52 THE HORSE IN HISTORY 



for purposes of horse rearing, it must in justice 

 be said that their attempts met with reward. 



Thus it happened that about this time — that is 

 to say towards the close of the third or the be- 

 ginning of the second century — the comic poet, 

 Aristophanes, who died in 380 B.C., began to in- 

 veigh against the increasing popularity of horse 

 racing, and against the spread of gambling con- 

 sequent thereon. 



In his immortal comedy of The Clotcds, it 

 will be remembered, he portrays a typical young 

 spendthrift, Pheidippes, and an equally typical 

 indignant father, Strepsiades, both of whom 

 would serve well as latter-day types of men of 

 the same stamp. 



The son, when the comedy opens, has lost 

 heavily on the turf and incurred the displeasure, 

 not to say roused the indignation, of his father, in 

 addition to burdening the old man heavily with 

 his gambling debts. Presently the son is sued 

 by Pasion, a characteristic usurer of that period, 

 for the recovery of the entire sum of twelve 

 minae. 



" For what with debts and duns and stable- 

 keepers' bills," Strepsiades exclaims in exaspera- 

 tion in the opening lines, addressing his son 

 Pheidippes, who lies asleep before him — " what 

 with debts and duns and stablekeepers' bills which 

 this fine spark heaps on my back, I lie awake the 

 whilst : and what cares he but to coil up his locks, 



