#acharnians

[interretialia]

   Dicaeopolis / Δικαιόπολις

Dicaeopolis

(Fons Imaginis.)

[dionysiusi]

out of context Aristophanes’ Acharnians

[blueautomatique]

Dikaiopolis was the original I Just Wanna Grill guy

[hoshinohana]

O glorious Eye, with this my last fond look the heavenly light I leave; my day is gone.

[libertarianismdotorg]

Opposition to war was a recurring theme in Aristophanes’s plays, especially Acharnians and Lysistrata.

For more: http://bit.ly/1LUiwFb

[somepoorsod]

Daily Classics - The Festival of Pointing and Yelling “What’s That Behind You?”

(Taking suggestions for a better translation of Ἀπατούρια).

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The Deceptionalia is a festival held by the Athenians, the reason behind which is made clear by its naming.

To explain: there was a war between the Athenians and the Boiotians, with the Boiotians being led by Xanthos and Thymoites ruling the Athenians. (Thymoites, at the time, was already getting on in years). So Xanthos of the Boiotians challenged Thymoites to a duel, the terms being that, if he won, he would rule the Athenians as well as his own people; but if Thymoites won, he would rule the Boiotions as well as his.

As Thymoites wasn't willing to meet the challenge because of his old age, to avoid having his fatherland enslaved to another on account of his lack of strength, he announced that he would hand over power to whoever fought the duel. A Melanthios, by blood an Arkadian but living in Attike, went to fight on his behalf. When they got to the place which had been marked out for the duel, Melanthios overcame Xanthos by a trick. As the Boiotian came forward, he said to him, "Xanthos, you double-crosser! You said you'd come alone, but you've come with someone else!" When Xanthos then span around to see who had followed him, he was wounded by Melanthios and killed.

Because of this, the Athenians celebrate the festival, which they call the Deceptionalia after this deception of Melanthios.

(Scholiast to Aristophanes’ Acharnians 146; my translation)

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Ἀπατούρια ἑορτὴ παρὰ Ἀθηναίοις  τὸ συμβὰν δηλοῦσα τῇ προσηγορίᾳ.

πόλεμος γὰρ τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις συνέστη πρὸς Βοιωτούς· ἡγεῖτο δὲ τῶν μὲν Βοιωτῶν Ξάνθος, ἐβασίλευε δὲ τῶν Αθηναίων Θυμοίτης κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ ἤδη γέρων. ὁ οὖν Ξάνθος ὁ τῶν Βοιωτῶν προεκαλέσατο εἰς μονομαχίαν τὸν Θυμοίτην, ἐφ' ᾧ εἰ μὲν αὐτος νικήσει κρατήσει καὶ τῆς τῶν Ἀθηναίων ἀρχῆς, εἰ δὲ ὁ Θυμοίτης, Θυμοίτης και τῆς τῶν Βοιωτῶν.

ὁ οὖν Θυμοίτης οὐ βουλόμενος διὰ τὸ γῆρας ἵνα μὴ διὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἀσθένειαν ἡ πατρὶς ἄλλῳ δουλεύσῃ, ανεκήρυζε τῷ μονομαχοῦντι τὴν ἀρχήν· Μελάνθιος δὲ τις Ἀρκὰς τὸ γένος ἐν Ἀττικῇ ὤν ὑπέστη το μονομάχιον. καὶ κατελθόντων αὐτῶν  εἰς τὸ αφωρισμένον χωρίον ἐπὶ τὸ μονομαχῆσσαι, ὁ Μελάνθιος δόλῳ ἀναιρεῖ τὸν Ξάνθον· προσιόντι γὰρ αὐτῳ ἔφη "ἀδικεῖς, ὦ Ξάνθος, μόνος φήσας παραγενήσεσθαι καὶ δεύτερος παραγενόμενος," ἐφ' ᾧ στραφεὶς ὁ Ξάνθος ὡς θεασόμενος τὸν ἥκοντα, ἐτρωθη παρὰ Μελανθίου καὶ ἀπώλετο·

ἀφ' οὗ καὶ τὴν ἑορτὴν Ἀθηναῖοι ταύτην ἄγουσιν, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀ π ά τ η ς Μελανθίου Ἀ π α τ ο ύ ρια προσαγορεύσαντες.

[somepoorsod]

The Athenians have customarily sacrificed a pig and sprinkled the assembly seats with its blood, in honour of Demeter, since the pig harms the goddess' fruits.

Scholiast to Aristophanes’ Acharnians l. 44; my translation

εἰώθασιν οἱ Ἀθηναῖοι θύσιν δέλφακα καὶ ῥαίνειν τὰς καθέδρας τῷ αἵματι εἰς τιμὴν Δημήτρας, ἐπειδὴ τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς βλάπτει.

[hellyeahtotalwarquotes]

Ah! The generals! They are numerous but not good for much!

Aristophanes, The Acharnians, line 1078