Friday, December 05, 2025
Dorillus or Doryllus
Aristophanes, fragment 382 Kassel and Austin (tr. Jeffrey Henderson, with his note):
See Jeffrey Henderson, The Maculate Muse: Obscene Language in Attic Comedy, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), pp. 147-148 and 203, for proper names as slang for sex organs.
See also Paul Maas, "δορίαλλος. Aristophanes Λήμυιαι fr. 367 Kock," Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung 58.1/2 (1930) 127-128.
‹Older
(a) δορίαλλος or δόριλλος in Ar. (quote) is used of the female genitals, to insult the tragedian Dorillus.95Because of the shape of his beard?
(b) δορύαλλος: the female genitals . . . referring to the tragedian Doryllus:
the women fence off their pussy shelleys
95 Or possibly Dorilaos; punning in any case on περίαλλος (loins).
(a) Etymologicum Genuinum AB
δορίαλλος· λέγεται καὶ δόριλλος. Ἀριστοφάνης· αἱ—φράγνυνται. ἔστι δὲ τὸ γυναικεῖον αἰδοῖον, ἐφ᾿ ὕβρει τραγῳδοποιοῦ Δορίλλου.
(b) Hesychius δ 2230
δορύαλλος· τὸ τῶν γυναικῶν μόριον . . . ἐφ᾿ ὕβρει τοῦ τραγῳδοποιοῦ Δορύλλου·
αἱ <δὲ> γυναῖκες τὸν δορίαλλον φράγυνυνται
See Jeffrey Henderson, The Maculate Muse: Obscene Language in Attic Comedy, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991), pp. 147-148 and 203, for proper names as slang for sex organs.
See also Paul Maas, "δορίαλλος. Aristophanes Λήμυιαι fr. 367 Kock," Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung 58.1/2 (1930) 127-128.
