the only truly legitimate means through which to conduct statecraft was through war. Individual martial training not only provided the means for this approach, but also fueled the ethos on a man-for-man basis.

The playwright and his camp viewed the rejection of their ideas and ideals as mere sloth on the students’ part, and profiteering on the teachers’ part. Though Socrates vehemently disagreed with sophist demands for tuition payments, Aristophanes nevertheless put the great thinker at the head of “the Thinkpot,” a pest-infested parody of the archetypical academies and symposia of Ancient Greece.

The Great Dionysia of 423 B.C. premiered The Clouds. In the competition of which the play was a part, Aristophanes placed third. The script concerns the wealthy but deeply in debt Strepsiades, whose son Phidippides has a too-great love for horses and other equine matters. To avoid his debts, he enrolls in the Thinkpot to learn the wily brand of rhetoric taught there. When his tutelage fails, he sends Phidippides, who absorbs the learning all-too-well. He proves his knowledge when he beats his father and makes successful arguments justifying his disrespectful violence. In revenge, Strepsiades burns down Socrates’ school.

Ultimately, The Clouds fits into a 21^st century context as a tale of “the culture wars” and a primer on the current “debate framing,” which author and political commentator George Lakoff writes about in his New York Times bestseller, Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate.

A Short Note on the Peloponnesian War

(431 B.C.—404 B.C.) A major armed conflict between Athens and Sparta, the two most important city-states of Greece. This war was somewhat similar to the Cold War of the 20^th century insofar as it pitted a dominant land force (Sparta) against a supreme maritime power (Athens). The chief difference was that it was an active war with many pitched battles. Another similarity was the heart of the conflict: the ideological differences between the democratic Athenians the oligarchic Spartans.

The Spartans attacked Athens in 431 B.C. Pericles, ruler of Athens since 445, defended the city well; however, he perished along with one quarter of the population in a plague that lasted for the two following years (430—428). Cleon, the heir of Pericles, finally drove the Spartans away. Nevertheless, the war would continue for nearly another quarter century. Later, the Persians would operate as allies of the Spartans, backing their naval ventures, as this was the weakest area of the Spartan war machine.

By 404, the general Lysander had so worn down the Athenians, destroying their once-powerful navy and besieging the city for over a year, that Athens finally surrendered and allowed Lysander to reorganize the government under the auspices of 30 tyrants. Until around 370 B.C., Sparta remained the predominant power and carried a great deal of philosophical and political power over the Greek city-states.

Since Aristophanes lived from 448 B.C.-c. 388 B.C., and since The Clouds was written and performed in 423 B.C., the wartime environment greatly influenced the dramatist’s worldview.

CHARACTERS

STREPSIADES- The main protagonist of The Clouds is Strepsiades, a citizen of Athens. He has a son, Pheidippides, whose love of horses has driven Strepsiades into deep debt.

Strepsiades is nothing if not tenacious in his plan to trick his creditors. One has to wonder if it would have been less work to actually pay the debts than to put up with the indignities Strepsiades endures in the course of the action.

Like the playwright himself, Strepsiades is a traditionalist. Therefore, when he approaches the Thinkpot to learn the rhetoric of trickery, he may be seen as turning his back on his conservative values, exemplified within the works of Aeschylus, Euripides, and Simonides, all of whom are rejected by Phidippides.

There could be some debate over whether Strepsiades is a tragic hero or a comic antihero. The slapstick comedy of the play—not to mention the main character’s background as a farmer—suggest that he relies more heavily upon his muscles than his mind. Yet, Strepsiades is nothing if not moral, as he ultimately wrestles with himself regarding rejection of his conservative values.

His decision to gain revenge upon Socrates’ Thinkpot by burning it down, thereby assuring that the sophists are out of business forever, stands as both crude and forthright. This is particularly the case after Phidippides has—at his father’s urging—enrolled in the school to learn what his father was unable to retain.

PHIDIPPIDES- Lover of the equine and son of Strepsiades, Phidippides is more the scion of his pretentious mother and his Uncle Megacles (Mr. Big) than of his conservative father. His arrogance actually makes him more adaptable than his less-sophisticated father to the teachings of Socrates. For these reasons, though the conflict between father and son is less direct, some may consider Phidippides the actual antagonist of The Clouds.

XANTHIAS- Strepsiades’ servant. All indicators are that he is a slave, but the text mentions nothing about his particular ethnic background or national origin.

FIRST PUPIL OF SOCRATES- A student at Socrates’s Thinkpot, he provides Strepsiades’ orientation to the word games, verbal trickery, and cabalistic secrecy of the little academy. Obviously proud of his position as a senior fellow of the Thinkpot, he may also be a bit paranoid, particularly in the presence of Strepsiades, whose more advanced age makes his quest for tutelage and “new education” suspect. Some editions of The Clouds name him as Chaerephon, a sophist, former student of Socrates, and a philosopher in his own right. He is the model of the pale and weak, yet haughty and condescending intellectual.

SOCRATES- The Socrates of The Clouds is no more the Socrates of history than is Shakespeare’s Richard III. Instead, Aristophanes uses him to represent the new schools of thought coming into existence during the Golden Age of Greece.

Socrates’ eclectic intellect stands juxtaposed to Strepsiades’anti-intellectualism in this play. Interestingly, however, he portrays both the folly of deep-thinking as well as its virtues.

Upon his first meeting with the protagonist, Socrates embodies admirable learnedness, simultaneously exemplifying irrational alternatives to the accepted religious and social conventions. He logically explains his rejection of the Olympian gods, but replaces them with belief in the clouds as demi-deities. His postulating is played for laughs, of course; but, as antagonist, Socrates definitely represents the dogma of the left.

Where Socrates fails with Strepsiades, he has greater success with Phidippides. This may suggest the dangerous precedent Aristophanes associated with “new education”: the corruption of the youth. Strepsiades, by virtue or vulnerability of age, is unable to assimilate his newfound knowledge. When the son not only understands, but also employs Socrates’ verbal weaponry against Strepsiades, the father must take action.

MR. GOOD REASON- Perhaps a forerunner of the characters in Medieval Morality plays, Mr. Good Reason’s name represents his function in the drama. Here to reflect the “old school” views Strepsiades harbors, he embodies blind patriotism, corporeal vigor, respect for age, and the literature and tradition the Greek “military-industrial complex” lauded by Homer in epic poetry such as The Iliad and The Odyssey. Ultimately, Mr. Good Reason must fail, as he is entirely too dependent upon the physical virtues, with the libido as the engine of the tradition in Aristophanes’ view. Conceding the debate, Mr. Good Reason explains to his opposite number, Mr. Bad Reason, “I’m buggered. I give up. Don my mantle, for the gods’ sakes. I am through. I’m going over to you.”

MR. BAD REASON – Here to side with Socrates and provide counterpoint to Mr. Good Reason, Mr. Bad Reason is the distillation not only of sophistry, but also of the “new education” in general. Though he wins the verbal contest against Mr. Good Reason, no respectable case emerges for the philosophy and rhetoric of the Thinkpot. Aristophanes’ goal here is possibly to discredit sophistry through showing its triumphs as ill-gotten gains. Mr. Good Reason may easily cast the mold for today’s smarmy left-leaning politicos.

1^ST CREDITOR- AKA: PASIAS. Certain of the moral superiority of his claims and ultimately dismissive of Strepsiades’ misapplied use of the new rhetoric, this businessman shrewdly listens to the antihero, yet remains firm in his demand to be paid. In a sense, the 1^st Creditor may represent the “only-business” side of commerce.

2^ND CREDITOR-AKA:AMYNIAS. In the same way that Mr. Good Reason and Mr. Bad Reason stand in opposition to one another, Amynias is the foil of Pasias. Where 1^st Creditor is unyielding in his intent to sue Strepsiades, the 2^nd Creditor flees the scene when discomfited by the old man.

CHORUS OF CLOUDS- Though all the roles would have been played by men and boys during the period in which Aristophanes first presented The Clouds, the script makes it obvious that the Chorus of Clouds is made up of women who represent Socrates alternative deities, the clouds.

Choruses in Greek drama occupy a unique place. They are the only “characters” who speak directly to the audience. They often help to provide exposition and to give means of not only scene setting but also transition between scenes. They sometimes act as the voices of moral approval and moral outrage, in essence telling the audience “what to believe,” and establishing the meeting ground between dramatic action and audience discourse.

Because of their position regarding ethos, because the earliest dramatic performances were religious in nature, and because a great deal of iis information is conveyed through song, the Chorus could be said to be the direct ancestor of the modern church choir.

OTHER PUPILS OF SOCRATES- Students of Socrates, these characters may be similar to the 1^st Pupil in their blind adherence to sophist principles. They may also be weak and lacking in vigor.

Definitions and Allusions: A Glossary of Possibly Unfamiliar Terms

Abstruse- ADJECTIVE: Difficult to understand; recondite. See Synonyms at ambiguous.

Academy- Akademeia or Academeia An olive grove near the city of Athens which was sacred to the hero, Akademus (Academus) who assisted Kastor (Castor) and Polydeukes (Polydeuces or Pollux) in the rescue of their sister, Helen.

Plato and his followers taught in the grove and, thus, their school was called The Academy.

Modern scholars have divided the teachings of The Academy into “schools” because the world-view and style evolved as time passed and as different teachers presided over The Academy; the divisions are:

The Old Academy (circa 400-265 B.C.E), typified by Plato.

The Middle Academy (circa 265-150 B.C.E), typified by Arkesilas (Arcesilas).

The New Academy (circa 150-86 B.C.E), typified by Karneades (Carneades).

The direct, continuous influence of The Academy was finally broken in 86 B.C.E by the Romans when Athens was burned; attempts were made to re-build on the centuries-old reputation of The Academy but the Roman domination of the entire Mediterranean area was overwhelming and later incarnations of The Academy were mere shadows of the original school.

Amphoras- A large jar or vase having a large oval body, narrow cylindrical neck and two handles that rise almost to the level of the mouth.

Antediluvian- ADJECTIVE: Extremely old and antiquated. See Synonyms at old. Bible Occurring or belonging to the era before the Flood. ETYMOLOGY:

From ante- + Latin dluvium, flood ; see diluvial

Antistrophe- n-tstr-f NOUN: The second stanza, and those like it, in a poem consisting of alternating stanzas in contrasting metrical form. The second division of the triad of a Pindaric ode, having the same stanza form as the strophe. The choral movement in classical Greek drama in the oppostite direction from that of the strophe. The part of a choral ode sung while this movement is executed. ETYMOLOGY: Late Latin antistroph, antistrophe of Greek tragedy, from Greek, strophic correspondence, from antistrephein, to turn back : anti-, back ; see anti- + strephein, to turn ; see strophe.

Athamas- The infamous father of Helle and Phrixus; the grandson of the euphonious founder of the Greeks, Hellen. Athamas was the son of Aiolos (Aeolus) and Enarete; his siblings are variously listed as: Alkyone (Alcyone), Athamas, Kalyke (Calyce), Kanake (Canace), Kretheus (Cretheus), Makareos (Macareus), Perieres, Salmoneus, and Sisyphus.

Athamas was the ruler of Orkhomenos (Orchomenos) and married to the nymph, Nephele (Cloud); he rejected Nephele for the mortal woman, Ino, who then plotted to have Athamas’ son, Phrixus, killed as a sacrifice.

Nephele and the god, Hermes, devised the escape of Helle and Phrixus on a magical flying ram with a Golden Fleece; the youths flew away from Orkhomenos on the ram but Helle fell from its back and drowned in the sea.

Phrixus sought sanctuary in the land of Kolkhis (Colchis) on the eastern shores of the Euxine (Black Sea) and sacrificed the ram in the Garden of Ares; the Golden Fleece remained there until it was retrieved by Iason (Jason) and the Argonauts.

Athamas’ son, Phrixus, married a woman named Khalkiope (Chalciope) and had four sons; the grandsons of Athamas had sworn vengeance against him for the ill treatment of their father but when one of the sons, Kytissoros (Cytissoros), finally met Athamas, he found the old man in desperate circumstances; Athamas was in the town of Alus in Akhaia (Achaea) and was about to be sacrificed at the instruction of an oracle; Kytissoros saved his grandfather and incurred the wrath of Zeus; from that time forward, the eldest member of Athamas’ family was forbidden, on penalty of death, to enter the town hall of Alus.

Boule- (bl, b-l) NOUN: The lower house of the modern Greek legislature. The senate of 400 founded by Solon in ancient Athens. A legislative assembly in any one of the ancient Greek states. ETYMOLOGY: Greek boul, assembly; see gwel- in Indo-European roots.

Brine- NOUN: Water saturated with or containing large amounts of a salt, especially sodium chloride. The water of a sea or an ocean. A large body of salt water. Salt water used for preserving and pickling foods. TRANSITIVE VERB: brined , brin·ing , brines. To immerse, preserve, or pickle in salt water.

Bucolic- ADJECTIVE: Of or characteristic of the countryside or its people; rustic. See Synonyms at rural. Of or characteristic of shepherds or flocks; pastoral. NOUN: A pastoral poem. A farmer or shepherd; a rustic. ETYMOLOGY: Latin B.C.olicus, pastoral, from Greek boukolikos, from boukolos, cowherd : bous, cow; see gwou- in Indo-European roots + -kolos, herdsman; see kwel- 1 in Indo-European roots

Bulwark- NOUN: A wall or embankment raised as a defensive fortification; a rampart. Something serving as a defense or safeguard: “We have seen the necessity of the Union, as our bulwark against foreign danger” (James Madison). A breakwater. The part of a ship’s side that is above the upper deck. Often used in the plural. TRANSITIVE VERB: bul•warked , bul•wark•ing , bul•warks To fortify with a wall, embankment, or rampart.

To provide defense or protection for. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English bulwerk, from Middle Dutch bolwerk, from Middle High German bolwerc : bole, plank; see bhel- 2 in Indo-European roots + werc, work (from Old High German; see werg- in Indo-European roots).

Carcinus- Carcinus of Agrigentum, his son, Zenocles (a playwright), with his three brothers (dancers) and a grandson and namesake of the former, “a whole potful of tragic crabs,” as they have been termed.

Catkins-diminutive of cat. NOUN: A usually dense, cylindrical, often drooping cluster of unisexual apetalous flowers found in willows, birches, and oaks. Also called ament 1 . ETYMOLOGY: From obsolete Dutch katteken, kitten, diminutive of katte, cat (from its resemblance to a kitten’s tail), from Germanic *kattuz

Chaerephon- Khaerephon. An early and fanatical follower of Sokrates (Socrates) who was viciously ridiculed in the comedy Clouds by Aristophanes because of his presumed aversion to fresh air and sunlight; Aristophanes clearly did not like Sokrates and took every opportunity to denounce him, his school and his students.

Charioteer of the sun-Reference to Apollo.

Cicynna- A neighborhood of Athens which was one of several which were created after 510 B.C.E.

Circumambulant- Adjectival form of the TRANSITIVE VERB: circumambulate. cir·cum·am·bu·lat·ed , cir·cum·am·bu·lat·ing , cir·cum·am·bu·lates To walk around (something), especially as part of a ritual: “Circumambulate the city of a dreamy Sabbath afternoon” (Herman Melville).

Circumlocution- NOUN: The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language. Evasion in speech or writing. A roundabout expression.

Cleisthenes- An Athenian statesman; circa 515-495 B.C.E; after the ouster of the tyrant, Hippias, Kleisthenes led the popular movement for the establishment of a democratic state instead of a tyranny or oligarchy; he is most noted for redistributing the lands of Attika (Attica) into ten “tribal” divisions; each section was called a deme. His name may also be rendered as Klisthenes (Clisthenes).

Cleonymus- May refer to Cleomenes I, Kleomenes. The fifteenth Agiadai king of the city of Sparta who ruled circa 520-490 B.C.E. Sparta traditionally had two kings who ruled jointly; one king was required to be a descendant of king Agis I and the other was required to be a descendant of king Eurypon (respectively known as the Agiadai and the Eurypontidai). Kleomenes went to Athens in 508 B.C.E to impose a solution to the dispute over the Athenian constitution, he was subsequently trapped on the Akropolis (Acropolis) and only allowed to leave after he promised to never return to Attika (Attica); the dates given for his rule are extrapolations and should be used only as approximations.

In this text it probably refers to an Athenian citizen held in somewhat low esteem by his peers for his timidity.

Cockerels- NOUN: A young rooster. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English cokerel, diminutive of cok, cock ; see cock.

Coiffed- NOUN: COIFFURE. A hairstyle. TRANSITIVE VERB: coif·fured , coif·fur·ing, coif·fures To arrange or dress (hair). ETYMOLOGY: French, from coiffer, to coif ; see coiffeur.

Coisyra- Corfu. Formerly Cor·cy·ra (kôr-sr) An island of Greece in the Ionian Islands off the northwest coast of the mainland. Settled c. 700 b.c., the island was controlled by Rome, Byzantium, Sicily, Venice, and Great Britain before being ceded to Greece in 1864.

Confute- TRANSITIVE VERB: To prove to be wrong or in error; refute decisively. Obsolete To confound.

Corinth- One of the wealthiest and most powerful of the ancient Greek cities; located on the Isthmus of Korinth, which connects the Greek mainland to the Peloponnesian Peninsula; due to its location, the city was a thriving artistic center as well as a major trading hub. Also a play on words, as koris is the Greek word for “bug.”

Cormorant- NOUN: Any of several large, widely distributed marine diving birds of the genus Phalacrocorax, having dark plumage, webbed feet, a slender hooked bill, and a distensible pouch. A greedy, rapacious person. ADJECTIVE: Greedy; rapacious. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English cormoraunt, from Old French cormorant : corp, raven ; see corbel + marenc, of the sea (from Latin marnus; see marine )

Cronus-The son of Uranus and Gaia and the youngest of the twelve Titans. His wife was also one of the Titans, since he married his sister Rhea. Their offspring were Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus.

Cropper- NOUN: A person who works land in return for a share of the yield; a sharecropper.

Cudgel fodder-Referring to a short heavy stick; a club and feed for livestock, especially coarsely chopped hay or straw. The term is closest to “cannon fodder,” which refers to soldiers, sailors, or other military personnel regarded as likely to be killed or wounded in combat. Therefore, “cudgel fodder” is one likely to get beaten (?).

Cynthus- Kynthus Mount Kynthus; located on the sacred island of Delos and the birthplace of Artemis and Apollo.

Delos- The smallest of the islands known as the Kyklades (Cyclades) Group; located southeast of the Greek mainland in the Aegean Sea; the birthplace of Apollon and Artemis.The Kyklades are so named because they form a circle around the sacred island of Delos.Approximate east longitude 25.16 and north latitude 37.26.

Demesmen-Peers, especially citizens of Athens who voted and sat on juries.

Demeter- The goddess of agriculture and the protector of marriage and social order. Demeter and Zeus were the parents of Persephone; when Persephone was abducted by Hades (lord of the Underworld), Demeter made the earth infertile and roamed the land in misery and torment; she refused to associate with the Olympians and finally settled in Eleusis and, disguised as an old woman, became the nurse for the young son of king Keleos.

One night she was caught transforming the young boy into an Immortal by bathing him in fire; the family was aghast at this display of unnatural behavior until Demeter announced her true identity and swore to make Eleusis her most holy of shrines. With her hiding place exposed, Zeus sent the Immortals, one at a time, to try to persuade Demeter to lift her curse from the face of the earth but she rejected all their pleas; Zeus then sent Hermes to the House of Hades and demanded that Persephone be returned to her mother; Hades allowed Persephone to leave but before she left he gave her a pomegranate seed which she ate; by eating the seed she had unwittingly bound herself to Hades and was required to spend a portion of each year with him in the Underworld. Demeter was forced to accept the sharing of her daughter’s affection and lifted her curse so that the earth could become bountiful once more.

Demeter and Persephone are worshiped together as the Karpophorus (Carpophorus) meaning Fruitful.

Dialectics- A method of argument or exposition that systematically weighs contradictory facts or ideas with a view to the resolution of their real or apparent contradictions.

Diasia- A festival of Zeus.

Dithyrambic- NOUN: A frenzied, impassioned choric hymn and dance of ancient Greece in honor of Dionysus. An irregular poetic expression suggestive of the ancient Greek dithyramb.

A wildly enthusiastic speech or piece of writing. ETYMOLOGY:

Latin dthyrambus, from Greek dthurambos.

Dotard- NOUN: A deterioration of mental faculties; senility. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from doten, to dote.

Dotty- ADJECTIVE: Mentally unbalanced; crazy. Amusingly eccentric or unconventional. Ridiculous or absurd: a dotty scheme. Having a feeble or unsteady gait; shaky. Obsessively infatuated or enamored. ETYMOLOGY: Probably alteration of Scots dottle, silly, from Middle English doten, to dote.

Drachma- NOUN: pl. drach·mas or drach·mae (-m) KEY A basic unit of currency in Greece. See Table at currency. An ancient Greek silver coin. One of several modern units of weight, especially the dram. ETYMOLOGY: Latin, from Greek drakhm, from drassesthai , drakh-, to grasp

Eels- Any of various long, snakelike, scaleless marine or freshwater fishes of the order Anguilliformes or Apodes that lack pelvic fins and characteristically migrate from fresh water to salt water to spawn.. But, of course, here it refers to the male genitailia.

Empyrean- NOUN: The highest reaches of heaven, believed by the ancients to be a realm of pure fire or light. The abode of God and the angels; paradise. The sky. ADJECTIVE: Of or relating to the empyrean of ancient belief. ETYMOLOGY: From Medieval Latin empyreum, from empyreus, empyreal ; see empyreal

Ephesus- Ephesos An ancient coastal city in western Asia Minor east of the island of Samos; famous for the Temple of Artemis which was erected there and later declared one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Espy- TRANSITIVE VERB: es·pied , es·py·ing , es·pies To catch sight of (something distant, partially hidden, or obscure); glimpse. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English espien, from Old French espier, to watch, of Germanic origin; see spek- in Indo-European roots.

Euboea- the largest island of the Greek archipelago. It is separated from the mainland of Greece by the Euboic Sea. In general outline it is long and narrow; it is about 150 km (90 miles) long, and varies in breadth from 50 km (30 miles) to 6 km (4 mi). Its general direction is from N.W. to S.E., and it is traversed throughout its length by a mountain range, which forms part of the chain that bounds Thessaly on the east, and is continued south of Euboea in the lofty islands of Andros, Tenos and Mykonos. Euboea has one of the longest prefectures in Greece in length. Euboea is also the second largest island in Greece by area and population after Crete.

Eupolis- 430–411 B.C., Athenian comic poet. He seems to have collaborated with Aristophanes, whom he also attacked; another of his victims was Alcibiades. His plays, satirical and malicious, were greatly admired by the ancients. Fragments of his work survive.

Fatuous- ADJECTIVE: Vacuously, smugly, and unconsciously foolish. See Synonyms at foolish. Delusive; unreal: fatuous hopes.

Flense- TRANSITIVE VERB: flensed , flens·ing , flens·es To strip the blubber or skin from (a whale, for example). ETYMOLOGY: Norwegian.

Gambol- intr.v. gam·boled or gam·bolled , gam·bol·ing or gam·bol·ling , gam·bols To leap about playfully; frolic. NOUN: A playful skipping or frolicking about.

ETYMOLOGY: Alteration of French gambade, horse’s jump, from Old French, perhaps from Old Italian gambata, from gamba, leg, from Late Latin, hoof, perhaps from Greek kamp, bend

“The Good Boy and the Buggered Boy”- Reference to a play which may or may not have existed, but is probably otherwise known as The Banqueters, Aristophanes’ first play in 427 B.C..

Haggis- NOUN: A Scottish dish consisting of a mixture of the minced heart, lungs, and liver of a sheep or calf mixed with suet, onions, oatmeal, and seasonings and boiled in the stomach of the slaughtered animal. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English hagese; perhaps akin to haggen, to chop ; see haggle

Grasshopper brooches-A reference to accessories Athenians wore to identify themselves as natives of the city.

Hermippus- the one-eyed, Athenian writer of the Old Comedy, flourished during the Peloponnesian War. He is said to have written 40 plays, of which the titles and fragments of nine are preserved. He was a bitter opponent of Pericles. He also accused Aspasia of impiety and offences against morality, and her acquittal was only secured by the tears of Pericles. In The Breadsellers (“Bakeresses”) he attacked the demagogue Hyperbolus. The Mat-carriers contains many parodies of Homer. Hermippus also appears to have written scurrilous iambic poems after the manner of Archilochus.

Hippocrates’ sons-Hippocrates was a nephew of Pericles. His three sons, Demophon, Pericles, and Telesipppus, became bywords in comedy for their lack of breeding and boorishness.

Hyperbolus- In Athens, the successor of Kleon (Cleon), exiled in 416 B.C.E; assassinated in 411.

Indolent- ADJECTIVE: Disinclined to exert oneself; habitually lazy. See Synonyms at lazy. Conducive to inactivity or laziness; lethargic: humid, indolent weather. Causing little or no pain: an indolent tumor. Slow to heal, grow, or develop; inactive: an indolent ulcer. ETYMOLOGY: Late Latin indolns , indolent-, painless : Latin in-, not ; see in- 1 + Latin dolns, present participle of dolre, to feel pain

Ingress- NOUN: also in·gres·sion (n-grshn) KEY A going in or entering. Right or permission to enter. A means or place of entering. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English ingresse, from Latin ingressus, from past participle of ingred, to enter : in-, in ; see in- 2 + grad, to step; see ghredh- in Indo-European roots

Inscrutable- ADJECTIVE: Difficult to fathom or understand; impenetrable. See Synonyms at mysterious. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin nscrtbilis : in-, not ; see in- 1 + scrtr, to scrutinize ; see scrutiny

John-Slang for the male genitals.

Kordax- A penis dance performed by horned figures in the Dionysian festivals of ancient Greece.

Lake Maeotis- Lake Maeotis; the ancient name for the Sea of Azov. Lake Maeotis was a body of water which connected to the northwestern corner of the Euxine (Black Sea); also called the Maeetian Lake or Maeotic Lake by the ancient Greeks; approximately 14,000 square miles (36,260 square kilometers) in area.

Lumpkin- Bumpkin. NOUN: An awkward, unsophisticated person; a yokel.

Lydian- Lydia An ancient kingdom in western Asia Minor. Lydia was named after Lydus and ruled by the descendants of Herakles (Heracles) for 505 years from the rule of Agron until the time of Kandaules (Candaules).

Mantle- A loose sleeveless coat worn over outer garments; a cloak.

Marathon- An ancient village near the plain of Marathon on the Greek mainland approximately 26 miles (42 kilometers) northeast of the city of Athens. A foot race of traditionally 26 miles (42 kilometers) named after the plain of Marathon in Attika (Attica), located north of the city of Athens; the plain got it’s named from the fennel plant which was very plentiful there; on this plain, the Athenian army defeated the numerically superior Persian army of King Darius in 490 B.C.E; following the resounding defeat of the Persians, a messenger ran to Athens to tell the worried citizens of their success and after uttering the single word, nike (victory), died of exhaustion; the marathon race is derived from this momentous feat of physical endurance.

Maricas-Play by Eupolis.

Melos- An island of the Kyklades (Cyclades) Group in the southwestern Aegean Sea. The island was initially settled by the Phoenicians prior to the arrival of the Dorians who arrived in the twelfth century B.C.E; in 416 B.C.E the Athenians brutally captured the island and replaced the slain and enslaved populace with Athenian colonists.

The island is 4,499 square miles (11,652 square kilometers) in area; the statue of Venus Di Milo was found there.

The name of the island might have been derived from the Phoenicians navigator, Melos; the island is also called Milo and Milos.

Memnon- In Greek mythology, Memnon was an Ethiopian king and son of Tithonus and Eos. At the Trojan War, he brought an army to Troy’s defense and was killed by Achilles. However, he first killed Antilochus. After his death, Zeus was moved by Eos’ tears and granted him immortality.

Minas- pl. mi·nas or mi·nae (-n) (mn) NOUN: A varying unit of weight or money used in ancient Greece and Asia. ETYMOLOGY: Latin, from Greek mn, from Akkadian manû, a unit of weight, from manû, to count; see mnw in Semitic roots.

Miss Cleonyme-Depricating feminization of Cleonymus, a notoriously timid Athenian.

Miss Sostrate-Depricating reference to Sostratus, who was, as noted by Roche, “a legendary homosexual” with a crush on Herakles.

Mount Parnes- Mount Parnitha (Greek, modern: Πάρνηθα, ancient/Katharevousa: -is, sometimes Parnetha), older forms Parnes, Parnis is a mountain and range north of Athens and Menidi/Acharnae, the tallest on the peninsula of Attica. The mountain can be seen from Eleusis, Athens, and northern suburbs.

Myrmidons- The inhabitants of the island of Aegina which is located in the Saronic Gulf mid-way between Attika (Attica) on mainland Greece and Argolis on the Peloponnesian Peninsula. In The Iliad, Akhilleus (Achilles) was the leader of the Myrmidons; when the inhabitants of the island of Aegina were wiped out by a plague, Zeus repopulated the island by creating people from ants; Myrmidons literally means Ants.

Obol- NOUN: A silver coin or unit of weight equal to one sixth of a drachma, formerly used in ancient Greece. ETYMOLOGY: Latin obolus, from Greek obolos, variant of obelos, spit, obol.

Orison- NOUN: A prayer.

Orta- Scraps of leftover food? Crumbs? Who can help on this one???

Palaver- NOUN: Idle chatter. Talk intended to charm or beguile. Obsolete A parley between European explorers and representatives of local populations, especially in Africa. VERB: pa•lav•ered , pa•lav•er•ing , pa•lav•ers

VERB: tr. To flatter or cajole. VERB: intr. To chatter idly.

Pallas- A name for Athene (Athena) of uncertain meaning and derivation; her name is often rendered as Pallas Athene or simply Pallas.

Peleus- Peleos. The legendary king of the Myrmidons; one of the sons of Aeakus (Aeacus) and Endies; Peleus is most noted as the husband of Thetis and the father of Akhilleus (Achilles). Peleus and his brother, Telamon, had killed their half-brother, Phokos (Phocos), and were driven from their home on the island of Aegina; the two brothers went their separate ways until they both answered the summons of Iason (Jason) and joined the crew of the Argo as Argonauts.

As a young man, Peleus sought refuge in Phthia and, after a dispute with the king’s wife, Hippolyte, the king, Akastos (Acastus), left Peleus on Mount Pelion to die; Peleus had been given a knife made by the hands of Hephaistos (Hephaestus) but Akastos took the knife so that Peleus’ would be defenseless; the Centaur, Kheiron (Chiron) restored the knife to Peleus and saved him from certain death; the name Peleus means Man of Pelion because he had been abandoned on Mount Pelion.

Peleus was married to the goddess, Thetis, because Zeus was afraid that her son would de-throne him, thus by having Thetis marry a mortal, like Peleus, her son would also be mortal and have no chance of threatening Zeus’ power; when Peleus accidentally caught Thetis bathing Akhilleus in fire, he renounced her and placed Akhilleus under the supervision of Phoinix (Phoenix).

Percipient- ADJECTIVE: Having the power of perceiving, especially perceiving keenly and readily. NOUN: One that perceives. ETYMOLOGY: Latin percipins , percipient- present participle of percipere, to perceive ; see perceive

Perspicacious- ADJECTIVE: Having or showing penetrating mental discernment; clear-sighted. See Synonyms at shrewd. ETYMOLOGY: From Latin perspicx , perspicc-, from perspicere, to look through ; see perspective

Phrynichus- Phrynichus was an Athenian tragic poet and contemporary of Aeschylus who won his first victory in 511 B.C. Phrynichus introduced the first non-choral actor. In 405 B.C. his comedy Muses won second prize behind Aristophanes’ Frogs.

Plaza-men-Excellent speakers who met in public spaces.

Po-faced-Used in Britain as a term for someone who is priggish, narrow-minded, disapproving or humourless, but not widely known elsewhere; it does occasionally appear in America, though mostly in writings by British authors.

Portico- NOUN: pl. por·ti·coes or por·ti·cos A porch or walkway with a roof supported by columns, often leading to the entrance of a building.

Prodicus- A sophist writer and philosopher from the island of Keos (Ceos); circa fifth century B.C.E. His name may also be rendered as Prodikos or Prodicos. Our word “prodigy” comes from his moniker, as he delved into many disciplines.

Pylos- Pilos. A seaport on the southwestern Peloponnesian Peninsula in the ancient district of Messenia. Pylos was the home kingdom of the aged Trojan War hero, Nestor; the Bay of Pylos was the site of an important victory by the Athenians over the Spartans in 425 B.C.E during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.E); now called Navarino.

Queue- NOUN: A line of waiting people or vehicles.

Quintuplicate- quin·tu·pli·cate (kwn-tpl-kt) ADJECTIVE: Multiplied by five; fivefold. Being the fifth of a set of five identical copies. NOUN: One of a set of five identical things. A set of five copies.

Rebarbative- ADJECTIVE: Tending to irritate; repellent: “He became rebarbative, prickly, spiteful” (Robert Craft). ETYMOLOGY: French rébarbatif, from Old French, from (se) rebarber, to confront : re-, re- + barbe, beard (from Latin barba; see bhardh—in Indo-European roots).

Remunerate- TRANSITIVE VERB: re·mu·ner·at·ed , re·mu·ner·at·ing , re·mu·ner·ates To pay (a person) a suitable equivalent in return for goods provided, services rendered, or losses incurred; recompense. To compensate for; make payment for: remunerated his efforts. ETYMOLOGY: Latin remnerr , remnert- : re-, re- + mnerr, to give (from mnus , mner-, gift; see mei- in Indo-European roots).

Roan- ADJECTIVE: Having a chestnut, bay, or sorrel coat thickly sprinkled with white or gray: a roan horse. NOUN: The characteristic coloring of a roan horse. A roan horse or other animal. A soft flexible sheepskin leather, often treated to resemble morocco and used in bookbinding. ETYMOLOGY: Obsolete French, from Old French, from Old Spanish roano, probably of Germanic origin

Scatty- ADJECTIVE: Chiefly British scat·ti·er , scat·ti·est. Scatterbrained; flighty: “the scatty, glancing quality of a hyperactive but unfocused intelligence” (London Review of Books).

“screening his butt with a shield”-Reference to a dance where naked young men held shields high above their heads and flourished them.

Shard- NOUN: A piece of broken pottery, especially one found in an archaeological dig; a potsherd. A fragment of a brittle substance, as of glass or metal. A small piece or part: “shards of intense emotional relationships that once existed” (Maggie Scarf). ETYMOLOGY: Middle English sherd, from Old English sceard, cut, notch; see sker- 1 in Indo-European roots.

Simonides- Simonides of Keos (Ceos); (456?-468 B.C.E) The Greek poet who immortalized himself by writing a short poem to the fallen Spartan soldiers after the battle of Thermopylae. There are numerous versions of his tribute to the seer Megistias which was written on the wall at Thermopylae and all of them are a tribute to the timeless potential of poetry to convey, with few words, what history must take volumes to relate.

I will not provide a translation of this epigram because of copyright problems; but as an exercise in learning the difficulties in translating Greek into English, I suggest that you look at as many translations of Histories by Herodotus (book 7, chapter 228) as you can find and observe the many and varied ways different translators render the epigram; this will give you an idea of the way the Greek language has been used and abused over the centuries.

Solon- (circa 638-558 B.C.E) The Athenian statesman who introduced the idea of a just constitution that recognized the necessity of including all classes of citizens in the government. His most liberating innovation was the return of all mortgaged land to the debtors and freeing of people who had been sold into slavery or exiled because of debt; Solon lived to see his constitution abolished by the tyrant Pisistratus.

Sophist- NOUN: One skilled in elaborate and devious argumentation. A scholar or thinker. Any of a group of professional fifth-century b.c. Greek philosophers and teachers who speculated on theology, metaphysics, and the sciences, and who were later characterized by Plato as superficial manipulators of rhetoric and dialectic. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English sophiste, from Latin sophista, from Greek sophists, from sophizesthai, to become wise, from sophos, clever

Sozzled- ADJECTIVE: Slang Drunk; intoxicated. ETYMOLOGY: From sozzle, to splash, loll about, be lazy, from earlier sossle, probably from soss, to splash in mud, fall heavily, of imitative origin.

Specious- ADJECTIVE: Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious: a specious argument. Deceptively attractive. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, attractive, from Latin specisus, from specis, appearance; see spek- in Indo-European roots

Spin-As Roche explains, the word used in Greek by Aristophanes is dinos, which means “whirl,” “gyration.” It also means “mug” or “cup.” There was a mug placed outside the Thinkpot as a symbol that not Zeus but Spin ruled the universe. The connection to our modern media slang word “spin doctor,” (a person who publicizes favorable interpretations of the words and actions of a public figure, especially a politician) may be appropriate.

Strophe- (strf) NOUN: The first of a pair of stanzas of alternating form on which the structure of a given poem is based. A stanza containing irregular lines. The first division of the triad constituting a section of a Pindaric ode. The first movement of the chorus in classical Greek drama while turning from one side of the orchestra to the other. The part of a choral ode sung while this movement is executed. ETYMOLOGY:

Greek stroph, a turning, stanza, from strephein, to turn; see streb(h)- in Indo-European roots.

Super august- ADJECTIVE: Inspiring awe or admiration; majestic: the august presence of the monarch. See Synonyms at grand. Venerable for reasons of age or high rank.

Talents- A variable unit of weight and money used in ancient Greece, Rome, and the Middle East.

Telephus of Mysia- The son of Herakles (Heracles) and Auge. When the Greeks left the island of Aulis to sack Troy, they became lost and attacked the city of Teuthrania by mistake; Telephus defended Teuthrania and killed Thersandros and was wounded by Akhilleus (Achilles); Akhilleus agreed to heal Telephus’ wounds if he would assist the Greeks by leading them to Troy; Telephus accompanied the Greeks back to Argos and, in accordance with the advice of an oracle, led the Greeks to Troy but refused to fight the Trojans because he was a blood relative of king Priam.

Thempolamus-Character from the Zenocles (Xenocles) play Lysimnius who kills her half-brother.

Thessalian- Reference to one from Thessely or Thessalia, a district on the Greek mainland located on the northeastern coast and bounded on the east by the Aegean Sea and on the west by the mountain range that includes Mount Olympos (Olympus); the largest independent territory in ancient Greece.

Thetis- One of the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris; the wife of Peleus and the mother of Akhilleus (Achilles). Thetis was wedded to Peleus (a mortal) as punishment for not entering the bed of Zeus; Thetis was taken by Peleus near Sepias, therefore, the entire shoreline near Sepias belongs to Thetis and the other Nereids.

Hera respected Thetis for her resistance to Zeus’ advances and protected Thetis’ son, Akhilleus, throughout the Trojan War; after Akhilleus was born, Thetis tried to make him immortal by cleansing him with nektar (nectar) and bathing him in fire but Peleus caught her putting the infant Akhilleus in the fire and, in his ignorance of Immortal affairs, went into a rage; Thetis, in frustration, threw Akhilleus to the ground, deserted Peleus and returned to her home under the Aegean Sea. Thetis came to Akhilleus many times during the Trojan War and after the death of Akhilleus’ companion, Patroklos (Patroclus), compelled Hephaistos (Hephaestus) to forge new armor for Akhilleus.

Throng- NOUN: A large group of people gathered or crowded closely together; a multitude. See Synonyms at crowd 1. A large group of things; a host. VERB: thronged , throng·ing , throngs VERB: tr. To crowd into; fill: commuters thronging the subway platform. To press in on. VERB: intr. To gather, press, or move in a throng. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old English gethrang

Thrush- NOUN: Any of numerous migratory songbirds of the family Turdidae, usually having brownish upper plumage and a spotted breast and noted for a clear melodious song. Any of various similar or related birds, as a water thrush or thrasher. ETYMOLOGY: Middle English thrushe, from Old English thrysce

Tommyrot- NOUN: Informal Utter foolishness; nonsense. ETYMOLOGY: Dialectal tommy, fool (from Tommy, nickname for Thomas) + rot

Trap- NOUN: Personal belongings or household goods. Often used in the plural. May in this case refer to one’s buttocks.

Trident wielder-Reference to Poseiden.

Trifle tinker- A clumsy repairer of something of little importance or value.

Trophonius- Trophonios. He and his brother, Agamedes, were the sons of Erginos; they were renowned architects and credited with building the temple of Apollon in the city of Delphi. The two brothers were also said to have built the treasury of Hyrieus (or Augeas) and to have designed it in such a way that they could come back later and rob it; during the attempted robbery, Agamedes became ensnared in a trap inside the treasury and Trophonius was unable to free him; in a desperate attempt to conceal his brother’s identity, Trophonius cut off Agamedes’ head.

Afterwards, near the city of Lebadeia in Boeotia, Trophonius was swallowed by the earth and an oracular site was established in his name; supplicants would enter the cave and, after receiving the prophecies and omens imparted by Trophonius, would emerge pale and shaken.

Typhus- The youngest child of Gaia (Earth) and Tartaros (Tartarus). Typhoeus was a gigantic creature with a hundred snake-heads sprouting from his enormous shoulders; each snake-head had eyes that glittered with fire and each of the snake-heads could create sounds that were subtle or horrible, from an echoing whistle to the bellowing of bulls; Typhoeus was strong and willful enough to have ruled the other Immortals if Zeus had not perceived the threat he posed and attacked him with unchecked fury; after a fierce battle, Typhoeus was imprisoned under the earth; all ill-favored winds that plague human endeavors issue from Typhoeus.

Vim- NOUN: Ebullient vitality and energy. See Synonyms at vigor. ETYMOLOGY: Latin, accusative of vs; see wei- in Indo-European roots

Vulturine-(vlch-rn) also vul·tur·ous ADJECTIVE: Of, relating to, or characteristic of a vulture. Rapacious; predatory.

Watercress- NOUN: A pungent perennial Eurasian herb (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum) of the mustard family, growing in freshwater ponds and streams and used in salads and as a garnish. Any of several related aquatic plants.

Xenophantus-either a popular musician or a popular sculptor of the age.

NOTE: Definitions come mostly from Internet sources including American Heritage® Dictionary Online, Michael Stewart and Michael Wiik’s Greek Mythology: From The Iliad to the Fall of the Last Tyrant website (http://messagenet.com/myths/index.html), and www.wikipedia.org. Some of the information is gleaned from the footnotes to Paul Roche’s translation of Aristophanes: The Complete Plays (New American Library 2005). Our production dramaturgy is geared toward that text, since it is the basis for our performance script.

ARISTOPHANES

The Clouds-Context

A Short Note on the Peloponnesian War

CHARACTERS