«Тахиййат»: Сборник статей в честь Н. Н. Дьякова

m 82 n Magda El-Nowieemy He converses with Andocides, the solicitor and orator, who said (Etman 2008a, p.74): Andocides: How do you justify the environmental pollution in our city? Where does this black cloud come from when our sun has been shining since antiquity? And where does all this dirt that has become the prevailing feature of our city streets, inviting summer maladies and winter epidemics, come from? (Adding) Luckily for us, our country knows only these two seasons in the year. Andocides raises the question of the black cloud that covered modern Cairo for quite a long period of time, in the eighties and nineties of the twentieth century. Socrates agrees that these very questions diagnose the state of “the city” of Athens, and adds further problems that Etman believes are spoiling the environment of some cities in Egypt. Socrates also reflects on drugs and its destructive effects upon people's minds, as evident from the dialogue between Andocides and himself, dur- ing his trial. As Andocides says (Etman 2008a, p. 76): “these days the so- called intellectuals in our country use great amounts of it in chewing and smoking”. Etman means the green opium leaves which spread illegally in some places of modern Egypt, as well as elsewhere in the world. Socrates condemns this behavior saying that “culture represents the mind of a nation, so that if it is absent by addiction, the mind is lost”. Socrates, or say Etman, turns the problem of drugs into being a cultural question that concerns peo- ple everywhere. Etman, as other Egyptian political critics at the time of writing the play did, hid his real beliefs from readers, behind some guise, because it was a time of trying to silence free speech and free thought in Egypt. From time to time Etman voices condemnations for politicians, in the name of Democratia, who was on the head of the Athenian democratic regime. Though Etman devotes a good bit of space to her in his play, he has tried to prevent her from dominat- ing the picture. Socrates, rejecting the current democratic leadership, blames Democratia for the exhausting war with Sparta (Etman 2008a, p. 29f.): Socrates: Because you mislead the people and cheat them with your sweet talk, you promised them prosperity, but you never carry out your promise. For in war there cannot be any prosperity. You claimed to establish democracy and to support its pillars, while you are head-strong, you forge the elections, and you are like the malignant malady that destroys the body, even before a person can feel it. Democratia: But it's you who are deluded, you philosopher of nonsense, searching for things that don't exist on earth, contemplating on air and space walking on earth unconsciously, neglecting worldly matters. (Going on) All people support me with their love, they know that you're good for nothing, could you lead a nation?