174

Όδυσσεύς (fr. 35)

8 The juxtaposition of a constantly hungry man with the κόλαξ in 7
might suggest that a parasite or flatterer is meant here as well; note also the
apparent application of the phrase κεστρεύς νήστις to a parasite at Amips.
fr. 1 (see below). The implication could be that he is unsuccessful in attempts
to freeload, but more likely it refers to the stereotype that such people were
never satisfied.
τά πόλλ(α) Cf. Eup. fr. 172.4; Men. Dy sc. 334 with Gomme-Sandbach
1973 ad loc.·, Alex. fr. 189 έπΐ τά πολλά with Arnott 1996 ad loc. At Dionys.
Com. fr. 2.26 the phrase is probably not adverbial.
άδειπνος The adjective is more common than LSJ’s citation of only Hp.
Aph. 5.41 and X. An. 4.5.21 suggests (e. g. Eup. fr. 347; Antiph. fr. 197.3; Alex,
fr. 243.4; Men. Asp. 232). The word is not elsewhere used of parasites (if that
is the case here).
Κεστρΐνός ... Νήστις The phrase or a variation on it became a common-
place for indicating someone who was starving; Ath. 7.307c-8b lists over a
dozen occurrences (e.g. Ar. fr. 159; Pl. Com. fr. 28; Archipp. fr. 12; Antiph. fr.
136; Eub. 68; adesp. com. fr. 112). For further references, bibliography, and
discussion, see Arnott 1996 on Alex. fr. 258 (cf. also Ribbeck 1883. 71). Arnott
is perhaps overly optimistic in attributing the application in many of these
fragments to parasites (Hunter 1983 on Eub. fr. 68 is rightly more cautious),
although Amips. fr. 1 does seem to refer to a parasite, like this fragment.
κεστρΐνός occurs only here and in Hyp. fr. 188; elsewhere the normal
word κεστρεύς is used.69 Harp. p. 175.12-13 Dindorf (k 45 Keaney) (the source
for Hyp. fr. 188) offers the not very useful comment that έπισκεπτέον δε εί
διαφέρει τι κεστρέως; for the two forms, see Frisk 1954-1972 and Chantraine
1968-1980 s.v. κεντέω; Stromberg 1943. 35; Perpillou 1973 §326. For the fish
itself, see Thompson 1947. 108-9 (cf. 110-12 [s.v. κέφαλος]; 176 [s.v. νήστις]);
Olson-Sens 2000 on Archestr. fr. 43.1 (SH174); Olson-Sens 1999 on Matro fr.
1.59 (SH 534); Arnott 1996 on Alex. fr. 258.
9 εις τούς καλούς δ’ αν τις βλέπη Cf. on fr. 34.12, 13-14.
καινός Θεατροποιός Although the line is not manifestly corrupt, the
sense is obscure, and θεατροποιός does not appear elsewhere; Meineke ad loc.
sums up the situation well: ‘de sequent! θεατροποιός nihil dum coniecturae
vel interpretationis allatum est.’ The humor in the nickname may lie in a pun
based on the idea of seeing in βλέπη and the derivation of Θεατροποιός from

69 The plural is used with the meaning τά τομία καί τεμάχη των ιχθύων at ΑΒ 1.271.20
(whence ΕΜρ. 506.45; cf. Phot, κ 627) and is apparently the name of a Thesprotian
tribe at Rhian. fr. 34 (cf. also Κεστρίνη, an area of Elis). The diminutive κεστρινίσκος
occurs at Clearch. fr. 101.