1. ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις implies that the ceremonies just described were performed by night.— θιάσους, used especially of Bacchanals; see Eur. Bacch. 680, ὁρῶ δὲ θιάσους τρεῖς γυναικείων χορῶν.
2. τῷ μαράθῳ καὶ τῇ λεύκῃ: from μάραθον, fennel, Marathon is said to have been named (cf. Strab. p. 160): for the fondness of serpents for it, see Ael. Hist. Animal. IX. 16. For serpents in the Bacchic worship, see Eur. Bacch. 102, 697. The white poplar, λεύκη, populus alba, is men tioned in Ar. Nub. 1007. See Bekk. Anecd. p. 279: ἡ δὲ λεύκη τὸ μὲν τῶν φύλλων ἔχει λευκὸν τὸ δ᾽ ἕτερον μέλαν, σύμβολόν τι τοῦ βίου καὶ τοῦ θανάτου.
3. τοὺς παρείας: see Harpocr., παρεῖαι ὀνομάζονταί τινες ὄφεις παρὰ τὸ παρείας μείζους ἔχειν, and Ael. Hist. An. VIII. 12, ὁ παρείας ἢ παρούας πυρρὸς τὴν χρόαν, εὐωπὸς τὸ ὄμμα, πλατὺς τὸ στόμα, δακεῖν οὐ σφαλερὸς ἀλλὰ πρᾷος. These harmless snakes were thus sacred to Aesculapius, and were named παρεῖαι from their fat cheeks. See Ar. Plut. 690.
4. εὐοῖ σαβοῖ: as εὐοῖ, evoe, was the cry used in the regular Bacchic worship, so σαβοῖ was used in invoking Σαβάζιος, the Phrygian Bacchus. All points to some Asiatic worship, more or less caricatured.
5. ὑῆς ἄττης ἄττης ὑῆς: these mystic words stand as a cognate accusative with ἐπορχούμενος; this is what he danced.—ἔξαρχος καὶ προηγεμὼν designates Aeschines as leader of the song or dance or both.
6. κιττοφόρος, ivy-bearer, the ivy being sacred to Bacchus.—λικνοφόρος, bearer of the winnowing-fan, λίκνον, the mystica vannus Iacchi. See Verg. Georg. I. 166.—καὶ τοιαῦθ̓, i.e. these (ἔξαρχος κ.τ.λ.) and similar names.
8. ἔνθρυπτα, στρεπτοὺς, sops, twists: for ἔνθρυπτα see the Schol., ψωμοὶ οἴνῳ βεβρεγμένοι. στρεπτούς: πλακοῦντος εἶδος (Harpocr.), evidently from στρέφω.—νεήλατα: acc. to Harpocration, barley buns, made of newly-ground (roasted) barley, soaked in honey and covered with plums and chick-peas.
