96

Ηρακλής (fr. 16)

to the contrary, it is best to retain the normal meaning for the construction
and assume that the person discussed only gives the appearance of proficiency,
while lacking talent.
2-3 εύρύθμως ‘Gracefully,’ referring to physical movement, as at E.
Cyc. 563; Pl. Com. fr. 47; Theophil. fr. 2.4-5, although given the context some
musical connotation may be felt as well, via a reference to ρυθμός.
λαβών ... είτ(α) A participle followed by a temporal conjunction and
finite verb is common in comedy and, to a lesser degree, in other genres ex-
hibiting colloquial language; cf. Antiph. fr. 152.2 λαβοϋσαν είτα; Ar. Th. 556-7;
E. Cyc. 563; van Leeuwen 1898 on Ar. Nu. 624; Dover 1987. 28-9; Renehan
1976. 147-8.
τό μελετητήριον Cf. Hsch. μ 681 μελετητήριον· οίκος, ή όργανον, έν
ώ τις μελετά; the second definition probably refers to this passage, as it is
the only surviving instance in which the word has this meaning, and the
first possibly to Plu. Dem. 7 and 8, the only other occurrences of the word.
Although the formation in -ήριον is more common in place names, whether
comic coinages (e. g. φροντιστήpiov) or normal vocabulary (e. g. δικαστήριον),
Kuhner-Blass 1890-1892 11.281 adduce ποτήριον and σημαντήριον as par-
allels for the formation used of an instrument, and Smyth 1956 §842.4 adds
θελκτήριον. If Linus is involved, the musical instrument is probably a cithara.
έσχεδίασε This is among the earliest occurrences of a generally late
word, with possible contemporary examples depending on the date of [Pl.]
Sis. 387e and the attribution of P.Hib. 113 and P.Mich. inv. 2754 (Winter 1925).
Although αυτοσχεδιάζω is far more common in the Classical/Hellenistic
period, late (and modern) attempts to formulate a chronological distinction
between the words are mistaken: instead, forms of σχεδιάζω are used in
preference to augmented or reduplicated forms of αυτοσχεδιάζω. For details,
see Renehan 1971. 93-9; cf. Renehan 1976. 147-8. Although the word and its
cognates are not elsewhere used of musical improvisation, σχεδιάζω is used
of poetic improvisation at P.Mich. inv. 2754.1 (a fragmentary life of Homer);
cf. LSJ s. vv. σχέδιος II.l; αυτοσχεδιάζω (and cognates), σχεδιάζω also appears
in a musical treatise (P. Hib. 113 col. 1, 12-3), where it does not seem to refer
to playing music, although the context may have suggested its use if this was
a normal meaning of the word.
δριμέως The word seems here to have a negative sense. It is used of
sound elsewhere only at E. Cyc. 104 οίδ’ άνδρα, κρόταλον δριμύ, Σισύφου
γένος, presumably in a similar sense.42 δριμύς can be used in a positive sense,

42 Seaford 1984 ad loc. compares E. Hel. 1308-9 κρόταλα δέ βρόμια διαπρύσιον / ίέντα
κέλαδον.