The tone of address will surprise no one who remembers the scene between Diphilus and Gnathaena (ap. Athen. xiii. 583 F), and others like it. [This subject was to have been dealt with further in an Excursus.]
κἂν μὲν σιωπῶ, δυσφορεῖ καὶ πνίγεται,
καὶ φησι, τί σιωπᾷς; ἐὰν δ’ ἀποκριθῶ,
οἴμοι τάλας, φησίν, χαράδρα κατελήλυθεν.
[223] The precise nature of the differences between these early “Hetaera-plays” and those generally in vogue at a later date, will be examined when we come to consider the latter class of composition. [[p. 153.]]
[224] One can at least gather from Fr. 1, 2, 3, that the coming together of the women was made the occasion of a series of jokes at their expense, something after the manner of Mnesilochus and the baby in Thesmoph. 689 seqq.
[225] This seems to have been one of the main motives of the Lemniae; at any rate, the nature of Aeschylus’ play on the same subject would have afforded an excellent opportunity of the kind—Αἰσχύλος δ’ ἐν Ὑψιπύλῃ ἐν ὅπλοις φησὶν αὐτὰς [τὰς Λημνίας] ἐπελθούσας χειμαζομένοις [τοῖς Ἀργοναύταις] ἀπείργειν, μέχρι λαβεῖν ὅρκον παρ’ αὐτῶν ἀποβάντας μιγήσεσθαι αὐταῖς. Schol. ad Apoll. Rhod. I. 773.
ἰδού, δίδωμι τήνδ’ ἐγὼ γυναῖκά σοι