Aristophanes Frogs 309-15*)

Miscellanea / R.F. Regtuit / Mnemosyne 65 (2012) 125-128 125 Aristophanes Frogs 309-15*)

In Wilson’s new Oxford Text Frogs 309-315 is printed as follows:

∆ι οἴµοι, πόθεν µοι τὰ κακὰ ταυτὶ προcέπεcεν; τίν’ αἰτιάcοµαι θεῶν µ’ ἀπολλύναι; 310 Ξα αἰθέρα ∆ιὸc δωµάτιον ἢ χρόνου πόδα; ∆ι οὗτοc. Ξα τί ἐcτιν; ∆ι οὐ κατήκουcαc; Ξα τίνοc; ∆ι αὐλῶν πνοῆc. Ξα ἔγωγε, καὶ δᾴδων γέ µε αὔρα τιc εἰcέπνευcε µυcτικωτάτη. ∆ι ἀλλ’ ἠρεµεὶ πτήξαντεc ἀκροαcώµεθα. 315

These lines mark the transition from the scene in which Dionysus and Xanthias have arrived in the underworld to the appearance of the chorus in line 316. On their arrival Dionysus and Xanthias have been confronted with the monster Empusa who frightens them to death. On Empusa’s disappearance, Dionysus asks which of the gods he should blame for his destruction. They then hear a strange sound, also mentioned in the parepigraphe in some manuscripts (αὐλεῖ τιc ἔνδοθεν, printed in the margin of our text). After some speculation about its origin, they decide to crouch down and await the events. Line attribution in this scene has been the subject of a long discussion. There are three problems involved. (1) Who is the speaker of line 311? (2) Who starts the sequence of short questions and remarks in line 312? The answer to this question influences the choices in the following line as well. (3) Who suggests that they hide in line 315? The answer to this question also influences the choices in the previous lines. The fĳirst two questions have been sufffĳiciently answered by previous editors and commentators. Line 311 (a repetition of line 100) is spoken by Xanthias. Kassel (1994, 42 n. 22) rightly draws attention to Xanthias’ being “ein Meister des ironi- schen Zitats”. As Xanthias here answers Dionysus’ question, I believe the line

*) I am grateful to Annette Harder and Gerry Wakker for their comments on the fĳirst version of this note, and to Arjo Vanderjagt for correcting my English.

© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2012 DOI: 10.1163/156852511X548135 126 Miscellanea / R.F. Regtuit / Mnemosyne 65 (2012) 125-128 should be printed as a statement (so correctly Kock, van Leeuwen, Fraenkel, and Dover), not as a question (Wilson). Kassel also points to Xanthias’ clear role as a servant in lines 301 and 318, which makes it hard to believe that he is address- ing Dionysus in line 312 with οὗτοc.1) Line 312a is therefore spoken by Dionysus (so correctly Ritschl,2) van Leeuwen, Fraenkel, Del Corno, Wilson). This automati- cally determines the attribution of the remainder of 312 and the fĳirst part of 313 (αὐλῶν πνοῆc). The third question however has not been settled. In line 315 the speaker breaks offf the discussion as the unknown sound comes closer. He suggests that they crouch down to see what will happen. Sommerstein (ad loc.) rightly compares this scene with other well-known ‘eavesdropping scenes’, and he argues in favour of continuation by the same speaker.3) He gives four parallels where the speaker who suggests they conceal themselves also speaks the previous line. The transition is made by means of ἀλλά, which has its usual function of breaking offf the fĳirst topic and replacing it with a second (the suggestion to go in, etc.). Only two of these are fully comparable to Frogs 315: Th. 36 (ἀλλ’ ἐκποδὼν πτήξωµεν) and E. El. 107-11. In Ach. 239 we have no subjunctive, in A. Ch. 20 no ἀλλά. It is, however, by no means necessary to limit ourselves to eavesdropping scenes. In the whole of Aristophanic comedy we fĳind 25 fĳirst plural subjunctives introduced by ἀλλά. Most of these occur in passages where the same character continues speaking,4) but in Wilson’s text there are four exceptions. I doubt however if his text is correct in these four passages.5) In view of these parallels I am therefore convinced that line 315 is spoken by the character who speaks line 314, and following Kassel’s argument about the servant role of Xanthias, this character can only be Dionysus.

1) See also Fraenkel 1962, 25 n. 2. 2) Ritschl’s version of these lines (“Aus dem R.schen Collegienheft”) is reprinted in Ribbeck 1881, 547. 3) See also Fraenkel 1962, 25. 4) A few examples: Ach. 627, V. 1008, Pax 1302, Lys. 779. 5) Olson, in his edition of Peace, rightly gives 967 and 973a to the slave (who also speaks the preceding words) and 973b to Trygaeus. Pax 1344 (1341 in Wilson’s edition) is part of the clos- ing song, which Olson ad 1331-67 describes as “a profoundly troubled section of text”. I do not object to giving the adhortation to carry the groom inside to the same half of the chorus as the preceding line. This leaves Lys. 1187-8, where in our editions the Athenian delegate fĳirst reacts to Lysistrata’s words (ἀλλ’ ἴωµεν ὡc τάχοc), followed by the Spartan delegate (ἄγ’ ὁπᾷ τὺ λῇc) and the Athenian again (νὴ τὸν ∆ί’ ὡc τάχιcτά γε). Although this may be begging the question, I prefer to give the words ἀλλ’ ἴωµεν ὡc τάχοc to Lysistrata to end her appeal to the delegates. Then the Spartan and the Athenian react, each with a semi-verse, both using ἄγε, the Athenian repeating Lysistrata’s ὡc τάχοc.