Pseudartabas and his Attire (Aristophanes “Acharnians” 94–97

The article is devoted to the interpretation of the passage from Aristophanes’ “Acharnians” (94–97), in which Dikeopolis expresses his feelings caused by the appearance of the Persian ambassador Pseudartabas in a strange Persian costume. According to the traditional point of view, which had its orig...

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Main Author: Boris M. Nikolsky
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Russian Academy of Sciences, A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature 2022-09-01
Series:Studia Litterarum
Subjects:
Online Access:http://studlit.ru/images/2022-7-3/03_Nikolsky_52-65.pdf
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author Boris M. Nikolsky
author_facet Boris M. Nikolsky
author_sort Boris M. Nikolsky
collection DOAJ
description The article is devoted to the interpretation of the passage from Aristophanes’ “Acharnians” (94–97), in which Dikeopolis expresses his feelings caused by the appearance of the Persian ambassador Pseudartabas in a strange Persian costume. According to the traditional point of view, which had its origins in the ancient scholia, the appearance and gait of Pseudartabas resembled a ship, and it is in comparison with the ship that the meaning of the joke lies. The article offers a different explanation: Dikeopolis mocks some elements of the traditional Persian costume, showing their similarity to a damage on a warship and thereby emphasizing the contradiction between the appearance of Pseudartabas and the usual claims of the Persians to sea power.
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spelling doaj-art-5180b61b061c42189ae9809dfd7e8ae02025-08-20T01:56:35ZengRussian Academy of Sciences, A.M. Gorky Institute of World LiteratureStudia Litterarum2500-42472541-85642022-09-0173526510.22455/2500-4247-2022-7-3-52-65Pseudartabas and his Attire (Aristophanes “Acharnians” 94–97Boris M. Nikolsky0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0760-8639A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaThe article is devoted to the interpretation of the passage from Aristophanes’ “Acharnians” (94–97), in which Dikeopolis expresses his feelings caused by the appearance of the Persian ambassador Pseudartabas in a strange Persian costume. According to the traditional point of view, which had its origins in the ancient scholia, the appearance and gait of Pseudartabas resembled a ship, and it is in comparison with the ship that the meaning of the joke lies. The article offers a different explanation: Dikeopolis mocks some elements of the traditional Persian costume, showing their similarity to a damage on a warship and thereby emphasizing the contradiction between the appearance of Pseudartabas and the usual claims of the Persians to sea power.http://studlit.ru/images/2022-7-3/03_Nikolsky_52-65.pdfaristophanespersianscomedycostumescholia.
spellingShingle Boris M. Nikolsky
Pseudartabas and his Attire (Aristophanes “Acharnians” 94–97
Studia Litterarum
aristophanes
persians
comedy
costume
scholia.
title Pseudartabas and his Attire (Aristophanes “Acharnians” 94–97
title_full Pseudartabas and his Attire (Aristophanes “Acharnians” 94–97
title_fullStr Pseudartabas and his Attire (Aristophanes “Acharnians” 94–97
title_full_unstemmed Pseudartabas and his Attire (Aristophanes “Acharnians” 94–97
title_short Pseudartabas and his Attire (Aristophanes “Acharnians” 94–97
title_sort pseudartabas and his attire aristophanes acharnians 94 97
topic aristophanes
persians
comedy
costume
scholia.
url http://studlit.ru/images/2022-7-3/03_Nikolsky_52-65.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT borismnikolsky pseudartabasandhisattirearistophanesacharnians9497