Μᾶζαν μεμαχότος ἐν Πύλῳ Λακωνικὴν,
Πανουργότατά πως περιδραμὼν ὑφαρπάσας
Αὐτὸς παρέθηκε τὴν ὑπ᾽ ἐμοῦ μεμαγμένην.
It is Demosthenês who speaks in reference to Kleon,—termed in that comedy the Paphlagonian slave of Demos.
Compare v. 391,
Κᾆτ᾽ ἀνὴρ ἔδοξεν εἶναι, τἀλλότριον ἀμὼν θέρος, etc.,
and 740-1197.
So far from cunningly thrusting himself into the post as general, Kleon did everything he possibly could to avoid the post, and was only forced into it by the artifices of his enemies. It is important to notice how little the jests of Aristophanês can be taken as any evidence of historical reality.
[540] Thucyd. iv, 28. οἷον ὄχλος φιλεῖ ποιεῖν, etc.
[541] Thucyd. iv, 30.