Reading Report

The article talk about analysis of The sycophant, a true ‘plague’ for Athenian society
in the classical age, is dramatis persona in some episodic scenes of Aristophanic comedy.

The objective of the study is to analysis of the peculiarities of such scenes shows how
the sycophant’s negative features were pushed to the extreme by the distorting lens of the
greatest poet of Old Comedy, producing a surreal, monstrous comic mask apt to strike the
imagination of an Attic audience, accustomed as it was to the sad reality of trials and
tribunals, where those shady characters used to rage by accusing both Athenian and
foreigners, offering testimonies for the prosecution, and demanding a sentence.

The theory applied on the analysis is on Roland Barthes’ narratological approach,

three types of narrative elements theorized by the French semiologist – nuclei, i.e. cardinal
functions, including those parts absolutely necessary for the development of the plot;
catalysis, i.e. complementary functions, which cannot be suppressed unless one is willing to
alter the semantic value of the text; indices, i.e. semantic units, characterizing settings and
enriching the narration – they argue that episodic scenes in Aristophanes’ plays prevalently
work as catalysis, interrupting scenic action for a while, making it either faster or slower, but
also preparing further developments of the plot. And also the application of narratological
theories to ancient theatrical texts, see above all M. Bettini, Verso un’antropologia
dell’intreccio e altri studi su Plauto.

Findings of the study are sycophants on stage in four episodic scenes of Aristophanic
comedy: Acharnians 818-828 and 908-958, Birds 1410-1469, and Plutus 850-958 :

(a) Acharnians 818-828 and 908-958. by an anonymous informer in the first scene (ll.818-
828) and by a sycophant named Nicarchus in the second one (ll. 908-958).6 In both cases,
Dicaeopolis disposes of their inappropriate, annoying presence in a very brusque and resolute
way.

(b) Birds 1410-1469. Foreign spectators who, at the City Dionysia, had the privilege to
belong to the Birds’ audience would surely rejoice in seeing first the Sycophant’s
unsuccessful attempt to receive from Peisetairos any kind of facility for his hateful ‘job’ (ll.
1418-1461), and then his exemplary expulsion to the sound of lash (ll. 1462-1469).

(c) Plutus 850-958. a sycophant breaks in, together with a witness (but the latter will
disappear at the first difficulties: cf. l. 933), and declares to Carion and Good Man that
Plutus has suddenly ruined him (ll. 850-858).