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The Argosy - Vol. 51, No. 3, March, 1891 by Various
page 54 of 154 (35%)
introducing great names of bygone days into these comedies, in all kinds
of ridiculous and disgraceful surroundings.

There was a piquancy about these libels on the dead which we cannot
understand, but which we may contrast with the less dishonourable
process known to modern historians as "whitewashing." Just as Tiberius
and Henry VIII. have been rescued from the infamy of ages, and placed
among us upon pedestals of honour from which it will be difficult
hereafter wholly to dislodge them, many honoured names were taken by
these iconoclasts of the Middle Comedy and hurled down to such infamy as
they alone could bestow.

Sappho stood out prominently as the one supreme poetess of Hellas, and
the poets, if so they must be called, of the decline of Greek dramatic
art were never weary of loading her name with every most disgraceful
reproach they could invent. It is hardly worth while to discuss a
subject so often discussed with so little profit, or it would be easy to
show that these gentlemen, Ameipsias, Antiphanes, Diphilus, and the
rest, were indebted solely to their imagination for their facts.

It would be as fair to take the picture of Sokrates in the "Clouds" of
Aristophanes for a faithful representation of the philosopher as it
would be to take the Sappho of the comic stage for the true Sappho.
Indeed, it would be fairer; for the Sokrates of the "Clouds" is an
absurd caricature, but, like every good caricature, it bore some
resemblance to the original.

Aristophanes and his audience were familiar with the figure of Sokrates
as he went in and out amongst them; they knew his character and his
manner of life; and, though the poet ventured to pervert the teaching
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