18

Introduction

by Aristotle in these two works are Epicharmus and Aristophanes,17 and in
general he does not refer often to comic poets aside from brief mention in the
Poetics of figures important for the history of the genre. This may indicate
the popularity of Anaxandrides during or shortly after his own lifetime, or
at least the esteem in which Aristotle held him. Aristotle presumably had
access to complete texts of the comedies, but in quoting what are apparently
well-known lines (he describes fr. 65 as έπαινούμενον) he likely relied on his
memory.
The single papyrus find relating to Anaxandrides is BKT V(2). 9773, a sec-
ond-century BC fragment of an anthology that includes the beginning of fr.
71. Although the papyrus offers a slightly better text of the fragment than
does Stobaeus, who also quotes it, its chief importance is as evidence that
Anaxandrides’ work was excerpted for use in anthologies at an early date, sug-
gesting that this may have been the conduit through which many fragments
survived (cf. Section I above for the suggestion that his works largely perished
at an early date). The paucity of papyrus finds is unexceptional; a handful of
poets (Epicharmus, Aristophanes, Eupolis, and Menander) overwhelmingly
dominate the finds of identifiable comic fragments, and most other authors
are poorly represented.18
After this isolated occurrence of a fragment of Anaxandrides in the second
century BC, there is no mention of him again until the second century AD.
Pollux quotes Anaxandrides six times (frr. 5; 14; 24; 68; 70; 79); of these, part
of fr. 14 is also cited by the Antiatticist. Pollux shows little evidence of general
familiarity with the comedies, citing Anaxandrides primarily as an authority
for the usage of various words, and his knowledge of him is presumably deriv-
ative. For Pollux as a source of comic fragments, cf. Nesselrath 1990. 79-102.
As is the case for the fragments of many authors and of comic poets in
particular, Athenaeus is the most important source.19 Unfortunately, the
absence of a systematic study of Athenaeus’ sources and methodology pro-
hibits detailed conclusions regarding his quotation of now lost authors or
works.20 The case has been made that his quotation of tragedy is all or mostly

17 Arist. Rhet. 1376al0 may be a reference to Plato Comicus (fr. 219 K); Kassel-Austin
(PCG 7.808) assign it to Plato the philosopher.
18 For discussion of which comic poets survive on papyrus, cf. Sidwell 2000; for finds
from 1973 to 2010, see Bathrellou 2014.
19 Athenaeus quotes Anaxandr. frr. 1-4; 6-7; 10; 16; 18-19; 23; 25; 28-31; 33-6; 38;
40-4; 46-52; 55; 58; 60; 72-3; 80. Of these, frr. 3; 10; 51 and 58 are also known from
elsewhere.
20 For discussion of what is known, cf. Nesselrath 1990. 65-79.