THE WASPS.
[Scene—the front of Bdelycleon's house.]
Sosias, Xanthias.
Sos. You there, what ails you, O wretched Xanthias?
Xan. I am learning to get rid of the nocturnal watch.[1]
Sos. Then you owe your ribs a great mischief. Do you know[2] what a monster we are guarding?
Xan. I know; but I am desirous of sleeping without cares[3] for a short while.
Sos. Do you run the risk, at any rate;[4] since some sweet drowsiness is poured over my own pupils too.
Xan. What, are you mad,[5] pray? or are you frenzied?
Sos. No; but a species of Sabazian sleep possesses me.
Xan. You then worship the same Sabazius[6] with me; for just now a nodding slumber upon my eyelids, like some Persian, has invaded me. And in truth I saw just now a wondrous vision.[7]
- ↑ See Lidd. Lex. in voc. καταλύω.
- ↑ In Brunck οἶϑας, which is sometimes used in the Attic poets. See Pierson ad Moerid. p. 283. Cf. Jelf, § 735, 2.
- ↑ Gr. ἀπομερμηρίσαι. Vide Eur. (ut aiunt) Rhes. vs. 550.
- ↑ δ᾽ οὖν, at any rate. See Krüger's Gr. Gr. § 69, 52, obs. 2, and note on Thesm. 612.
- ↑ Arist. Fragm. 178, ἀλλ᾽ ἦ παραφρονεῖς; Soph. Electr. 879, ἀλλ᾽ ἦ μέμηνας; Cf. Æsch. Choeph. 762. Elmsley on Heracl. 426.
- ↑ Sabazius is the Phrygian name for Bacchus. The root of it is said to be "Sebs," a Persian word, which signifies "omnia viriditate induens." M6unt Dindymis was the fertile nurse of the superstitious rites which deluged Greece and Italy. For the dative after ὁ αὐτὸς, see Jelf, § 594, 2. Cf. Eq. 610. Ran. 1158.
- ↑ See Krüger, Gr. Gr. § 20.
