To assist in the recital of the anapaests in a parabasis an aulos player would be employed [Birds 676-684].
Sometimes the leader of the whole chorus [or the leaders of each half chorus] would recite or chant in the voice and character of the playwright-poet himself in a personal address to the audience on topics not immediately or necessarily relevant to the fictional story of the main play but which were often politically topical and of immediate current interest to the audience. Indeed the very persons whom the playwright wished to mock and satirise during a parabasis personally may have been present in the audience. During a parabasis an appeal would be made to the audience for consideration by the spectators for the play and its merits. Parabases expand the personal opinions and predilections of the poet with his remarks on current topics or the urgent advice that the poet might wish to give the audience.
Parabases might be considered the best parts of Aristophanes' work.
It is in the long tradition of ancient Greek poetry that poets were seen to be moralists able to address concerns of importance to their fellow citizens, like as if they were preachers who had chosen the poetic form to promote wisdom, justice and courage amongst their fellow men. Indeed Athens had a long tradition of poets and dramatists being responsible for educating the Athenian populus, either in the duties of democracy or citizens' moral responsibilities. They might also offer admonition. The purpose of this was to promote homonoia, a 'community of mind' a moral strength in the city against its enemies both internal and external.
Parabases may have been inserted into their plays by the comic playwrights to create time for the principal characters of the main drama to change their masks and costumes, and/or to create a psychological division or break in the plot or fiction of the drama to prepare the audience for a different act in the play.
Parabases generally followed a highly structured formulaic pattern consisting of a set of different poetic sections each of which was based on variations in metre, voice, delivery and rhetorical purpose.
Standard Structure of a Parabasis
Kommation (κώμμάτιον): This was the first part of the parabasis in a Greek comedy. It was a brief prelude delivered by the whole chorus to the audience before the main parabasis proper itself began. It generally consisted of a few lines to get the audience to pay attention to what was about to take place by (a) giving a brief farewell to the actors who were departing the scene, and (b) a 'word of command' delivered by the chorus leader to his chorus to commence the parabasis. During this section the leader of the chorus facing the stage, where they bid godspeed to the actors leaving the stage, and then orders his chorus to about turn and advance towards the spectators facing them to begin the Parabasis.
The Kommation typically was a lyrical section within the Parabasis, usually characterised by a shift to a more rapid meter, such as iambic trimeter or tetrameter.
Anapaests. [ ˘ ˘ — ˘ ˘ — ...] In the first five extant plays by Aristophanes the 'anapaests' were a section of the parabasis where an address recited by the chorus leader in the character of the poet of the play to the audience in his own defence extolling his virtue and skill.
Pnigos. The anapaests often ended with a passage which was meant to be rattled off very quickly (theoretically delivered in a single breath - this was called a πνῖγος – pnigos).
Ode/Antode. Those sections of the parabasis which were invocations sung in a lyrical metre by the whole chorus to the gods inviting them to join in the festivities by paying a visit to Athens to participate in the Dionysiac rituals with them.
Epirrhema. in Ancient Greek Old Comedy, an address recited/sung in trochaic tetrameters usually about public affairs providing advice and counsel to the audience. It was spoken by the leader of one-half of the chorus in the character they represent in the main part of the comedy, and after that half of the chorus had sung its ode. During the Epirrhema each half-chorus in turn during their delivery might throw off their outer costumes, but never their masks to perform a vigorous dance. Pickard-Cambridge says that during this phase of the Parabasis the leader of one half of the chorus delivered the address whilst the leader of the other half led his troupe in performing the dance. All roles of each half-chorus are swapped over in the Antepirrhema thereby giving the parabasis a symmetric structure with two halves.
Epirrhematic Agon or Epirrhematic Syzygy.
One of the constituent elements of Old Comedy. The epirrhematic agon was in essence a debate between opposed characters in the drama or between allegorized characters introduced for that purpose. It comprised the following sections, each delivered in a different metre:
The strophe or ode: this was sung by a half chorus and served to arouse the difference and interest in the matter at issue.
The katakeleusmos (Gk. word of command ): the coryphaeus [leader of the Chorus] ordered the debater, who is destined to be the loser, to deliver his speech.
The epirrheme (Gk. epirrhema, speech or address ): the first debater presents his argument; there may be interruptions.
The pnigos (Gk. choking or choker): the first debater reaches the climax of his presentation in a final breathless appeal delivered in a single breathe.
The whole is then repeated for the second debater, in a complete symmetric opposite, the parts being called the antistrophe or antode, the antikatakeleusmos, the antepirrhema, and the antipnigos. Thus a syzygy (Gk. syzygy or a yoking together) is thereby formed.
The chorus then passes judgment on the dispute in the sphragis (Gk. seal "stamp").
The epirrhematic agon may not appear in its entirety; in The Acharnians, Peace and Thesmophoriazusae there is none, properly speaking. Scholars are in considerable disagreement about the ritual origins of the epirrhematic agon and about its part in the development of comedy.
The Location of the Parabases in some of the plays by Aristophanes
[Line numbers are the same as those found in Loeb editions]
Clouds
Parabasis I, 510-626
Kommation, 510-7
Anapaests 518-62
Ode 563-74
Epirrhema (20 Lines of Trochaic Tetrameter) 575-94
Antode 595-606
Antepirrhema (20 Lines of Trochaic Tetrameter) 607-26
Parabasis II 1114-30
Kommation 1114
Epirrhema (16 lines of Trochaic Tetrameter) 1115-30
Wasps
Parabasis I 1009-1121
Kommation 1009-14
Anapaests tetrameters 1015-50
pnigos 1051-9
Ode 1060-70
Eppirrhema (20 troch. tetr.) 1071-90
Antode 1091-1101
Anterpirrhema (20 troch. tetr.) 1102-21
Parabasis II 1265-91 [quite differently structured]
Birds
Parabasis I 676-800
Kommation 676-84
Anapaests tetrameter 685-722
pnigos 723-36
Ode 727-52
Epirrhema (16 troch. tetr.) 753-68
Antode 769-84
Antepirrhema (16 troch.tetr.) 785-800
Parabasis II 1058-1117
Ode 1058-70
Epirrhema (16 troch. tetr.) 1071-87
Antode 1088-1100
Antepirrhema (16 troch.tetr.) 1101-1117
References
Parabasis - Wikipedia
Parabasis - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia
Sir Arthur Wallace Pickard-Cambridge (1927). Dithyramb, tragedy and comedy. Clarendon Press.
https://archive.org/details/Dithyramb
Dionysos, étude sur l'organisation matérielle du théâtre athénien: Octave Navarre - Internet Archive
CHAPITRE XII L'INTERPRÉTATION
pp 193 - 198 §71. Structure de la comédie. La parabase.
pp 193 - 198 §71. Structure de la comédie. La parabase.
Gregory Michael Sifakis; Grēgorēs M. Sēphakēs (1971). Parabasis and Animal Choruses: A Contribution to the History of Attic Comedy. G. M. Sifakis. ISBN 978-0-485-11126-2.
Parabasis and animal choruses (1971 edition) - Open Library
John E. Thorburn (2005). The Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. Parabasis: Infobase Publishing. pp. 405–. ISBN 978-0-8160-7498-3.
K. J. Dover; Vice-Chancellor K J Dover (March 1972). Aristophanic Comedy. University of California Press. pp. 49–. ISBN 978-0-520-02211-9.
Ian Worthington (11 January 2010). A Companion to Greek Rhetoric. 7. Speech Mechanics: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 500–. ISBN 978-1-4443-3414-2.
Francis MacDonald Cornford The Origin of Attic Comedy. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-18207-2.
https://archive.org/details/cu31924022693117/page/n8
The Position of the Parabasis in the Plays of Aristophanes
Author(s): Philip Whaley Harsh
Source: Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol. 65(1934), pp. 178-197
Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/283027
Persuasion and the Aristophanic Agon
Timothy Long
Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association
Vol. 103 (1972), pp. 285-299
Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press
DOI: 10.2307/2935978
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2935978
Karatzoglou, O. (2019). ‘Imprison Cleon, Kill the Dead!’: A Missed Joke in the Parabasis of Aristophanes’ Clouds (591–594). Trends in Classics, 11(2), 230-240. https://doi.org/10.1515/tc-2019-0013
The Parabasis in Aristophanes: Prolegomena, AcharniansAuthor(s): A. M. Bowie
Source: The Classical Quarterly, Vol. 32, No. 1 (1982), pp. 27-40
Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/638735
On the Parabasis of the Thesmophoriazusae of Aristophanes
Author(s): Harold W. Miller
Source: Classical Philology, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Jul., 1947), pp. 180-181
Published by: The University of Chicago Press
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/265989
Comic Acts
Author(s): Richard Hamilton
Source: The Classical Quarterly, Vol. 41, No. 2 (1991), pp. 346-355
Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/638904
Aristophanic Protest
Author(s): Robert J. Murray
Source: Hermes, 115. Bd., H. 2 (2nd Qtr., 1987), pp. 146-154
Published by: Franz Steiner Verlag
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4476557
Aristophanes and His Rivals
Author(s): Malcolm Heath
Source: Greece & Rome, Vol. 37, No. 2 (Oct., 1990), pp. 143-158
Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Classical Association
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/643043
"Laughing at Aristophanes? An Evaluation of his Parabases" by Alexandra Berardelli
On The Evolution of Comedy
Thomas K. Hubbard (1991). The Mask of Comedy: Aristophanes and the Intertextual Parabasis. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-2564-6.
The mask of comedy - Open Library
Gregory Michael Sifakis; Gregorio Michael Sephakes (1971). Parabasis and Animal Choruses: A Contribution to the History of Attic Comedy. G. M. Sifakis. pp. 14–. ISBN 978-0-485-11126-2.
Beyond Aristophanes : transition and diversity in Greek comedy - Internet Archive
A Structural Analysis of the Parabasis in the Extant Comedies of Aristophanes
The eleven surviving comedies of Aristophanes stand as the most significant and complete examples of Old Attic Comedy, a genre that flourished in Athens during the 5th century BCE.1 These plays offer invaluable insights into the social, political, and intellectual landscape of classical Athens, employing sharp satire, fantastical scenarios, and distinctive dramatic structures. Among these structural elements, the parabasis holds a unique position. The parabasis is a characteristic feature of Old Comedy wherein the chorus steps aside from the narrative to directly address the audience.3 This meta-theatrical moment often serves as a platform for the playwright to express personal opinions, comment on contemporary issues, or even discuss the play itself.5 This report aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the structure, constituent parts, and line numbers of all parabases within Aristophanes' eleven extant comedies, drawing upon available scholarly material to illuminate this crucial aspect of his dramatic art. Accurate referencing to the original Greek text is essential for this analysis, ensuring scholarly rigor and facilitating verification.
The earliest of Aristophanes' surviving plays, "The Acharnians" (425 BCE), features a prominent parabasis that occurs relatively early in the drama.8 Situated after the protagonist Dicaeopolis' initial confrontation with the chorus of Acharnian citizens and before the introduction of the Megarian and Boeotian merchants, this parabasis appears at a point where the central conflict of the play—Dicaeopolis' desire for a private peace amidst the Peloponnesian War—has been established.8 The placement of the parabasis at this juncture allows for direct commentary on the play's core themes before the plot moves towards its resolution. The first parabasis in "The Acharnians" spans lines 628-718.9 Within this section, the poet, speaking through the chorus, emphasizes the importance of freedom of speech and the necessity of considering even unpopular viewpoints.8 This emphasis resonates with the historical context of the play's production, as Aristophanes himself had faced challenges, notably from the powerful politician Cleon, for his satirical works.8 The courage to voice dissenting opinions, a theme championed in the parabasis, gains particular significance when viewed against the backdrop of these real-world pressures. Notably, "The Acharnians" also contains a second, shorter passage (lines 971-99) that has been identified as a parabasis.10 However, its structure is unusual, lacking the typical anapaestic meter and exhibiting a consistent cretic meter, leading some scholars to suggest it might be a hybrid form, blending elements of a parabasis with those of a song or a stasimon.9 This deviation from the conventional form indicates Aristophanes' willingness to experiment with the structural elements of his comedies.
"The Knights" (424 BCE), a play known for its direct and often scathing satire of Cleon, features two parabasis sections.11 The first parabasis occurs between lines 551 and 614, appearing after the initial conflict between the Sausage-seller and Cleon's personified counterpart, Paphlagonian, has been established.11 This parabasis is characterized by its division between the two semi-choruses of Knights.11 The First Semi-Chorus begins by invoking Poseidon, the god associated with horses, a central symbol of the Knights' identity, and then proceeds to praise the older generation of Athenians, contrasting their perceived valor with the alleged greed of contemporary leaders.11 The Second Semi-Chorus invokes Pallas Athena, the patron goddess of Athens, seeking her aid.11 Following this, the leader of the Second Semi-Chorus delivers a speech in praise of horses, particularly their heroic actions in a recent amphibious assault on Corinth.11 This metaphorical praise of horses could be interpreted as an indirect commentary on the political climate under Cleon, perhaps highlighting a perceived lack of similar virtues in the current leadership. The leader of the Chorus concludes this section with a brief welcome, signaling a return to the play's main action.11 The second parabasis in "The Knights" is generally located later in the play, after line 823 and before the final scene.2 While the exact line numbers vary across sources, with some suggesting lines 1111-1150 2, this parabasis typically involves the chorus addressing the audience directly on behalf of the playwright. Its content often includes commentary on contemporary issues, such as the mocking of Ariphrades for his unusual appetites 11, or praise for the author's work. Scholarly analysis of the parabasis in "The Knights" emphasizes its role in the context of poetic rivalries and the play's sharp political satire.2 The parabasis serves as a space for Aristophanes' self-referential humor and reflects his growing confidence in directly confronting powerful figures like Cleon.13
In "The Clouds" (423 BCE), a comedy that famously satirizes intellectual trends and the philosopher Socrates, Aristophanes employs two parabases.15 The first parabasis appears relatively early in the play, spanning lines 510-626.15 This placement, approximately a third of the way through the play 17, suggests its importance in setting the stage for the play's themes and addressing its initial reception. The structure of the first parabasis is detailed, including a kommation (510-517), a parabasis proper (518-562) notable for its use of the unusual eupolidean tetrameter, an ode (563-574), an epirrhema (575-594), an antode (595-606), and an antepirrhema (607-626).15 The unique meter of the parabasis proper might have been a deliberate choice to emphasize a particular tone or message. The content of this parabasis reveals the chorus, speaking as the poet, directly scolding the audience for their unfavorable reception of an earlier production of "The Clouds".6 Aristophanes defends the play's merits and highlights his own efforts and artistic sophistication. The second, shorter parabasis in "The Clouds" occurs later, between lines 1114 and 1130.15 Its structure is less conventional, comprising a kommation and an epirrhema in trochaic tetrameter but lacking the songs and antepirrhema typically found in a symmetrical scene.15 The content of this second parabasis involves the chorus (still as clouds) addressing the audience on broader societal concerns, referencing the Athenians' neglect of the moon and their incorrect observance of the calendar, leading to missed religious festivals.6 This indicates the parabasis's versatility as a platform for both personal and civic commentary. Scholarly analyses of the parabasis in "The Clouds" emphasize its metatheatrical nature, autobiographical elements, and its connection to the play's critique of sophistry and traditional values.18
"The Wasps" (422 BCE) also features two parabases, appearing relatively late in the play, after the main conflict between Philocleon and his son Bdelycleon has largely concluded.24 The first parabasis spans lines 1009-1121, and the second occurs between lines 1265 and 1291.24 The first parabasis exhibits a complex structure, beginning with a kommation (1009-1014) that employs a mixed meter, followed by the parabasis proper with a pnigos (1015-1059) in anapestic tetrameter catalectic, and concluding with a symmetrical scene that includes a trochaic strophe (1060-1070) and antistrophe (1091-1101), as well as an epirrhema (1071-1090) and antepirrhema (1102-1121) in trochaic tetrameter catalectic.24 The content of this parabasis reveals the chorus, speaking as the poet, praising Aristophanes for his courage in confronting figures like Cleon and criticizing the audience for their lack of appreciation for his previous play, "The Clouds".24 The second parabasis is shorter and structured as a symmetrical scene with a trochaic strophe (1265-1274), although an antistrophe is notably absent, followed by an epirrhema (1275-1283) and an antepirrhema (1284-1291) in paeonic tetrameter.24 The content of this second parabasis is more topical and personal, containing in-jokes about local Athenian characters, including Cleon, and briefly referencing a conflict between Cleon and the playwright, suggesting a possible temporary reconciliation.24 Further analysis of the parabasis in "The Wasps" highlights its role in explaining the chorus's wasp-like identity and Aristophanes' self-promotion, with the first parabasis serving as a defense of his career and his boldness in satirizing powerful individuals.15
"Peace" (421 BCE), a comedy celebrating the anticipation of peace during the Peloponnesian War, features a parabasis that appears after the protagonist Trygaeus successfully brings about an end to the conflict.27 This parabasis, occurring between lines 734 and 817 15, serves as a reflection on the achieved peace and a platform for the poet's voice. The structure of this parabasis, according to one analysis, includes a kommation (734-739), anapaests (740-761), a pnigos (762-771), an ode (772-787), an epirrhema (788-800), an antode (801-808), and an antepirrhema (809-817).15 However, another source indicates the absence of speeches in the epirrhematic syzygy in "Peace" 28, necessitating further textual verification. The content of the parabasis reveals the chorus, remaining in character as farmers, praising the benefits of peace and their desire to return to their rural homes.27 Additionally, the chorus, speaking as the poet, lauds Aristophanes for his originality, his opposition to Cleon, and his genial disposition, also humorously recommending him to bald men and quoting the poet Stesichorus, while simultaneously criticizing contemporary dramatists.27 The chorus remaining in character to discuss the advantages of peace aligns the parabasis directly with the play's central theme and reinforces its positive message.27
"The Birds" (414 BCE), a fantastical comedy about the founding of a city in the sky, contains two parabases.31 The first parabasis occurs between lines 676/677/678 and 800 15, appearing after the birds have been convinced to build Cloudcuckooland. Its structure is detailed, including a kommation (676-684), anapaests (685-722), a pnigos (723-736), an ode (727-752) that invokes a local Muse, an epirrhema (753-768), an antode (769-784), and an antepirrhema (785-800).15 Notably, in this play, the chorus remains in character as birds during the parabasis.26 The content of the first parabasis involves the birds describing their genealogy, asserting their divinity over the Olympian gods, highlighting their value to the audience, and even inviting humans to join their society.26 The second parabasis in "The Birds" spans lines roughly 1058-1100/1117 15, appearing after the construction of Cloudcuckooland and the initial wave of unwelcome visitors. Its structure includes an ode (1058-1070), an epirrhema (1071-1087), an antode (1088-1100), and an antepirrhema (1101-1117).15 The content of the second parabasis continues the theme of the birds' ascendancy, presenting them as all-seeing deities and protectors of the earth's produce.31 The chorus remaining in character throughout both parabases contributes to the play's fantastical and utopian themes.26
"Lysistrata" (411 BCE), a comedy focused on women ending the Peloponnesian War through a sex strike, notably lacks a traditional parabasis.34 This absence marks a significant structural departure from the conventions of Old Comedy. However, a section between lines 614 and 705 functions similarly to a parabasis.35 This section is structured as an extended contest (agon) between the two semi-choruses of old men and women, directly reflecting the play's central conflict.35 The content of this quasi-parabasis involves a debate between the semi-choruses on the war, gender roles, and peace, exploring different perspectives on these issues.35 The transformation of the parabasis into a choral agon underscores the play's focus on the battle between the sexes and the broader societal tensions.35
"Thesmophoriazusae" (also 411 BCE), a comedy parodying Euripides and the women's festival of the Thesmophoria, features a single, shortened parabasis between lines 785 and 845.37 This parabasis occurs after Mnesilochus' initial defense of Euripides and before his arrest. The structure of this parabasis deviates from the traditional form, lacking odes and transferring ritual elements to other songs in the play.37 The chorus remains in character as women during the parabasis.37 The content involves the women praising themselves and defending their gender against accusations, engaging in a comic comparison with men and highlighting their perceived moral superiority.37 This in-character parabasis directly addresses the play's central theme of the portrayal of women.37
"The Frogs" (405 BCE), a comedy featuring Dionysus' journey to the Underworld to bring back a tragic poet, contains a parabasis between lines 674/676 and 737/800.15 This occurs after Dionysus has entered the Underworld and before the main poetic contest. The structure includes a kommation, anapaests, a pnigos, an ode, an epirrhema, an antode, and an antepirrhema.15 Notably, in "The Frogs," the chorus speaks as Eleusinian initiates rather than directly as the poet.40 The content of this parabasis is overtly political, with the chorus pleading for the return of exiled oligarchs and criticizing contemporary Athenian leaders like Kleophon, urging the city to reinstate its good citizens.39 This parabasis is considered one of the most political in Aristophanes' surviving works.42
The final two surviving plays, "Ecclesiazusae" (c. 392 BCE) and "Plutus" (388 BCE), both lack a traditional parabasis.43 This absence is a key characteristic of the transition from Old to Middle Comedy, where the role of the chorus diminished significantly.44 In "Ecclesiazusae," while a formal parabasis is absent, a passage towards the end features Aristophanes directly addressing the judges 47, potentially serving a similar function. In "Plutus," the chorus is reduced to dancing interludes.45 Some scholars suggest that the debate between Plutus and Penia (lines 425-626) in "Plutus" might function as a quasi-parabasis due to its digressive nature and use of anapestic tetrameters.45
Play
Kommation
Parabasis Proper
Pnigos
Strophe
Antistrophe
Epirrhema
Antepirrhema
Acharnians
-
628-718
-
-
-
-
-
Knights
-
551-614
-
551-580
581-594
595-614
-
Clouds
510-517
518-562
-
563-574
595-606
575-594
607-626
Wasps
1009-1014
1015-1050
1051-1059
1060-1070
1091-1101
1071-1090
1102-1121
Peace
734-739
740-761
762-771
772-787
801-808
788-800
809-817
Birds
676-684
685-722
723-736
727-752
769-784
753-768
785-800
Lysistrata
-
614-705 (Agon)
-
614-647
648-675
676-705
-
Thesmophoriazusae
-
785-845
-
-
-
-
-
Frogs
676-684
685-722
723-736
727-752
769-784
753-768
785-800
Ecclesiazusae
-
Absent
-
-
-
-
-
Plutus
-
Absent
-
-
-
-
-
The analysis reveals a clear evolution in the use of the parabasis across Aristophanes' career. Earlier plays frequently feature two parabases with a more traditional and complex structure, including elements like the kommation, parabasis proper (often in anapaestic tetrameter), pnigos, and symmetrical odes and speeches.3 Variations in structure begin to appear, such as the unusual meter in "Clouds," the missing antistrophe in the second parabasis of "Wasps," and the free form of the parabasis in "Thesmophoriazusae." There is also a notable trend towards the chorus remaining in character during the parabasis in some of the later plays of the Old Comedy period, as seen in "Birds," "Thesmophoriazusae," and potentially "Peace," suggesting a different approach to authorial commentary.3 Finally, the traditional parabasis disappears altogether in Aristophanes' last two surviving plays, "Ecclesiazusae" and "Plutus," marking their transition into Middle Comedy, where the role of the chorus itself was significantly diminished.3 The content of the parabasis also varies considerably, ranging from direct political commentary and personal attacks in earlier works to self-promotion, reflections on the poet's art, and broader societal or literary concerns.2 The parabasis served as a flexible tool for Aristophanes, allowing him to directly engage with his Athenian audience, comment on the pressing issues of his time, and reflect on his own role as a comic playwright.4 Even in its absence or modified forms in later plays, the parabasis remains a crucial element for understanding the unique characteristics of Aristophanic comedy and its evolution.
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