Pyramids

35

Xeno refers to Zeno, of aforementioned paradox. Copolymer (“the greatest storyteller in the history of the world”) might refer to both Homer (because of the name) and Herodotus, ‘the father of history’, who was known for his very chatty and discursive style, and who basically made his living as a story-teller/dinner guest. Pthagonal (“a very acute man with an angle”) refers to Pythagoras. Iesope (“the greatest teller of fables”) to Aesop. Antiphon (“the greatest writer of comic plays”) to Aristophanes. And Ibid (whose name reminds us of Ovid) is actually short for ibidem, which means, when citing literature references: ‘same author as before’. Hence the quip later on: “Ibid you already know”.

The only one left is Endos the Listener, who is perhaps meant to portray the standard second-man-in-a-Socratic-dialogue — the man who spends the entire dialogue saying things like “That is correct, Socrates”, “I agree”, “you’re right”, “your reasoning appears correct”, and the like.

Also, an ‘antiphon’ is a name for a versicle or sentence sung by one choir in response to another (e.g.: “No you can’t / Yes I can!” repeated many times with rising pitch. Or a more modern example would perhaps be Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’: “No, we will not let you go / Let me go!”). ‘Copolymer’ is a term from chemistry; it refers to a polymer (plastic) made from more than one kind of monomer (simple compound).

[It is suspected that Copolymer’s monologue may be a take-off on a particular translation of his Histories.]