BDELYCLEON. Great gods! What does all this mean? Is it actual, downright madness?
PHILOCLEON. And now I summon and challenge my rivals. If there be a tragic poet who pretends to be a skilful dancer, let him come and contest the matter with me. Is there one? Is there not one?
BDELYCLEON. Here comes one, and one only.
PHILOCLEON. Who is the wretch?
BDELYCLEON. 'Tis the younger son of Carcinus.[168]
PHILOCLEON. I will crush him to nothing; in point of keeping time, I will knock him out, for he knows nothing of rhythm.
BDELYCLEON. Ah! ah! here comes his brother too, another tragedian, and another son of Carcinus.
PHILOCLEON. Him I will devour for my dinner.
BDELYCLEON. Oh! ye gods! I see nothing but crabs.[169] Here is yet another son of Carcinus.
[168] Tragic poet. His three sons had also written tragedies and were dancers into the bargain.
[169] Carcinus, by a mere transposition of the accent ([Greek: karkívos]), means crab in Greek; hence the pun.
Studies
