πρίω and πρίων in Aristophanes’ Acharnians, vv. 34–36
The article deals with a joke in vv. 34–36 of Aristophanes’ “Acharnians.” Dicaeopolis describes the anguish he feels because of the war and the unwillingness of his fellow citizens to make peace. He longs for his village and his deme and dreams of peace; the city disgusts him. Recalling his former h...
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Russian Academy of Sciences, A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Studia Litterarum |
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| Online Access: | https://studlit.ru/images/2023-8-4/04_Nikolsky_78-87.pdf |
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| author | Boris M. Nikolsky |
| author_facet | Boris M. Nikolsky |
| author_sort | Boris M. Nikolsky |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article deals with a joke in vv. 34–36 of Aristophanes’ “Acharnians.” Dicaeopolis describes the anguish he feels because of the war and the unwillingness of his fellow citizens to make peace. He longs for his village and his deme and dreams of peace; the city disgusts him. Recalling his former happiness in the village, Dicaeopolis says that his deme unlike the city οὐδεπώποτ’ εἶπεν “ἄνθρακας πρίω”, / οὐκ “ὄξος”, οὐκ “ἔλαιον”, οὐδ’ ᾔδει “πρίω”, / ἀλλ’ αὐτὸς ἔφερε πάντα χὠ πρίων ἀπῆν (34–36). The following interpretation of the joke is argued for. Firstly, the joke is based on the wordplay πρίω / ὁ πρίων. Secondly, πρίω “buy” should be understood not as the shouting of the sellers, but as demands coming from those close to Dicaeopolis or from Dicaeopolis himself. Finally, in the form ὁ πρίων one should see not a proper name or a designation of a saw, but a substantivized participle “gnashing (one’s teeth),” used figuratively to mean “irritated,” “angry.” This participle does not refer to the sellers, but to Dicaeopolis himself and other peasants who are forced to buy goods in the city. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8eebbfb8f42d469799aaf098a8d5432f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2500-4247 2541-8564 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Russian Academy of Sciences, A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studia Litterarum |
| spelling | doaj-art-8eebbfb8f42d469799aaf098a8d5432f2025-08-20T03:19:47ZengRussian Academy of Sciences, A.M. Gorky Institute of World LiteratureStudia Litterarum2500-42472541-85642023-12-0184788710.22455/2500-4247-2023-8-4-78-87πρίω and πρίων in Aristophanes’ Acharnians, vv. 34–36Boris M. Nikolsky0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0760-8639A.M. Gorky Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaThe article deals with a joke in vv. 34–36 of Aristophanes’ “Acharnians.” Dicaeopolis describes the anguish he feels because of the war and the unwillingness of his fellow citizens to make peace. He longs for his village and his deme and dreams of peace; the city disgusts him. Recalling his former happiness in the village, Dicaeopolis says that his deme unlike the city οὐδεπώποτ’ εἶπεν “ἄνθρακας πρίω”, / οὐκ “ὄξος”, οὐκ “ἔλαιον”, οὐδ’ ᾔδει “πρίω”, / ἀλλ’ αὐτὸς ἔφερε πάντα χὠ πρίων ἀπῆν (34–36). The following interpretation of the joke is argued for. Firstly, the joke is based on the wordplay πρίω / ὁ πρίων. Secondly, πρίω “buy” should be understood not as the shouting of the sellers, but as demands coming from those close to Dicaeopolis or from Dicaeopolis himself. Finally, in the form ὁ πρίων one should see not a proper name or a designation of a saw, but a substantivized participle “gnashing (one’s teeth),” used figuratively to mean “irritated,” “angry.” This participle does not refer to the sellers, but to Dicaeopolis himself and other peasants who are forced to buy goods in the city.https://studlit.ru/images/2023-8-4/04_Nikolsky_78-87.pdfaristophanescomedy“acharnians” peloponnesian warpurchases |
| spellingShingle | Boris M. Nikolsky πρίω and πρίων in Aristophanes’ Acharnians, vv. 34–36 Studia Litterarum aristophanes comedy “acharnians ” peloponnesian war purchases |
| title | πρίω and πρίων in Aristophanes’ Acharnians, vv. 34–36 |
| title_full | πρίω and πρίων in Aristophanes’ Acharnians, vv. 34–36 |
| title_fullStr | πρίω and πρίων in Aristophanes’ Acharnians, vv. 34–36 |
| title_full_unstemmed | πρίω and πρίων in Aristophanes’ Acharnians, vv. 34–36 |
| title_short | πρίω and πρίων in Aristophanes’ Acharnians, vv. 34–36 |
| title_sort | πρίω and πρίων in aristophanes acharnians vv 34 36 |
| topic | aristophanes comedy “acharnians ” peloponnesian war purchases |
| url | https://studlit.ru/images/2023-8-4/04_Nikolsky_78-87.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT borismnikolsky priōandpriōninaristophanesacharniansvv3436 |