Πόλεις (Introduction)

229

Content Beyond what can be posited regarding the identity of the chorus
and the occasion for their entry (see under Title), nothing is known of the
action of Poleis except that Adeimantos son of Leukolophides (fr. 224 with n.)
and the seer Hierocles of Oreus (fr. 231) were characters—although they may
only have been “blocking characters” in the second half of the action, like
those who frequently appear in Aristophanic comedies, especially given that
Adeimantos seems to have felt himself abused. In addition, the action appears
to have included an argument or debate of some sort (fr. 228) and proba-
bly a prayer (fr. 250), and someone spoke despairingly on behalf of old men
(fr. 237).
Date The reference in fr. 252 to Hyperbolos as politically active suggests
that Poleis belongs to the late 420s BCE at the earliest; cf. the mentions of the
city of Heracleia (added to the Athenian Empire in 424 BCE, when Lamachus
also lost ten ships there) in fr. 235 (n.); of Simon’s theft of public funds (also
referenced in Aristophanes’ Clouds in 423 BCE) in fr. 235; and of Amynias’
embassy to Thessaly (seemingly treated as a roughly contemporary event
in Aristophanes’ Wasps in 422 BCE) in fr. 222. A terminus ante quem for the
play is fixed by the references to the seer Stilbides (d. August 413 BCE) as still
alive in fr. 225, and to Chios as obedient in fr. 246.3 (dating the play to before
the island revolted in 412 BCE). If we knew that Theramenes (mentioned in
fr. 251) only became active in Athenian politics in the late 410s BCE, when
he is first attested elsewhere, this would argue for a late date for Poleis. But
Theramenes was already a general by then, meaning that his political career
likely began many years earlier.
The following have also been attributed to Poleis: frr. 330 (Raspe); 338
(Schmid); 382 (Kock); 423 (Meineke); E. frr. 611108 (Nauck) and 622109 (Nauck).

108 άντεμμάσασθαι (“to return an injury”; ap. Hsch. a 5343, where the word is glossed
άνταποδοϋναι, έπιπλήξαι. Ευριπίδης πολίασιν, “to repay in turn, to punish; Euri-
pides in t poliai t”).
109 πάρεσμεν· άλλ’ ούκ ήσθάνου παρόντα με (“We are here; but you did not realize I
was here”) ap. Et.Gen. AB s. v. ήσθα.