Strepsiades Driving Off Creditors Pasias and Amynias

Notes

1. §1197ἁρχαὶ τὰ πρυτανεῖʼ, ἀλλʼ ἕνῃ τε καὶ νέᾳ — The verb δέχονται ('they receive') from the preceding sentence (§1196) is understood here. The clause forms a question with ἁρχαί ('magistrates') as the subject and τὰ πρυτανεῖα ('court deposits') as the object.
2. §1223τοῦ χρήματος; — A genitive of cause or relation used elliptically in a question: 'On account of what debt?' or 'Concerning what money?'
3. §1237ὄναιτʼ ἂν — The second aorist middle optative of ὀνίνημι (ὄναιτο) with the particle ἄν, forming a potential optative. It expresses a mild assertion or possibility: 'This fellow would benefit' or 'would be of use' (if rubbed with salt).
4. §1251ὅτις καλέσειε — The relative pronoun ὅστις followed by the optative καλέσειε. This forms a potential or general relative clause representing a hypothetical condition: 'to anyone who would call...'
5. §1273ὥσπερ ἀπʼ ὄνου καταπεσών — A comparative clause combining the conjunction ὥσπερ with the participle καταπεσών. It relies on the Greek idiom 'having fallen from a donkey,' meaning to act or speak extremely foolishly. Here it plays double duty by mocking Amynias, who actually fell from a horse (ἵππος), by downgrading it to a donkey (ὄνος).