236

Πρωτεσίλαος (fr. 42)

70-1 The first speaker does not acknowledge the interruption and re-
sumes his catalogue, switching from foodstuffs to wines. Although there is
no clear statement to this effect, and the only transition is the interruption of
Speaker B, the introduction of wine into the catalogue signals that Speaker
A has ceased to describe the feast itself and has moved on to the symposium
that will follow.
70 οίνοι Wines are commonly designated by place of origin, colour, or
taste, although these are not mutually exclusive categories; the terms used
here all refer to generic types and could be used of wines from numerous
localities. For an extensive discussion of varieties of wine and their individual
characteristics, cf. Ath. 1.25f-33f.
λευκός In Homer, the color of wine is normally ερυθρός (e. g. Od. 9.208)
or μέλας (e. g. Od. 5.265), both perhaps indicating the same sort, whereas later
distinctions are made between λευκός, κιρρός, and μέλας (which would pre-
sumably include red);109 cf. Ath. 1.32c των οίνων ό μέν λευκός, ό δέ κιρρός, ό
δέ μέλας. και ό μέν λευκός λεπτότατος τη φύσει, ουρητικός, θερμός πεπτικός
τε ών τήν κεφαλήν ποιεί διάπυρον· ανωφερής γάρ ό οίνος (cf. 1.26c, 32d).
71 γλυκύς Wines of different origins and colors all have varieties that
can be characterized as ‘sweet’; e. g. Ath. 1.32c, f. The use of γλυκύς alone,
however, is equivalent to γλεΰκος, ‘new wine’ or wine that has not yet fer-
mented; cf. Kerenyi 1960. 5-11; Arnott 1996 on Alex. fr. 60.1; Wilkins 2000.
219 n. 72; Chadwick 1996. 78.
αύθιγενής The word, ‘native’ or ‘local’, is apparently not used of wine
elsewhere, but see Ascani 2001. 453-4 with n. 32 and her equation of the
word with αύτίτης (e. g. Polyzel. fr. 1). It seems to be primarily poetic (e. g.
B. 2.11 Μοΰσ’ αύθιγενής; E. fr. 472.5-8 αύθιγενής ... κυπάρισσος) and is thus
perhaps parodic high-style, although it occasionally occurs in prose (prior to
the Roman period only in Herodotus, e.g. 2.149.4 ύδωρ ... αύθιγενές). There
is no compelling reason to assume that the wedding being described took
place, like that of Iphicrates, in Thrace; but for praise of Thracian wines, cf.
Ath. 1.31a-b. It is possible that rather than γλυκύς and αύθιγενής referring
to separate wines, they are meant to be taken together as ‘local unfermented
wine’.
ήδύς When applied to wine, an adjective of general commendation from
Homer onward (e.g. Od. 9.204-5 [Thracian wine]; 3.51; Ar. fr. 613; Eub. fr.
136.2; Amph. fr. 9.3; Alex. fr. 46.9).

109

The occurrence of οίνος έρθυρός at Archil, fr. 4.8 may simply be dependent on
Homeric language.