Ἐξ ἁμάξης
from a wagon, out of a wagon
Translated by William Hutton18 Aug 2007Vetting: high3 revisions
Translation
The festival that is called Lenaia among Athenians, in which the poets used to compete by writing certain songs designed to inspire laughter; [the one] that Demosthenes [sc. had in mind when he] said "from a wagon".1 For the singers used to speak and sing the poems while sitting on wagons. It is also called the Lenaite chorus, that of the Lenaia.
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἐξ ἁμάξης· ἡ λεγομένη ἑορτὴ παρ' Ἀθηναίοις Λήναια, ἐν ᾗ ἠγωνίζοντο οἱ ποιηταὶ συγγράφοντές τινα ᾄσματα τοῦ γελασθῆναι χάριν· ὅπερ Δημοσθένης ἐξ ἁμάξης εἶπεν. ἐφ' ἁμαξῶν γὰρ οἱ ᾄδοντες καθήμενοι ἔλεγόν τε καὶ ᾖδον τὰ ποιήματα. λέγεται καὶ Ληναΐτης χορός, ὁ τῶν Ληναίων.
Betacode
*)ec a(ma/chs: h( legome/nh e(orth\ par' *)aqhnai/ois *lh/naia, e)n h(=| h)gwni/zonto oi( poihtai\ suggra/fonte/s tina a)/|smata tou= gelasqh=nai xa/rin: o(/per *dhmosqe/nhs e)c a(ma/chs ei)=pen. e)f' a(macw=n ga\r oi( a)/|dontes kaqh/menoi e)/lego/n te kai\ h)=|don ta\ poih/mata. le/getai kai\ *lhnai/+ths xoro/s, o( tw=n *lhnai/wn.
Notes (1)
- Derived from the scholia to Aristophanes, Knights 547 (web address 1), where the headword phrase does not occur, but the rite in question is referred to with the term
qo/rubon ... *lenai+/thn ('Lenaite ruckus'); cf. tau 19.
For the Lenaia see also lambda 454, lambda 455, lambda 456, lambda 457, lambda 458. - 1Demosthenes 18.122 (web address 2), thus characterising Aeschines' attacks on him (as loud and vulgar). ↩
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
- Web address 2 perseus.tufts.edu
Neighbouring entries
Revision history3 revisions · last 10 Sep 2012
- tweaking — David Whitehead
- augmented n.1 and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- added cross-references, set status — Catharine Roth
- Translated — William Hutton