Σαμία (fr. 43)

239

Discussion Morelius 1553. Ill; Canter 1564. 183; Grotius 1626. 642-3;
Meineke 1840 III.191; 1847. 587; Bothe 1855. 429; Meineke 1857 V.clxxix; Kock
1884 11.155; Blaydes 1896. 124; Herwerden 1903. 99; Edmonds 1959 11.70—1;
Kassel-Austin 1991 11.264; Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 265
Citation context Athenaeus quotes this fragment in the midst of a long
discussion of flattery (6.248c-62a). He appears to connect it anachronistically
with the attempts by the Athenians on Lemnos to show fawning gratitude to
Seleucus I and Antiochus I. Even if Athenaeus does not mean to imply that the
fragment refers to the behaviour of third-century Greeks, there is no compel-
ling reason to think that he had concrete knowledge of a political context for
the fragment. That said, see introduction to the play for the possibility that it
may have been political; for Athenian involvement on Lemnos in the fourth
century, see Cargill 1995. 12-15, 94-99; Stroud 1998.
Text Bothe, rightly noting that δε is occasionally corrupted to γάρ (cf.
Pearson 1917 on S. fr. 873.1; Arnott 1996 on Alex. fr. 91.1), emended the text
on metrical grounds (cf. his similar emendation in fr. 46.3); but an anapaest
in place of an iamb is so common as to need little defense (cf. White 1912
§§113-22).
Interpretation κολακεία and αρέσκεια are essentially similar behaviours,
distinguished by the underlying motive; cf. Arist. EN 1108a27-9 ό μεν ώς δει
ήδύς ών φίλος και ή μεσάτης φιλία, ό δ’ ύπερβάλλων, εί μεν ούδενός ένεκα,
άρεσκος, εί δ’ ώφελείας τής αύτοϋ, κόλαξ; 1127a7-10 ό μεν τού ήδύς είναι
στοχαζόμενος μή δι’ άλλο τι άρεσκος, ό δ’ όπως ώφέλειά τις αύτω γίγνηται
είς χρήματα και όσα διά χρημάτων, κόλαξ; Diggle 2004.181-2, 222-3; Ussher
1960 on Thphr. Char. 2.1. For the κόλαξ, see on fr. 35.7. The thought expressed
here is common in political writing; cf. Th. 3.82.3 και τήν είωθυϊαν άξίωσιν των
ονομάτων ές τά έργα άντήλλαξαν τή δικαιώσει with Hornblower 1991-2008
ad loc.·, PL R. 560d-e; Isoc. 7.20; Sall. Cat. 52.11.