Βάτραχοι
Frogs
Aristophanes · first staged Lenaia, 405 BC · first prize · restaged, the hypothesis says, for its parabasis
Athens has no good tragic poet left, so Dionysus goes down to Hades to bring Euripides back. He judges a contest between Euripides and Aeschylus, and comes back with Aeschylus.
Persons, in order of appearance
- Ξα.Xanthias
- Δι.Dionysus
- Ηρ.Heracles
- Νε.Corpse
- Χα.Charon
- Βα.Frogs
- Χο.Chorus
- Αια.Aeacus
- Θε.Maid
- Πα. ΑʹFirst Innkeeper
- Πα. ΒʹSecond Innkeeper
- Οι.Slave
- Ευ.Euripides
- Αισ.Aeschylus
- Αι. κ. Ευ.Aeschylus and Euripides
- Πλ.Pluto
Translations
- The Eleven Comediesprose · 1912 · aligned by speech · with Coulon's Greek
- W. J. Hickieprose · 1853 · aligned by speech · with Coulon's Greek
- Ian Johnston (VIU)verse · aligned by speech · with Coulon's Greek
- Gilbert Murrayverse · aligned by speech · with Hall & Geldart's Greek
Greek texts
- Coulon & van Daele, Aristophane, vol. 41928
- F. W. Hall and W. M. Geldart, Aristophanis Comoediae, vol. 21907
Cite as Ar. Ran. 1–1533
Full synopsis (tells the ending)
Athens has no good tragic poets left; Euripides and Sophocles have both died within the year. Dionysus, patron of the theatre, sets out for Hades to bring Euripides back, dressed as Heracles, with his slave Xanthias and a donkey. Getting there takes the first half. In Hades he finds Euripides and Aeschylus disputing the throne of tragedy and is made the judge. They weigh lines on a scale and are asked for advice on saving the city. Dionysus chooses Aeschylus and takes him back to Athens.
Drawing: Line drawing after the Apulian red-figure bell-krater Cleveland Museum of Art 1989.73, side A; traced from the museum's photograph (CC0), taken off the vase's curve.