294

Incertarum fabularum fragmenta (fr. 61)

Metre lambic trimeter.

Discussion Grotius 1623 11.42—3; Meineke 1840 III. 199; 1847. 591; Bothe 1855.
433; Meineke 1857 V.clxxix; Kock 188411.161; Blaydes 1890a. 84; Bliimner 1891.
73; Blaydes 1896. 126; Herwerden 1903. 100; Edmonds 1959 11.76—9; Dover
1974. 101-2; Kassel-Austin 1991 11.273; Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 272
Citation context The fragment occurs near the beginning of Stobaeus’ chap-
ter On licentiousness’ (3.6) in the midst of a small cluster of comic fragments;
Euphro fr. 11 precedes and Alex. fr. 297 follows.
Text Bothe 1855. 433 suggested that reading αύτόν for σαυτόν in 1 would be
‘non detenus’, αύτόν is grammatically possible (cf. Philem. fr. 116.3; Men. fr.
219.2; Kuhner-Gerth 1898-1904 1.572; Threatte 1996 11.327) and the change is
paleographically trivial (‘adhaeserit σ vicinum’), but the idiom is relatively un-
common in comedy (predominantly from the late fourth and third centuries;
cf. lacobi’s index to Meineke s. v. αύτοΰ), and the change would be emendation
for its own sake.
πόει for the manuscripts’ ποιεί (however accented) is possible but not
preferable; cf. Arnott 2001a; Threatte 1980 1.328-9 (‘The spellings without
iota increase in frequency until the second half of the fourth century, when
they are most common’, but ‘at no period do they become as frequent as the
traditional spelling with iota.’); Cronert 1903.116-21 (‘ubique ergo dipthongus
invita metri ratione scribitur’ [p. 117]). The spelling πο- (as opposed to ποι-)
is often used as a convention to represent correption (and thus a distinctive
pronunciation?) of the syllable, but evidence for its similar use in antiquity
is lacking; what is more, there is no rationale for the application of the con-
vention only to ποιέω and cognates, but not to the phenomenon as a whole
regardless of the word in which it occurs (e. g. Anaxandr. fr. 1.3 τοιοϋτον not
τοοϋτον).
Blaydes’ emendation to λάγνου (1896. 126) in 2 is based on the mistaken
belief that λάγνης (nom.) is the only Attic form of the word (see ad loc.) and
ought thus to be rejected. Van Herwerden’s μάχλης (1903. 100) is based on a
related misunderstanding.
Interpretation The moralizing tone suggests an older speaker or one rep-
resented as adhering to an old-fashioned morality, reproving another for his
actions or intended course of action. The view of women is a standard one;
for further examples (including a translation of this fragment) and discussion,
see Dover 1974. 101-2.