Φαρμακόμαντις (fr. 50)

259

Date The title could be restored at test. 5.12 (see ad loc.\, if so, the play took
fifth place at the City Dionysia between 364 and 356 BC.

fr. 50 K.-A. (49 K.)
δτι εϊμ’ άλαζών, τοϋτ’ έπιτιμάς; άλλα τί;
νικά γάρ αϋτη τάς τέχνας πάσας πολύ
μετά τήν κολακείαν, ήδε μεν γάρ διαφέρει
habent ACE
φησίν Άναξανδρίδης ό κωμικός (post Anaxandridae verba) CE
1 δτι εϊμ’om. CE 1-2 άλλάτί; νικάγάρ Casaubon: άλλάτί· καίγάρ A: ύπερτείνει
CE
Because I am a braggart, you censure this? But why?
For that art outdoes all others by far
after flattery. For this one is superior
Ath. 6.261f
τη δ’ άλαζονεία μετά τήν κολακείαν χώραν δίδωσιν Άναξανδρίδης ό κωμωδιοποιός
έν Φαρμακομάντει λέγων οϋτως·-
After bragging, Anaxandrides the comic poet gives pride of place to flattery, speaking
in Pharmakomantis as follows:-

Metre lambic trimeter

Discussion Grotius 1626. 642-3; Meineke 1840 III. 193; 1847. 588; Bothe 1855.
430-1; Meineke 1857 V.clxxix; Kock 188411.157; Edmonds 1959 11.72—3; Kassel-
Austin 1991 11.267; Wilkins 2000. 86 n. 144; Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 268
Citation context Athenaeus quotes this fragment at the end of a long discus-
sion of flattery (6.248c-62a, which includes fr. 43); Ar. fr. 172; Sannyr. fr. 11;
Philem. fr. 7; Philippid. fr. 8 (all as attestations of the word ψωμοκόλαξ) and
Diph. fr. 48 (for ψωμοκόλαφος) follow.
Interpretation Meineke 1840 III. 193 reasonably suggested that the φαρμακό-
μαντις himself speaks these lines as a sort of apologia pro vita sua: ‘άλαζονείαν
huic hominum generi propriam ... excusare studet.’ Kock 188411.157 accepted