The Frogs

The Frogs, by Aristophanes

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Title: The Frogs
Author: Aristophanes
Release Date: April, 2005 [EBook #7998] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on June 10, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-Latin-1
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THE HARVARD CLASSICS
EDITED BY CHARLES W ELIOT LLD

NINE GREEK DRAMAS
BY ?SCHYLUS, SOPHOCLES, EURIPIDES AND ARISTOPHANES

TRANSLATIONS BY E D A MORSHEAD E H PLUMPTRE GILBERT MURRAY AND B B ROGERS

WITH INTRODUCTIONS AND NOTES

VOLUME 8
* * * * *
THE FROGS OF ARISTOPHANES

INTRODUCTORY NOTE
Aristophanes, the greatest of comic writers in Greek and in the opinion of many, in any language, is the only one of the Attic comedians any of whose works has survived in complete form He was born in Athens about the middle of the fifth century B C, and had his first comedy produced when he was so young that his name was withheld on account of his youth. He is credited with over forty plays, eleven of which survive, along with the names and fragments of some twenty-six others. His satire deal with political, religious, and literary topics, and with all its humor and fancy is evidently the outcome of profound conviction and a genuine patriotism. The Attic comedy was produced at the festivals of Dionysus, which were marked by great license, and to this, rather than to the individual taste of the poet, must be ascribed the undoubted coarseness of many of the jests. Aristophanes seems, indeed, to have been regarded by his contemporaries as a man of noble character. He died shortly after the production of his "Plutus," in 388 B. C.
"The Frogs" was produced the year after the death of Euripides, and laments the decay of Greek tragedy which Aristophanes attributed to that writer. It is an admirable example of the brilliance of his style, and of that mingling of wit and poetry with rollicking humor and keen satirical point which is his chief characteristic. Here, as elsewhere, he stands for tradition against innovation of all kinds, whether in politics, religion, or art. The hostility to Euripides displayed here and in several other plays, like his attacks on Socrates, is a result of this attitude of conservatism. The present play is notable also as a piece of elaborate if not over-serious literary criticism from the pen of a great poet.
* * * * *
THE FROGS
OF ARISTOPHANES

DRAMATIS PERSON?
THE GOD DIONYSUS
XANTHIAS, his slave
AESCHYLUS
EURIPIDES
HERACLES
PLUTO
CHARON AEACUS, house porter to Pluto
A CORPSE
A MAIDSERVANT OF PERSEPHONE
A LANDLADY IN HADES
PLATHANE, her servant
A CHORUS OP FROGS
A CHORUS OF INITIATED PERSONS
Attendants at a Funeral;
Women worshipping Iacchus;
Servants of Pluto, &c.
Xanthias
Shall I crack any of those old jokes, master, At which the audience never fail to laugh?
DIONYSUS. Aye, what you will, except I'm getting crushed: Fight shy of that: I'm sick of that already.
XAN. Nothing else smart?
DIO. Aye, save my shoulder's aching.
XAN. Come now, that comical joke?
DIO. With all my heart. Only be careful not to shift your pole, And--
XAN. What?
DIO. And vow that you've a bellyache.
XAN. May I not say I'm overburdened so That if none ease me, I must ease myself?
DIO. For mercy's sake, not till I'm going to vomit.
XAN. What! must I bear these burdens, and not make One of the jokes Ameipsias and Lycis And Phrynichus, in every play they write, Put in the mouths of all their burden-bearers?
DIO. Don't make them; no! I tell you when I see Their plays, and hear those jokes, I come away More than a twelvemonth older than I went.
XAN. O thrice unlucky neck of mine, which now Is getting crushed, yet must not crack its joke!
DIO. Now is not this fine pampered insolence When I myself, Dionysus, son of--Pipkin, Toil on afoot, and let this fellow ride, Taking no trouble, and no burden bearing?
XAN. What, don't I bear?
DIO. How can you when you're riding?
XAN. Why, I bear