How we cite our quotes: Line
Quote #10
Lysistrata: "A man! I see a man coming this way, stricken, in the grip of Aphrodite's mysterious powers. Lady Aphrodite, mistress of Cyprus and Cythera and Paphos, let the path that you've embarked on be upright!"
Wife: "Where is he, whoever he is?"
Lysistrata: "He's by Chloe's shrine."
Wife: "Oh yes, now I see him! But who is he?"
Lysistrata: "Take a good look. Anyone recognize him?"
Myrrhine: "Oh God, I do. And it's my own husband, Cinesias!"
Lysistrata: "Then it's your job to roast him, to torture him, to bamboozle him, to love him and not to love him, and to give him anything he wants, except what you and our wine cup know about." (831-841)
It may not be all that clear on a first reading, but when Lysistrata says that she sees a man "in the grip of Aphrodite's mysterious powers," she means a man who has been dominated by the goddess of love—in other words, a man who is super aroused. This shows that the women's sex-strike has had its desired effect—by making the men weak with desire. But even this isn't good enough. Lysistrata wants to turn the screw (badoom ching!) of Cinesias's torment just a little bit tighter… all for a good cause, of course.