# What Greek play is this from?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-play-is-this-from/269294>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 15, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-play-is-this-from/269294 "2004-10-15T00:35:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-play-is-this-from/269294/1 "2004-10-15T00:35:28Z")

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In Greek class today, one of the exercises translated (approxamitely) to: “He ordered me to say ‘baaa’, and intends to sacrifice me.” I believe it’s from something Aristophanes wrote - anyone have any ideas?

(And may I just say I _love_ studying a language where so many of the translations are about throwing stones, philosophy, sacrificing, or angering the gods.)

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**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-play-is-this-from/269294/2 "2004-10-15T01:38:31Z")

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It sounds like it could be from _Peace_. Besides noble sentiments such as philosophy and sacrifice, Aristophanes was also fond of his farting, peeing and f\*\*king jokes. Sadly, many editions of his works were edited by Victorians who were less fond of such earthy aspects of human life!

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**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-play-is-this-from/269294/3 "2004-10-15T01:44:37Z")

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**Ninja** : How’re ya liking SJC? Freshman or sophomore?

I’m A '84.

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**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-play-is-this-from/269294/4 "2004-10-15T04:59:37Z")

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> [@commasense](#):
>
> **Ninja** : How’re ya liking SJC? Freshman or sophomore?
> 
> I’m A '84.

I’m loving it. It’s so incredibly much work, though. Our first long weekend begins now…it’s _so_ incredibly nice to not be desperately studying Euclid on a thursday night (I’m a freshman).

**Roger** , that sounds right. Thanks. Yeah, some of those Greeks were all sorts of funny. (Herodetus comes to mind; especially if you read it right after two Homeric works…)

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**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\
**Post date:** [October 15, 2004, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-greek-play-is-this-from/269294/5 "2004-10-15T06:07:43Z")

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I remember a vaguely similar line in Aristophanes’ _Acharnians_. Something about making animal sounds like animals that are sacrificed.