Νεφέλαι
2000
Νεφέλαι, a comedic play by Aristophanes, was first performed in the 5th century BC. It satirizes Socratic philosophy and critiques the sophists' influence on Athenian society. The story follows Strepsiades, an elderly man burdened by debts, who seeks Socrates' help to learn how to manipulate arguments to evade his financial responsibilities. This work is notable for its humorous take on philosophical teachings and its commentary on the societal issues of the time.
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“How can I study from below, that which is above?””
— Aristophanes
“That is what we do each time we see someone who falls in love with evil strategies, until we hurl him into misery, so he may learn to fear the Gods.””
— Aristophanes
“SOCRATES. Silence, old man, give heed to the prayers.... Oh! most mighty king, the boundless air, that keepest the earth suspended in space, thou bright Aether and ye venerable goddesses, the Clouds, who carry in your loins the thunder and the lightning, arise, ye sovereign powers and manifest yourselves in the celestial spheres to the eyes of the sage.””
— Aristophanes
“Strep. Socrates! My little Socrates! Socrates. Why callest thou me, thou creature of a day? Strep. First tell me, I beseech you, what are you doing. Soc. I am walking in the air, and speculating about thesun. Strep. And so you look down upon the gods from yourbasket, and not from the earth? Soc. For I should not have rightly discovered thingscelestial if I had not suspended the intellect, andmixed the thought in a subtle form with its kindred air.But if, being on the ground, I speculated from below onthings above, I should never have discovered them. Forthe earth forcibly attracts to itself the meditativemoisture. Water-cresses also suffer the very same thing. Strep. What do you say? Does meditation attract themoisture to the water-cresses? Come then, my littleSocrates, descend to me, that you may teach me thosethings, for the sake of which I have come.””
— Aristophanes
“Unjust Discourse: To invoke solely the weaker arguments and yet triumph is a talent worth more than a hundred thousand drachmae.””
— Aristophanes
“STREPSIADES. So the rear of a gnat is a trumpet. Oh! what a splendid discovery! Thrice happy Socrates! ‘Twould not be difficult to succeed in a law-suit, knowing so much about the gut of a gnat!””
— Aristophanes
“STREPSIADES. Very well then! Look this way. Do you see that little door and that little house? PHIDIPPIDES. Yes, father. But what are you driving at? STREPSIADES. That is the school of wisdom. There, they prove that we are coals enclosed on all sides under a vast extinguisher, which is the sky. If well paid, these men also teach one how to gain law-suits, whether they be just or not. PHIDIPPIDES. What do they call themselves? STREPSIADES. I do not know exactly, but they are deep thinkers and most admirable people.””
— Aristophanes
“For I havebeen called among the deep thinkers the "worse cause" onthis very account, that I first contrived how to speakagainst both law and justice; and this art is worth morethan ten thousand staters, that one should choose theworse cause, and nevertheless be victorious.””
— Aristophanes
“Cho. O mortal, who hast desired great wisdom from us!How happy will you become among the Athenians and amongthe Greeks, if you be possessed of a good memory, and bea deep thinker, and endurance of labour be implanted inyour soul, and you be not wearied either by standing orwalking, nor be exceedingly vexed at shivering withcold, nor long to break your fast, and you refrain fromwine, and gymnastics, and the other follies, andconsider this the highest excellence, as is proper aclever man should, to conquer by action and counsel, andby battling with your tongue.””
— Aristophanes
