Incertarum fabularum fragmenta (fr. 55)

275

ουτός έστιν For the metrical position, cf. Philem. fr. 104.5; Men. Carch.
10; Sam. 608; adesp. com. fr. 1147.167 with Nunlist 1993. 249 (who also dis-
cusses whether it indicates a character on stage).
αίτιος I. e. is responsible for old age being a burden to himself; for the
sense of the word, cf. Schmidt 1876-1887 1.150-2.
4 κοιμίζειν The verb is extremely rare in comedy, occurring elsewhere
only at Nicopho fr. 15 κοιμίσαι τον λύχνον; cf. Phryn. Com. fr. 25 τον λύχνον
κατακοιμίση; Call. fr. 195.23-6 with Clayman 1980. 31-2. For its metaphorical
use, cf. X. Smp. 2.24 ό οίνος ... τάς μέν λύπας ώσπερ ό μανδραγόρας τούς
ανθρώπους κοιμίζει.
5 έπιδέξι(α) See on fr. 1.4. LSJ translate the word here and at Nicom.
Com. 1.27 as ‘dexterously, cleverly’ and compare Pl. Tht. 175e, where they
translate ‘elegantly’. The sense of the word at Nicom. Com. fr. 1.27 is uncertain
and the passage may be corrupt; at Pl. Tht. 175e, the word may contain the
notion of elegance, but that is not the primary sense. Here too LSJ’s gloss does
not offer the desired sense, since something like ‘in the opposite direction’
is wanted.

fr. 55 K.-A. (54 K.)
ήδονήν έχει,
όταν τις εύρη καινόν ενθύμημά τι,
δηλοΰν άπασιν· οί δ’ έαυτοϊσιν σοφοί
πρώτον μέν ούκ έχουσι τής τέχνης κτιτήν,
5 είτα φθονοΰνται. χρή γάρ εις όχλον φέρειν
άπανθ’ όσ’ αν τις καινότητ’ έχειν δοκή
habent ACE
3 δέ αύτοϊσι Α: δ’ αύτοϊσι C: corr. Person 6 όταν Bamberger
There is pleasure,
whenever one finds some new invention,
in showing it to all; but those who keep their cleverness to themselves
first do not have a judge of their art,
5 next they are resented. For one ought to show
the crowd everything one thinks is novel