48

Αγροίκοι (fr. 3)

describe the effects of heavy drinking, Antipho Soph. 87 B 34; Ath. 1.33a; LXX
Je. 28 (51):39; Hsch. κ 850, 954; cf. Philonides ap. Ath. 15.675b οί δε (sc. those
drinking unmixed wine) νεκροϊς έώκεσαν από τής καρώσεως (‘Because of
their stupor, they resembled the dead.’). Cf. on άνακεχαίτικεν.
άνακεχαίτικεν Properly of a horse throwing back its mane (χαίτη) and
thus rearing up (e. g. [E.] Rh. 786), the verb developed the extended meaning
‘to throw (sc. a rider)’, i. e. the result of such an action. More commonly, it is
used metaphorically, both in poetry (e. g. E. Ba. 1072; Timoth. Pers. 18 [PMG
791.17-8]; Men. Sam. 209 with Gomme-Sandbach 1973 ad loc.) and prose (e.g.
D. 2.9; Plu. Demetr. 34); cf. Harp. p. 37.1 Dindorf (a 139 Keaney); Phryn. PS
p. 32.8; Pearson 1917 on S. fr. 179. Webster 1970. 44 understands Anaxandrides’
use of the word as a reference to D. 2.9, but the metaphor is common (similarly
dubious is his supposition of a connection between Antiph. fr. 188.15 and D.
4.33; contrast Anaxil. fr. 8; Antiph. fr. 167; Alex. frr. 7; 303; Timocl. fr. 20, all of
which do refer to Demosthenes’ distinction between δίδωμαι and άποδίδωμαι
regarding Philip’s offer to ‘give’ Halonnesus to the Athenians). The subject
here is normally assumed to be the large quantity of wine consumed, and the
verb taken to mean ‘incapacitate’. More likely, the verb retains a literal sense,
and drunkenness caused the speaker to fall to the floor. He may have done
this by upending his couch, possibly as a result of sitting astride it like a horse;
the subject may have thus been the couch itself, presumably specified in the
next, now missing line. In any case, the notion of action inherent in this verb
contrasts with and corrects the use by Speaker A of έκάρωσεν to imply that
the effect of the wine was primarily soporific.
μέν ούν Indicates general agreement with the previous speaker, but intro-
duces a stronger expression offered as a correction (Denniston 1954. 475-476);
cf. Ar. Ra. 612; Pherecr. fr. 76.2.