Flies, Wasps, and Gadflies: The Role of Insect Similes in Homer, Aristophanes, and Plato

Abstract

This article examines how Plato, influenced by epic and comedy, uses the gadfly simile to elicit heroic qualities not typically associated with this insect. The majority of Homer’s animal similes liken heroes to nobler animals such as lions or boars, while a few compare them to less heroic creatures such as flies or wasps. Yet Homer can also use these insects to highlight a hero’s martial prowess and valour. In his Wasps Aristophanes primarily uses the wasp as a symbol of irascibility, but can also use it to symbolize staunch defence against enemies external and internal. Plato deliberately conflates these heroic and comedic strands within his gadfly simile, thus taking advantage not only of the insect’s obvious blameworthy features, but also of its surprisingly praiseworthy ones, and so forges an enduring and unforgettable icon, the Socratic gadfly.