Τηρεύς (fr. 47)

251

lists of different types. This fragment is the last in the short section on Megallian
perfume: Ar. fr. 549; Pherecr. fr. 149; Stratt. fr. 34; Amphis fr. 27 precede.
Text The sense of the fragment is generally clear, but 1 poses several serious
difficulties, primarily ώνομασμένη, which is generally thought to be either
corrupt or used in an unparalleled sense. The text is probably sound, with
ώνομασμένη used as a copulative (i. e. ‘like one named as a royal bride...’); cf.
Antiph. fr. 104.2; ZbT Η. II. 23.90.
Meineke 1840 III.193 suggested that, barring corruption, ώνομασμένη must
be used with the sense of κατονομασμένη (‘betrothed’; cf. Plb. 5.43.1; Hsch.
τ 85a); but no parallel for ώνομασμένη with this sense exists.118 A number of
scholars have assumed corruption and suggested various emendations, most
involving some word followed by άσμένη, although none of these is convinc-
ing. The difficulty may be somewhat obviated by Toup’s suggestion (1770. 402)
that βασιλίς is a proper name, specifically that of an hetaira. But there is no
particular reason to think that the name belongs to an hetaira,119 and in any
case the name itself is both extremely rare and fairly late.120
Interpretation The fragment concerns a woman anointing herself with per-
fume and thus being compared to a bride; whether she is an ordinary bride
being compared to a particularly wealthy bride, or a non-bride being compared
to a bride, is unclear. One obvious suggestion for the identify of the subject
is either Procne or Philomela, the two main women in the story of Tereus.
1-2 Anointing oneself is presumably part of a normal bride’s preparation
for the wedding, after she has taken her bath; cf. Oakley-Sinos 1993.15-16.121

118 The citation by Gulick 1928-1957 of Η. II. 9.515 and 23.90 offers no support for this
interpretation, despite his claim to the contrary.
119 For support for his assertion, Toup relied on Hsch. a 7247 Φορμισίους δέ τα
γυναικεία αιδοία [Ar. Ec. 97] καί Βασιλείδας καί Λαχάρας. Since the Hesychius
passage does not in fact support Toup’s proposal, Meineke was correct in rejecting
it, although his argument that there is no such name as Βασιλείδης or Βασιλίδης
carries little weight and in any case is no longer true (there are 25 from Athens
alone, although most are late Hellenistic or later, with the earliest certain example
being from the mid-third century [PA 2840; PAA 263330; LGPNII s.v. #17]).
120 There is one example from the second century and one from the first, both of them
from Rhodes, and three examples from the Roman Imperial period, all from Magna
Graecia. But there is one fourth-century Athenian example of the similarly formed
name Βασίλιννα (PA 2842; PAA 263600).
121 Note that X. Smp. 2.3 states that women, particularly brides, wear myrrh and so
need no other perfume, not, as Oakley-Sinos 16 paraphrase, ‘that women wear
enough myrrh on this occasion that men’s perfumes go unappreciated.’