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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 May 2010
TRAGIC HISTORY
As the second half of the Frogs opens, one of Pluto's slaves explains to Xanthias the system of rewards given in the Underworld to the pre-eminent practitioner of each of the ‘important and clever’ technai. Aeschylus holds the position for tragedy, but that is now under threat:
Οἰ. ὅτε δὴ κατῆλθ᾽ Εὐριπίδης, ἐπεδείκνυτο
τοῖς λωποδύταις καὶ τοῖσι βαλλαντιοτόμοις
καὶ τοῖσι πατραλοίαισι καὶ τοιχωρύχοις,
ὅπερ ἔστ᾽ ἐν ῞Αιδου πλῆθος. οἱ δ᾽ ἀκροώμενοι
τῶν ἀντιλογιῶν καὶ λυγισμῶν καὶ στροϕῶν
ὑπερεμάνησαν κἀνόμισαν σοϕώτατον··
κἄπειτ᾽ ἐπαρθεὶς ἀντελάβετο τοῦ θρόνου,
ἵν᾽ Αἰσχύλος καθῆστο.
Ξα. κοὐκ ἐβάλλετο;
Οἰ. μὰ Δί᾽, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ δῆμος ἀνεβόα κρίσιν ποεῖν
ὁπότερος εἴη τὴν τέχνην σοϕώτερος.
Ξα. ὁ τῶν πανούργων;
Οἰ. νὴ Δί᾽, οὐράνιον γ᾽ ὅσον.
Ξα. μετ᾽ Αἰσχύλου δ᾽ οὐκ ἦσαν ἕτεροι σύμμαχοι;
Οἰ. ὀλίγον τὸ χρηστόν ἐστιν, ὥσπερ ἐνθάδε.
(Aristophanes, Frogs 771–83)slave.
When Euripides came down, he put on shows for the pickpockets and muggers and cut-throats and burglars – there's a lot of them in Hades. When they heard his antilogies and twistings and turnings, they went crazy and thought him the best; he then fancied himself and laid claim to the chair [of honour] where Aeschylus sat.
xan.
Didn't people throw things at him?
slave.
Not at all, but the dēmos shouted that there should be a contest (krisis) to see who was the better in the art.
xan.
You mean the criminals?
slave.
Yes, they shouted to the heavens!
xan.
Didn't Aeschylus have supporters too?
slave.
People of worth are scarce, just like here.
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