Studia Litterarum Studia Litterarum 2500-4247 IWL RAS https://doi.org/10.22455/2500-4247-2023-8-2-32-45 Research Article Articles The Joke in Aristophanes’ Assemblywomen (v. 21–23) Buzurnyuk Ekaterina N. red@studlit.ru June 25, 2023 2023 January 12, 2023 The article deals with the history of interpretation of the joke in v. 21–23 of Aristophanes’ Assemblywomen. There is no consensus among researchers about the meaning of the passage under consideration, what order of verses is preferable, and what role these verses play in the opening scene of the comedy. The textual and contextual analysis allows the author to interpret the obscure passage so that the proposed interpretation suits the poetics of Aristophanes’ comedies best. The author of the article argues against the change in the manuscripts’ order of the verses. The passage in question should be understood as follows: Aristophanes quotes a certain Phyromachus, who in public space made a speech mistake and instead of ἑτέρας ἕδρας ʽother places’ said ἑταίρας ἕδρας, which approximately means ‘hetairas’ seats.’ Since the context implies that the female characters ought to ʽtake their places,’ the quotation of Phyromachus’ mistake turns out to be suitable. In addition, the reduction of the paratragic pathos of the opening scene of the comedy with the help of a joke based on physiological humor is characteristic for the poetic toolkit of Aristophanes and allows him to gain the favor of viewers of different cultural levels.  Aristophanes Assemblywomen Ecclesiazusae comedy textology comic prologue humour Aristophanic jokes Copyright © 2026, IWL RAS 2026 1. 1 Buzurniuk, E.N. “Obrashchenie k lampe v komedii Aristofana ʽZhenshchiny v narodnom sobranii’ (st. 2): vybor chteniia” [“Reference to the Lamp in Aristophanes’ ‘Assemblywomen’ (v. 2): Reading Choice”]. Studia Litterarum, vol. 7, no. 4, 2022, pp. 74–83. https://doi.org/10.22455/2500-4247-2022-7-4-74-83 (In Russ.) 2. 2 Makarov, I.A., and B.M. Nikol’skii. “Goresti i radosti Dikeopolia: Aristofan ʽAkharniane’ 1–16” [“Sorrows and Joys of Dicaeopolis: Aristophanes’ ʽAcharnians’ 1–16”]. Studia Litterarum, vol. 6, no. 4, 2021, pp. 88–119. https://doi.org/10.22455/2500-4247-2021-6-4-88-119 (In Russ.) 3. 3 Iarkho, V.N., editor, translator, and Adr. Piotrovskii, translator. Aristofan. Komedii. Fragmenty [Aristophanes. Comedies. Fragments]. Moscow, Nauka Publ., 2000. 1033 p. (In Russ.) 4. 4 Coulon, Victor. “Notes sur l’ ‛Assemblée des femmes’ d’Aristophane.” Revue des Etudes Grecques, t. 36, fascicule 167, 1923, pp. 367–399. (In French) 5. 5 Coulon, Victor, éditeur, et Jean Irigoin, éditeur, et Hilaire van Daele, traducteur. Aristophane. Comedies, t. 5: L’Assemblée des femmes. Ploutos. Paris, Les Belles Lettres, 1930. 147 p. (In French) 6. 6 Dover, Kenneth, editor. Aristophanes. Frogs. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1993. 398 p. (In English) 7. 7 Leeuwen, Jan van, editor. Aristophanes. Ecclesiazusae. Leiden, A.W. Sijthoff, 1905. 162 p. (In Latin) 8. 8 Mazon, Paul. Essai sur la composition des comedies d’Aristophane. Paris, Hachette, 1904. 183 p. (In French) 9. 9 Metcalf, Christopher. The Gods Rich in Praise. Early Greek and Mesopotamian Religious Poetry. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2015. 288 p. (In English) 10. 10 Regtuit, Remco F., editor. Scholia in Thesmophoriazusas; Ranas; Ecclesiazusas et Plutum. Groningen, Egbert Forsten, 2007. 131 p. (In Latin) 11. 11 Robert, Carl. “Aphoristische Bemerkungen zu den Ekklesiazusen des Aristophanes.” Hermes, bd. 57, h. 3, 1922. S. 321–356. (In German) 12. 13. 14. 14 Ussher, Robert G., editor. Aristophanes’ Ecclesiazusae. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1973. 259 p. (In English) 15. 15 Velsen, Adolf von, editor. Aristophanis Ecclesiazusae. Leiden, In aedibus B.G. Teubneri, 1883. 98 p. (In Latin) 16. 16 Vetta, Massimo, editor, and Dario Del Corno, translator. Aristophane: Le Donne all’assemblea. Milan, Fondazione Lorenzo Valla, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, 1989. 299 p. (In Italian)