Φιαληφόρος (fr. 52)

265

Metre lambic trimeter.
<x>— -I—-—
—— -I— <x—>
Discussion Meineke 1840 III.194; 1847. 589; Bothe 1855. 431; Kock 188411.158;
Teuffel 1887. 137 (on Ar. Nu. 858); Blaydes 1896. 125; Herwerden 1903. 100;
Edmonds 1959 11.72—3; Kassel-Austin 1991 11.268; Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007.
268-9
Citation context Within a larger discussion of musical intruments generally
(4.174b-85a), Athenaeus cites this fragment together with a handful of others
as evidence for the monaulos (4.175f-6a). S. fr. 241, Arar. fr. 13 and Anaxandr.
fr. 19 precede; Sopat. fr. 2 follows.
Text Of the various supplements proposed for the missing syllable at the
beginning of 1, Person’s τον σόν (i. e. Syrus’) is perhaps least likely, since in
2 Syrus shows no understanding of what is meant (although conceivably this
ignorance could be feigned).
Interpretation The fragment preserves a snippet of dialogue, perhaps be-
tween a (young?) master and an ignorant or recalcitrant slave. Equipment
might be being hastily gathered for a feast of a wedding (cf. fr. 19) or, since
musicians are seldom more than auxiliary characters, perhaps a young man is
preparing to take part in a festival in order to gain access to the phialephoros
of the title.
1 τον μόναυλον Cf. on fr. 19.2.
ποΐ τέτροφας Cf. Ar. Nu. 858 τάς 6’ έμβάδες ποΐ τέτροφας; V. 665; Ec.
682.
ούτος ‘Hey! You!’; a common colloquial use in impatient addresses (cf.
Dover 1968 on Ar. Nu. 723; Ra. 198).
Σύρε Although Σύρος is not impossible as the name of an Athenian
(LGPNII s. v. lists three instances, two of them are from the fourth century),
the overwhelming majority of examples of the name seem to be slaves, as
probably here. Slave-names derived from a real or presumed place of origin
are extremely common and exhibit a wide variety of toponyms; cf. Fragiadakis
1988.14-21 for a brief discussion and numerous examples. Σύρος itself is very
common (Fragiadakis provides 36 examples from Athens; cf. Antiph. fr. 166;
Breitenbach 1908. 107 n. 286) and thus may be used here as a stereotypical
slave-name. Fragiadakis 1988. 17 #87 and 372 #743 speculates that Syros may
be a fluteplayer; this suggestion depends entirely on accepting Person’s res-
toration in 1.