64

Άντέρως (fr. 7)

Metre lambic trimeter.
Discussion Meineke 1840 III. 164; 1847. 575; Hirschig 1849. 4; Bothe 1855. 420;
Meineke 1857 V.clxxvii; Kock 188411.138; Edmonds 195911.48—9; Kassel-Austin
1991 11.241; Gargiulo 1999; Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 242
Citation Context The fragment occurs near the beginning of a section in
Athenaeus (14.654a-8a) concerned with meat and birds (sc. for eating). The
subsection concerned with birds (14.654a-5e) begins with four references to
pigeons, of which this fragment is the third; Men. fr. 280 and Nicostr. fr. 2
precede, Phryn. Com. fr. 53 follows.
Interpretation As presented by Athenaeus, the line refers to serving cooked
birds, presumably at some sort of feast since the birds are brought in, sc. to
diners reclining on couches vel sim. But there are some anomolies with this
interpretation (see below), and Athenaeus may be quoting the line mislead-
ingly (whether or not intentionally is a different question).
περιστέρια The diminutive of περιστερά, the general word for pigeon,
although used also for more specific sorts of pigeons; cf. Thompson 1936.
238-47; Dunbar 1995 on Ar. Av. 302. For pigeons as food, cf. the fragments
cited above in citation context; Petersen 1910. 143.
εΐσάγων Not normally used of presenting food (Hirschig’s παρεισάγων
accomplishes nothing; cf. the remarks of Kock concerning τράπεζα quoted
on fr. 2.1) at a feast or similar occasion. The reference may instead be to
presenting gifts to a (potential) lover; cf. on στρουθιά.
στρουθιά The general term for sparrows; cf. Thompson 1936. 268-70;
Dunbar 1995 on Ar. Av. 578-9 (where for Page 1955 on Sappho 1.20, read
1.10). Like περιστέρια above, these sparrows may be meant simply as food,
presumably a delicacy, although Terpsicles33 ap. Ath. 9.391e-f states that τούς
έμφαγόντας ... στρουθών έπικαταφόρους προς Αφροδίσια γίνεσθαι (cf. Ar.
Lys. 723-5; adesp. com. fr. 416; ZAbT Η. II. 2.308-19; Festus 410.17-21; Erbse
1997). Given the title of this play and the common use of birds as love-gifts,
the sexual connotations of sparrows may have greater relevance here than is
immediately apparent; cf. Gargiulo 1999.

33

Cf. Bux 1934. 790, ‘T. schrieb in unbekannter Zeit περί Αφροδισίων.’