An allusion to the paroxysms of rage, as represented in many tragedies
familiar to an Athenian audience, of Orestes, the son of Agamemnon,
after he had killed his mother.

f(2) No doubt the comic poet, rival of Aristophanes.

SLAVE OF LAMACHUS
Slaves of Lamachus! Water, water in a little pot! Make it warm, get ready
cloths, cerate greasy wool and bandages for his ankle. In leaping a ditch,
the master has hurt himself against a stake; he has dislocated and twisted
his ankle, broken his head by falling on a stone, while his Gorgon shot far
away from his buckler. His mighty braggadocio plume rolled on the
ground; at this sight he uttered these doleful words, "Radiant star, I gaze
on thee for the last time; my eyes close to all light, I die." Having
said this,
he falls into the water, gets out again, meets some runaways and pursues
the robbers with his spear at their backsides.(1) But here he comes,
himself. Get the door open.

f(1) Unexpected wind-up of the story. Aristophanes intends to deride
the boasting of Lamachus, who was always ascribing to himself most
unlikely exploits.

LAMACHUS
Oh! heavens! oh! heavens! What cruel pain! I faint, I tremble! Alas!
I die! the foe's lance has struck me! But what would hurt me most
would be for Dicaeopolis to see me wounded thus and laugh
at my ill-fortune.

DICAEOPOLIS (ENTERS WITH TWO COURTESANS)
Oh! my gods! what bosoms! Hard as a quince! Come, my treasures, give
me voluptuous kisses! Glue your lips to mine. Haha! I was the first to
empty my cup.

LAMACHUS
Oh! cruel fate! how I suffer! accursed wounds!

DICAEOPOLIS
Hah! hah! hail! Knight Lamachus! (EMBRACES LAMACHUS.)

LAMACHUS
By the hostile gods! (BITES DICAEOPOLIS.)

DICAEOPOLIS
Ah! Great gods!

LAMACHUS
Why do you embrace me?

DICAEOPOLIS
And why do you bite me?

LAMACHUS
'Twas a cruel score I was paying back!

DICAEOPOLIS
Scores are not evened at the Feast of Cups!

LAMACHUS
Oh! Paean, Paean!

DICAEOPOLIS
But to-day is not the feast of Paean.

LAMACHUS
Oh! support my leg, do; ah! hold it tenderly, my friends!

DICAEOPOLIS
And you, my darlings, take hold of this, both of you!

LAMACHUS
This blow with the stone makes me dizzy; my sight grows dim.

DICAEOPOLIS
For myself, I want to get to bed; I am bursting with lustfulness,
I want to be bundling in the dark.

LAMACHUS
Carry me to the surgeon Pittalus.

DICAEOP