Editing Polyphemus (section)

====Aristophanes====

The text of Aristophanes' last extant play ''Plutus'' (''Wealth'') has survived with almost all of its choral odes missing.{{sfn|Jackson|2019|p=124}} What remains shows Aristophanes (as he does to some extent in all his plays) parodying a contemporary literary work — in this case Philoxenus' ''Cyclops''.{{sfn|Jackson|2019|p=124}}{{sfn|Farmer|2017|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=9Aw1DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA213 p. 213]}}{{sfn|Hordern|1999|p=445}} While making fun of literary aspects of Philoxenus' dithyramb, Aristophanes is at the same time commenting on musical developments occurring in the fourth century BC, developing themes that run through the whole play.{{sfn|Jackson|2019|p=125}} It also contains lines and phrases taken directly from the ''Cyclops''.{{sfn|Jackson|2019|p=126}}

The slave Cario, tells the chorus that his master has brought home with him the god Wealth, and because of this they will all now be rich. The chorus wants to dance for joy,{{sfn|Aristophanes|1896|p=15}} so Cario takes the lead by parodying Philoxenus' ''Cyclops''.{{sfn|Farmer|2017|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=9Aw1DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA213 pp. 213–216]}}{{sfn|Jackson|2019|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=STG-DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA124 pp. 124–126]}} As a solo performer leading a chorus that sings and dances, Cario recreates the form of a dithyramb. He first casts himself in the role of Polyphemus while assigning to the chorus the roles of sheep and goats, at the same time imitating the sound of a lyre: "And now I wish — threttanello! — to imitate the Cyclops and, swinging my feet to and fro like this, to lead you in the dance. But come on, children, shout and shout again the songs of bleating sheep and smelly goats."{{sfn|Farmer|2017|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=9Aw1DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA215 p. 215]}}{{sfn|Aristophanes|1896|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=wCcrYU0nExkC&pg=PA72 72]}} The chorus, however, does not want to play sheep and goats, they would rather be Odysseus and his men, and they threaten to blind Cario (as had Odysseus the drunken Cyclops) with a wooden stake.{{sfn|Jackson|2019|p=125}}