Questions and Answers
In Aristophanes's Clouds, what character-type does Pheidippides play?
Buffoon
The speaker of 'I'm eating Nobody last after his companions, and the others first: this will be your guest-gift.' is _______________________?
Polyphemus in the Odyssey
What is the Greek name for the nemesis of the quack?
Eiron
What action does the ironist do to deflate the quack?
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What is the most forbidden food of all?
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In Aristophanes' Lysistrata, what do men of Athens choose between?
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What does the clever slave in Plautus' Mostellaria tell his master about the house?
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In Aristophanes' Wasps, which character eats a cheese all by himself?
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In Aristophanes' Clouds, what does Strepsiades go to Socrates to learn?
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In Greek humor, gluttons are considered to be _____________________________.
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____________ is the Greek word for 'answerer' or 'actor'.
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Lambic and dactylic rhythms are combined _________________:
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In 423 BC, which play other than Ameipsias' Connus had Socrates for a character?
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In Old Comedy, the conflict between two opposing principles is presented as a confrontation between what?
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The ____________ was a stock-scene in Aristophanic comedy where the ironist challenges the quack's claim.
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The ______________________ is an extreme form of the humorous glutton.
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What does the phrase 'eating a cheese all by itself' refer to?
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The principle conflict in Old Comedy between alazoneia and irony takes place between how many characters?
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In Aristophanes's Clouds, what humorous characters do Strepsiades and Socrates play?
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What does Aristophanes imply about Socrates's personality by portraying him as a stock character?
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The glutton is often considered a ________________.
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Who does 'He knew many things, but knew them all badly' describe?
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Which of Aristotle's disciples found the eiron to be much more offensive than his master?
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By asking simple questions, what does the bubble-burster reveal about the quack?
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Giton is so scared of a chained dog that he falls into a pool while trying to ______________ Trimalchio's hospitality in Petronius's Satyricon.
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The word koroibos derives from the name of a man who what?
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Which famous Greek philosopher said, 'Ironists seem to be more pleasing in character, for they seem to speak not for the sake of gain, but in order to avoid __________.'?
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What was unusual about the metre of the Margites?
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Willing victims were most often members of which profession in ancient comedies?
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In Petronius's Satyricon, ________________ accompanied Encolpius to Trimalchio's dinner-party.
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Who is Socrates's sidekick?
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Which of the following is the Greek word for 'sucker'?
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What is the call of Aristophanes's frogs?
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The humorous character in 'A man's friends came to congratulate him on the birth of his new baby.' is an example of what type?
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If the moocher and the quack create unbalance, the ___________ reestablishes balance.
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An Athenian tragedian, possibly Sophocles, wrote a play about _________________'s choice between being killed himself or killing his king.
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In Euripides's Cyclops, how is the title-character portrayed?
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What possession did Polycrates of Samos choose to sacrifice for happiness and longevity?
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Another word for 'egghead' is the Greek term?
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In Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound, the title character is an extreme type of what humorous character?
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Study Notes
Aristophanes's Clouds and Other Works
- Pheidippides is characterized as a buffoon in Aristophanes's Clouds.
- Polyphemus, in Homer's Odyssey, refers to his meal as "Nobody," which he consumes last.
- The Greek term Eiron denotes the nemesis of a quack.
- An ironist deflates a quack's reputation by asking simple questions.
- Human flesh is considered the most forbidden food.
- In Lysistrata, the title character confronts Athenian men with a choice between war and sex.
Themes of Humor and Conflict
- In Plautus's Mostellaria, a clever slave prevents his master from entering his home by claiming it is haunted.
- A dog consumes cheese all by itself in Aristophanes's Wasps.
- Strepsiades seeks to learn how to debate from Socrates in Clouds to escape debt.
- Gluttons, focused solely on food, are humorously viewed as morons.
Character Types in Greek Literature
- The term hypokrites translates to "answerer" or "actor."
- Lambic and dactylic rhythms are uniquely merged only in the Margites.
- Ameipsias' Connus and Aristophanes' Clouds featured Socrates in 423 BC.
- Old Comedy often presents conflict between opposing principles through a confrontation of characters.
- The agon is a comedic stock scene where an ironist challenges a quack’s knowledge through simple questioning.
Representations of Gluttony
- A cannibal represents an extreme form of the humorous glutton.
- Gluttony often exists in isolation; such characters are called loners.
- The character Margites is described as knowing many things, but poorly.
Philosophical References
- Theophrastus, a disciple of Aristotle, found the Eiron more offensive than his master did.
- The bubble-burster reveals a quack's ignorance by pointing out lacks in self-knowledge.
- Giton, scared of a chained dog, falls into a pool while attempting to escape Trimalchio's hospitality in Petronius's Satyricon.
Additional Literary Elements
- The term koroibos relates to a man who once tried to measure waves.
- Aristotle suggested that ironists speak not for gain, but to avoid pomposity.
- The Margites features a unique meter characterized by a mix of different metrical patterns.
- Willing victims in ancient comedies frequently belong to the philosopher profession.
Relationships and Key Scenes
- In Satyricon, Ascyltus accompanies Encolpius to Trimalchio's dinner-party.
- Socrates's companion is Charephon.
- The Greek word for "sucker" is also koroibos.
- The comedic refrain from Aristophanes's Frogs is brekekekex koax koax.
- A humorous character could be called an egghead, which is synonymous with scholastikos.
Dramatic Narratives
- A tragic play fragment by a potential Sophocles features Gyges's dilemma of killing his king or facing his own death.
- In Euripides's Cyclops, the title character is depicted as a cook from Hell.
- Polycrates, according to Herodotus, sacrifices his ring as his most precious possession to attain happiness and longevity.
- In Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound, the title character represents the extreme type of sucker.
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Description
Explore the humorous themes and character archetypes in Aristophanes's Clouds and other works from Greek literature. This quiz delves into the use of humor, irony, and conflict, showcasing how characters like Pheidippides and Lysistrata challenge societal norms. Test your knowledge of these classic texts and their memorable moments.
