158

Όδυσσεύς (fr. 34)

1884 Π.146-8; Herwerden 1886.183-4; Zacher 1886. 713-14; Kock 1888 III.737;
Paley 1889 52-5; Papabasileiou 1889. 205-6; Blaydes 1890a. 82; Herwerden
1893. 158; Blaydes 1896. 122-3; Pickard-Cambridge 1900. 54, 186; Herwerden
1903. 97-8; Richards 1907. 160 (= 1909. 79-80); Tucker 1908. 191; Edmonds
1959 11.58—9; Henderson 1991. 202; Kassel-Austin 1991 11.253—4; Davidson
1993. 63 with n. 76; Wilkins 2000. 298, 341; Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 253-5;
Rusten 2011. 464-5
Citation Context Near the end of a section on fish-sellers (6.224b-8c),
Athenaeus adduces this fragment to demonstrate the pride fishermen take in
their trade, and claims that a fisherman was a character in this play and spoke
these lines. After quoting the fragment, Athenaeus turns his attention back to
fish-sellers and cites two other long fragments, Alex. fr. 78 and Diph. fr. 31.
Text There is no need for Bergk’s κρεμαμένοις in 2.
In 3, Papabasileios’ emendation of the paradosis αϋτη to αύξις (better
αύξίς; cf. Chandler 1881 §644), a young tuna (Phryn. Com. fr. 59; Thompson
1947. 21) is possible. The use of the specific for the general is doubtful, how-
ever, and in lines 11-12 scorn is cast on small fish.
If the transmitted σεμνώς is correct in 3, the word ought have the sense
‘haughtily’ or ‘pompously’, the normal meaning of the adverb in comedy
(e. g. Ar. V. 585; Ephipp. fr. 19.4; Amphis fr. 13.3; cf. Dover 1993 on Ar. Ra. 178
and p. 21 of his edition).55 Since this is not quite the desired sense, Hirschig
proposed άσέμνως (with elision of δε); Bothe translated this as ‘irreverenter’,
although ‘in an undignified manner’ is better here, άσεμνος, however, is
primarily a late word, although it does occur at Arist. Mu. 398b4, and is ex-
clusively prosaic. Better is ασελγώς with the sense ‘wantonly’ or ‘without
restraint’; cf. Ar. Pl. 560 (note ETzet ad loc. for the equivalence of ασελγώς and
μή σεμνώς); Diod. Com. fr. 2.41; Renehan 1975. 44 (s. v. ασελγής).
The spelling τάγηνον in 4 occurs also at Ar. Eq. 929; Eup. fr. 374; Pl. Com.
fr. 189.12; Alex. frr. 115.12 (cf. Arnott 1996 ad loc.); 192.6, although τήγανον
seems to be the predominant form (e.g. Eup. fr. 144; Teleclid. fr. 10; Eub. fr.
75.8; Diph. fr. 43.4); cf. Olson-Sens 2000 on Archestr. fr. 11.8 (SH 140). The
attempts of grammarians and lexicographers to deal with this dichotomy led

55 It is also possible to translate σεμνώς as ‘reverently’ or ‘with awed respect,’ de-
spite the fact that the word seldom, if ever, has this sense in comedy. Although
description of food in similar terms, even in combination with rapacious dining,
is common for example in the fragments of Matro, such a sense is not appropriate
here, where there is little emphasis on the food itself, but only on taking advantage
of the eagerness of others to obtain the food.