We call it experimental philology

[ricardienne]

Sir Kenneth Dover on the Frogs of Aristophanes, l. 620, which is part of a speech on ways to torture a slave for evidence admissible in court:

στρεβλῶν, ἔτι δ᾽ ἐς τὰς ῥῖνας ὄξος ἐγχέων
[or you could] stretch him, or pour vinegar into his nostrils[, or...]

ὄξος: I have been dissuaded by medical friends from experimenting with a small quantity to see how painful it is.

Kenneth Dover. Aristophanes Frogs. Oxford, 1993, 271.

That is some serious dedication to historical investigation!

Comments

[achyvi.livejournal.com]

His medical friends make it sound like maybe they have done a similar stunt, and are speaking from experience. PARTY HARDY, MED STUDENTS.

[ricardienne.livejournal.com]

I mean, how are they going to be good pediatricians if they don't have experience in the things toddlers/frat boys are likely to try?

[awomanthatsblue.livejournal.com]

I thought of this post when I got water up my nose in the shower today. It was pretty painful, and I was really glad it wasn't vinegar.

[ricardienne.livejournal.com]

I got sea-water up my nose on occasion as a kid, but regular water is bad enough.