The Chorus and Their Garden in the Second Parabasis of Aristophanes’ Acharnians

Nikolsky, Boris

doi:10.31857/S032103910028431-7

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The Chorus and Their Garden in the Second Parabasis of Aristophanes’ Acharnians

Annotation
References

The Chorus and Their Garden in the Second Parabasis of Aristophanes’ Acharnians

PII

S032103910028431-7-1

DOI

10.31857/S032103910028431-7

Publication type

Article

Status

Approved

Authors

Boris Nikolsky

Affiliation:
École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France
Institute of Ancient Manuscripts "Matenadaran", Yerevan, Armenia
Address: Russian Federation, Moscow, 119021, Yazykovsky pereulok, 5-4-130

Abstract

The article offers a new interpretation of the antistrophe of the second parabasis in Aristophanes’ Acharnians. The antistrophe refers to the chorus’ desired union with Diallage (Peace) and their dreams of planting a garden. According to the common view, the chorus emphasises the ability to plant grapes, figs and olives and thus convinces the Diallage of its masculine power. By understanding the meaning of the chorus’ words about the garden in this way, commentators see a sexual connotation in them. The paper shows that such an interpretation is absurd and that verse 997 alone provides the basis for it. Since verse 997 itself contains several problems and since it is omitted in the earliest source of the text, Aelianus' paraphrase, it is suggested that it should be athetised. Now, the antistrophe sounds different: the chorus speaks here of the opportunity to grow a garden, which he will have when peace comes. The reason for the insertion of v. 997 may have been a desire of an ancient editor to equate the number of verses in the strophe and antistrophe, whereas in comedy a strict correspondence of verses was not necessary.

Keywords

Aristophanes, Acharnians, peace, sexual subtext, comedy, metrics

Received

07.11.2023

Number of characters

28417

GOST	Nikolsky B. The Chorus and Their Garden in the Second Parabasis of Aristophanes’ Acharnians // Vestnik drevnei istorii URL: http://ras.jes.su/vdi/s032103910028431-7-1-en (circulation date: 28.04.2024).
MLA	Nikolsky, Boris "The Chorus and Their Garden in the Second Parabasis of Aristophanes’ Acharnians." Vestnik drevnei istorii DOI: 10.31857/S032103910028431-7
APA	Nikolsky B. (). The Chorus and Their Garden in the Second Parabasis of Aristophanes’ Acharnians. Vestnik drevnei istorii DOI: 10.31857/S032103910028431-7

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