'η δ' επι το ελαττον ειρωνεια και ειρων (1108a12). (Emphasis added)
in the form of understatement, self-depreciation, and its possessor the self-depreciator (1108a12).
In this passage, Aristotle establishes the eiron as one of the main characters of comedy, along with the alazon.
SOCRATES: These are the only gods there are. The rest are but figments.
STREPSIADES: Holy name of Earth! Olympian Zeus is a figment?
SOCRATES: Zeus? What Zeus? Nonsense. There is no Zeus.
STREPSIADES: No Zeus?
Then who makes it rain? Answer me that.SOCRATES: Why, the Clouds,
of course. What’s more, the proof is incontrovertible. For instance,have you ever yet seen rain when you didn’t see a cloud?But if your hypothesis were correct, Zeus could drizzle from an empty skywhile the clouds were on vacation.STREPSIADES: By Apollo, you’re right. A pretty proof.
And to think I always used to believe the rain was just Zeuspissing through a sieve.
As is clear, Socrates is not having the theological debate he had anticipated by the end of the conversation. Strepsiades reduces Socrates to an extremely lowbrow conversation by concealing his own intelligence. Note that Socrates himself practiced the "Socratic irony", asking apparently naive questions from its students to make them reason the answers themselves (see also mayeutics).