Clouds

 

Some Thoughts on Ancient Greek Religion in

Aristophanes’ CLOUDS

(J. Henderson translation)

Daniel B. Levine, University of Arkansas

THIS COMEDY’S PREMISE is that Strepsiades willingly abandons traditional Athenian religion in search for illegal escape from debt. He learns from Socrates that Zeus has been replaced by “Clouds”  and natural forces like “Dinos” (Whirl). When his son Phidippides embraces the same apostasy, Strepsiades realizes his own mistake in turning his back on traditional piety, and makes amends by destroying Socrates’ impious school. His last words in the play — spoken to Socrates’ students — summarize his admission of his error:

“Then what was the idea of outraging (“committing HUBRIS against”)
the gods and peering at the backside of the moon? Chase them! Hit them!  Stone them! They’ve got it coming many times over, but most of all for wronging (“committing injustice against”) the gods” (1506-09).

LOCAL RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS

This play is filled with references to Athenian festivals popular with
the people as part of their normal lives.

Strepsiades thinks that his wife (and by implication other well-born
wives) are fond of Athenian religious rituals that involve sex and procreation. His wife smelled of ” perfume, saffron, tongue kisses, extravagance, gluttony, COLIAS, AND GENETYLLIS” (52). The latter two names emphasize the local “festivals for Aphrodite and the Genetyllides, goddesses of procreation.” (Henderson, note 6).

Strepsiades speaks of his hopes for his son Phidippides — that he will
some day take part in the great procession at the PANATHENAIA and “drive a chariot to the Acropolis, like Megacles, and don a saffron robe” (69).

Ironically, when the Chorus of Clouds enters, they praise Athens as
the site of the ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES take place (300ff).

Socrates reminds Strepsiades of his meals at the PANATHENAIA when he needs an analogy relating to thunder (386).

Socrates insults Strepsiades by saying that he is used to worshiping
at the CRONIA (398: “a festival celebrating Zeus’ father Cronus, who
symbolized a bygone age” (Henderson, note 32).

When Strepsiades submits himself to Socratic training, he refers to
the CULT OF TROPHONIUS, because he thinks that he is going to have a terrifying subterranean experience such as awaited those who consulted this oracle in Boeotia, north of Athens (508, and note 35).

Strepsiades reminds his son of the festival of Zeus, the DIASIA, when
he bought him a toy cart when Phidippides was a young boy (864). He mentions the same festival (which included family feasting) at 408. It was an important family festival in which all Athenians took part.

Worse Argument makes fun of Better Argument’s words by comparing them to the old Athenian festival DIPOLIEIA (984, and note 68).

Better Argument speaks of the Pyrric dance performed at the PANATHENAIA, and how the young men of his day no longer perform it in the properly respectful manner (988).

STREPSIADES’ PIETY

Strepsiades is at heart a simple man whose religious feelings mirror
those of the polis. The crux of this play centers on his departure from
the simple piety of the Athenian citizen, and his return to the familiar
traditional religion of the city.

Strepsiades swears by Demeter (121), Zeus (251), and other gods in the course of his speech. When he is on his way to the Thinkery, he says he’ll first say a prayer to the gods (127). He swears by the gods that he will pay cash to Socrates for his education (246).

When he accepts the Clouds as goddesses, he claims that he reveres them (SEBOMAI), using the normal word for religious piety (293).

When Strepsiades agrees to worship only Chaos, Clouds, and the Tongue, he puts down the ‘other gods,’ and summarizes the traditional pious acts which he would normally perform: “and I won’t sacrifice to them, or pour them libations, or offer them incense” (426). To him, these acts are the essence of worship.

Strepsiades reflects the common Athenian’s belief in MAGIC when he suggests that in order to avoid debt, he buy “a Thessalian witch,” would “pull down the moon at night,” and lock “it up in a round case, like a mirror” and guard it (749ff). Thessaly was known for its expert witches. The word for ‘witch’ here is GYNE PHARMAKIS (drug-woman).

The Chorus Leader tells the embarrassed Strepsiades that he has only himself to blame for his misguided venture into illegitimate religion (1454). They say that this is their job: if they see someone leaning towards evil, “we plunge him into calamity until he learns respect for the gods” (1460).

When Strepsiades realizes that he has been insane to reject the gods,
he looks to a nearby Herm, that familiar and friendly daily reminder of
Athenian religion, and says “Well, Hermes, old friend, don’t be angry with me or bring me some disaster, but forgive me for taking leave of my senses because of their idle talk. You be my counsellor…” (1478ff). He pretends to listen to the Herm, which advises him to demolish Socrates’ house. Thus, the traditional religion wins out in the end. Strepsiades’ simple piety was shaken, but now reaffirms itself.

SOCRATIC RELIGION

The religion of the Thinkery rejects polis religion in comic ways.

The Pupil speaks of the teachings of Socrates’ school as though they
were mysteries (MYSTERIA 143), thus mocking mystery cults such as those of Demeter and Orpheus. Later, Socrates speaks of the students as “initiands” (TOUS TELOUMENOUS 258). Also, “Lines 252-274 parody the initiation rites and prayers characteristic of private mystery cults, e.g. those of the Orphics and Pythagoreans” (Henderson note 20).

The Socratic cult denies the existence of other gods. Socrates says
they are not “legal tender” (NOMISMA) for his circle (248). He asks Strepsiades if he would like to know what divine matters (TA THEIA
PRAGMATA) really are, and Strepsiades replies, “Yes, by Zeus” (251). Their gods (DAIMONES) are the Clouds (251). Later, Socrates says that the Clouds “are the only true goddesses; all the rest are rubbish(365).” Zeus, according to Socrates, “doesn’t even exist” (367)!” He proves this with pseudo-scientific meteorology, and claims that cosmic whirl (DINOS) forces Clouds to drift and make weather (380).

Socratic religion mocks traditional Athenian religion, using the same
terms. Socrates says that “The old man must keep silence (EUPHEMEIN, see also 298) and listen to the prayer (TES EUKHES 263). He then prays:”hear my prayer, accept my sacrifice, and enjoy these holy rites (HUPAKOUSATE DEXAMENAI THUSIAN KAI TOIS HIEROISI XAREISAI 274).” These are the normal religious terms for cult instructions and prayer.

When Strepsiades has come to accept this new piety, Socrates tests him like a catechism, to see if he acknowledges the new Holy Trinity: “Then I take it you will now believe in no god but those we believe in: this Void (CHAOS), and the Clouds, and the Tongue (GLOTTAN), and only these three” (423-24)? These new gods promise ‘a great many rewards from us of the gods alone” (804-05).

Strepsiades internalizes the lessons so well that he re-iterates them
to his son, making fun of his belief in Olympian Zeus, and tell him that
Whirl is now king (818ff). He does the same thing to the First Creditor,
making fun of his belief in Zeus (1240). This comes back to haunt him when his son makes fun of Strepsiades for invoking ZEUS OF THE FATHERS (ZEUS PATROIOS) against his son’s beating of himself (1467).

Strepsiades calls Socrates the “Melian,” thus associating him with the famous atheist Diagoras of Melos (830, and note 62).

The Chorus remind the judges that they are goddesses (1121), and humorously say that if the judges vote for their play (as an act of respect for the divinities), their reward will be fertility for their soil, and good crops, but that if they do not award the Clouds the prize, the goddesses will curse their crops. Thus, the quid pro quo relationship between gods and mortals comes in for satire.

PARADOX IN PARABASIS?

It is interesting to note that in the Parabasis (when the Chorus speaks
the words of the poet to the audience) the Chorus invokes the gods of Athens in a normal, respectful way (564-574, 595-606), including Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, and Dionysos. This is natural: the poet shows that though his characters might be blasphemous, he, the poet, is not.

(March 22, 2002)