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Acharnians
- University of Texas Press
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36 ACHARNIANS Dikaiopolis, an old farmer A herald Two Skythian policemen, (mute parts) Allgod, an Athenian citizen Two ambassadors, recently returned from Persia Bushel-of-Lies, the “Eye” (or special agent) of the Persian king Theoros, another ambassador, recently returned from King Sitalkes of Thrace The Chorus, twenty-four old farmers from the rural district of Acharnai Dikaiopolis’ daughter Dikaiopolis’ wife, (mute part) Euripides’ slave Euripides, a tragic playwright Lamachos, a military commander A Megarian Two girls, the Megarian’s daughters A political informer A Boiotian Ismenias, the Boiotian’s slave or assistant (mute part) Nikarchos, a professional informer Lamachos’ slave Sharpeyes of Phyle, a farmer A best man A bridesmaid, (mute part) A messenger Lamachos’ friends, (mute parts) Two naked girls, (mute parts) Various slaves, (mute parts) SCENE: Three doors are visible. The one in the center will represent Euripides’ house; the one to the right will represent Dikaiopolis’ house; and the one to the left will repre01B -T1535-P1 2/20/01 5:34 PM Page 36 Acharnians 37 1. Kleon was the leading democratic politician in Athens in this period and a bitter personal and political enemy of Aristophanes. Whether he was actually forced to “disgorge” a bribe during the previous year, or whether Dikaiopolis is referring to events in a recent comedy , perhaps in Babylonians, is unclear. 2. The Knights were men wealthy enough to be able to outfit a horse for war, and their politics were probably generally conservative. In Aristophanes’ comedy of 424 b.c., they serve as the chorus and are relentlessly hostile to Kleon. 3. A quotation from Euripides’ Telephos (see Introduction). 4. The greatest Athenian playwright of the first half of the fifth century b.c.; his tragedies were being revived in this period. 5. A tragic poet, attacked again later in the play; see note 18. 6. Dexitheos, Moschos, and Chairis were all well-known contemporary lyre players and singers, although we know little more about them than what Dikaiopolis says here. sent Lamachos’ house. The stage is otherwise bare. An altar (a permanent fixture of the theater) stands in the middle of the Chorus’ dancing area. Dikaiopolis, dressed in plain, inexpensive clothes and carrying a small sack containing a few heads of garlic and perhaps some other items of cheap, coarse food, comes onstage from the wing and sits on the ground facing the audience. After a few minutes of silent fidgeting, he begins to speak. At first he appears to be only another spectator in the theater and comments on musical and dramatic performances over the course of the last year or so. After a few verses, however, he reveals that the dramatic setting is the Assemblyplace in Athens and the time is dawn. dikaiopolis: You can’t imagine how many heartaches I’ve had! The number of good things that’ve happened to me is small, really small—maybe four. But my sufferings? Hah! Sand-zillions of them! Let’s see—what pleasure have I had worth mentioning? I guess I know one sight that warmed my heart—those five bars of silver Kleon puked up!1 That made me smile, all right, and the Knights2 earned my friendship by making it happen: “a deed worthy of Greece”3! But then I suffered something tragic, when I was sitting there stupidly expecting Aeschylus,4 and the herald said “Bring your chorus out, Theognis.”5 Imagine how that shook me up! On the other hand, I liked it when Dexitheos followed Moschos on and performed a Boiotian piece—although then this year I was so horrified when Chairis came out to sing a soprano song, that I nearly passed out.6 But ever since I was little and got soap in my eyes at bathtime, I’ve never wanted to cry as much as I do today! The Assembly’s scheduled to start at dawn, but the meeting place here is deserted, and everyone else is hanging out in the marketplace gos01B -T1535-P1 2/20/01 5:34 PM Page 37 [3.93.59.171] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 12:12 GMT) 38 Aristophanes 7. A rope smeared with purple dye was used to herd people out of the Agora and to the Assembly-place; anyone who tried to avoid it and had his clothes stained was subject to a fine. 8. Probably a quotation from a lost tragedy. 9. Allgod was a real Athenian, probably known to Aristophanes (see introduction). His name in...