[896] χορεύειν The words πονεῖν ἢ τοῖς θεοῖς added in a few MSS. （including L） have plainly arisen from a contracted writing of πανηγυρίζειν τοῖς θεοῖς which occurs in a few others. This gloss correctly represents the general notion of χορεύειν, as referring to the χοροί connected with the cult of Dionysus, Apollo and other gods. The χορός was an element so essential and characteristic that, in a Greek mouth, the question τί δεῖ με χορεύειν; would import, “why maintain the solemn rites of public worship?” Cp. Polybius 4. 20 （speaking of the youth of Arcadia） μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα τοὺς Φιλοξένου καὶ Τιμοθέου νόμους μανθάνοντες （learning the music of those masters） πολλῇ φιλοτιμίᾳ χορεύουσι κατ᾽ ἐνιαυτὸν τοῖς Διονυσιακοῖς αὐληταῖς ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις, οἱ μὲν παῖδες τοὺς παιδικοὺς ἀγῶνας, οἱ δὲ νεανίσκοι τοὺς τῶν ἀνδρῶν λεγομένους. Eur. Ba. 181 “δεῖ ... Διόνυσον ... ὄσον καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς δυνατὸν αὔξεσθαι μέγαν: ι ποῖ δεῖ χορεύειν, ποῖ καθιστάναι πόδα, ι καὶ κρᾶτα σεῖσαι πολιόν; ἐξηγοῦ σύ μοι ι γέρων γέροντι, Τειρεσία.” The Theban elders need not, then, be regarded as momentarily forgetting their dramatic part. Cp. 1095 χορεύεσθαι.
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