Opening The Acharnians — Aristophanes in Plato Scroll…
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Aristophanes · Anonymous (Athenian Society, 1912)
Aristophanes’ birthplace — Athens An ancient bust of the playwright The Pnyx is a hill in central Athens, where the Athenians gathered to host their popular assemblies, thus making the hill one of the earliest and most important sites in the creation of democracy. ‘The Acharnians’ opens at this location. What cares have not gnawed at my heart and how few have been the pleasures in my life! Four, to be exact, while my troubles have been as countless as the grains of sand on the shore! Let me see of what value to me have been these few pleasures? Ah! I remember that I was delighted in soul when Cleon had to disgorge those five talents; I was in ecstasy and I love the Knights for this deed; ‘it is an honour to Greece.’ But the day when I was impatiently awaiting a piece by Aeschylus, what tragic despair it caused me when the herald called, “Theognis, introduce your Chorus!” Just imagine …
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