# Endnotes explained — The Birds

> Chapter companion for The Birds by Aristophanes.

## What happens

This chapter consists of endnotes providing historical, mythological, and cultural context for the play 'The Birds' by Aristophanes. It explains references to Athenian society, mythology, and contemporary figures, clarifying the satire and allusions within the text.

## Themes in this chapter

### Satire of Athenian Society

The endnotes highlight Aristophanes' satire on Athenian legal obsession, political figures, and social customs.

### Transformation and Identity

The endnotes explain the mythological transformations of Tereus, Procne, and Philomela, central to the play's themes.

### Religion and the Gods

Endnotes reference various gods and religious practices, including sacrifices and oracles, reflecting the play's engagement with the divine.

## Character check-ins

### Pisthetaerus

Mentioned in endnotes regarding his actions and the founding of Cloud Cuckoo Town.

### Euelpides

Referenced in endnotes for his role in the play and his interactions with the birds.

### Epops

Discussed in endnotes, including his mythological background and transformation.

### Procne

Mentioned in endnotes regarding the myth of Tereus and her transformation into a nightingale.

### Philomela

Referenced in endnotes as part of the Tereus myth and her transformation into a swallow.

### Tereus

Mentioned in endnotes as the Thracian king who was transformed into a hoopoe.

### Nicias

Referenced in endnotes as the Athenian general involved in the Sicilian expedition.

### Alcibiades

Mentioned in endnotes regarding his boxing of an orator's ears and his recall from Sicily.

## Key lines

> The owl was dedicated to Athene, and being respected at Athens, it had greatly multiplied. Hence the proverb, 'taking owls to Athens,' similar to our English 'taking coals to Newcastle.'

Owls were sacred to Athene and so numerous in Athens that bringing them there was redundant, like carrying coals to Newcastle.

_Explains a cultural reference to Athenian reverence for owls._

> Cleonymus had cast away his shield; he was as great a glutton as he was a coward.

Cleonymus was a coward who threw away his shield and was also known for his gluttony.

_Provides background on a figure satirized in the play._

> A king of Thrace, a son of Ares, who married Procne, the daughter of Pandion, King of Athens, whom he had assisted against the Megarians. He violated his sister-in-law, Philomela, and then cut out her tongue; she nevertheless managed to convey to her sister how she had been treated.

Tereus, a Thracian king, married Procne but violated her sister Philomela and cut out her tongue to silence her, yet she still informed Procne.

_Summarizes the myth of Tereus, Procne, and Philomela._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_birds_se/chapters/endnotes
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_birds_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_birds_se/chapters