Athena and Aristophanes in the Parabasis of Clouds

Carl A. Anderson (Michigan State University)

This paper discusses the ode and antode of Aristophanes Clouds with a view to appreciating the author’s self-presentation in the parabasis. In these passages, the clouds assume many forms and speak in many voices —sometimes they are clouds, and sometimes they are Athenian citizens —and they invoke deities, including Athena, in a variety of forms. The ambiguous nature of the clouds is essential to the poet’s purpose. Through it the poet can have an all-knowing chorus of clouds imply a claim about the poet’s art with a striking image of Athena connected to the clouds’ dual perspective as gods and Athenians.

Of special interest is the characterization of Athena as “charioteer of the aegis,” a striking phrase unattested elsewhere in connection with a diety. This image, as I will argue, is essential to the poet’s own self-presentation in the play. In the parabasis, as is well known, the poet expresses disappointment over the treatment of the original comedy and sets out to right that wrong. The characterization of Athena as ‘charioteer of the aegis’ is important in this regard because it evokes agonistic, epinician associations that allow the poet to claim his own triumph under Athena’s tutelage Technical skill is the hallmark of a successful charioteer, and skilled chariot driving is associated with heroes and prestigious victors in games. So it seems natural that the metaphor of a skilled chariot driver should be applied to other fields of endeavor. Indeed, Aristophanes draws on the chariot metaphor to celebrate his victory with Knights, boasting of driving his own team of Muses (V. 1022).

To be sure, there is nothing explicit in the text to justify linking Athena’s chariot with the poet’s activity. On the other hand, the artistic ability of the poet has been a major topic of the parabasis proper. Moreover, the image of chariot of the Muses/poet is a common metaphor in epinician, which is significant in this context, and Athena of Athens, as I will suggest, has an abiding interest in poets and choruses. In a comedy imbued with claims of artistic innovation, at least in Aristophanes’ conception (cf. 547-8), and intent on poetic transcendence and dramatic victory, the chariot metaphor, expressed for the goddess, implied for her favorite comic poet, seems ideally suited for the occasion.

If this interpretation is correct, we can see Aristophanes’ skillful use of the ambiguous nature of the chorus of clouds and the deities they invoke to reinforce one of the central messages of the parabasis: that Aristophanes deserves victory. It is an allusive claim: Athena is a charioteer of the aegis because she will prevail— the question is over what? In this case, it is not simply the new Socratic education as such with its harmful implications for Athenian society, but it is over the unperceptive tastes of the dramatic judges. They may have failed in their judgment, but Aristophanes suggests, through the epithets of the various deities linked with artistry and especially with the characterization of Athena, that the patron deity of Athens has recognized the poet’s artistic merits.

Topic Code: GD (15 minutes)