Since I first saw these words I have been taken by them. And by taken, I mean I was fooled. Haha. They do mean what they sound like. A statement of pride by a famous Mayor who really did work to grow the fair city of Indianapolis; modernizing it, developing business, infrastructure, and creating most of the park space in Indianapolis proper (including founding White River Park).
The way I was taken is that while this quote is attributed to Mayor Charles Bookwalter of Indianapolis on the cornerstone of our old courthouse, it turns out the quote is from an old Greek play.
“The phrase “I am myself a citizen of no mean city” is a famous quote from the play “The Birds” by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. In this context, the character Pisthetaerus uses this line to describe the city of Cloudcuckooland, which he and his companion, Euelpides, have founded in the sky with the help of birds.
The quote is often interpreted as a declaration of pride in one’s city, albeit an unconventional one in the case of “The Birds.” It emphasizes the speaker’s sense of belonging and attachment to their city, suggesting that it is not an insignificant or unworthy place.”
Oh well. The fact remains. Indy is no mean city. It is the gem of the midwest. The crossroads of America. The Circle City. Race City. The Amateur Sports Capital of the World …. more on that in the next post.
