DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.52134#0311
Incertarum fabularum fragmenta (fr. 68)
307
The orthography of άρκτος (as opposed to άρκος) was disputed in an-
tiquity; cf. Phot, a 2824 (cf. 2265, 2826) άρκτος· τό θηρίον συν τώ τ with
Theodoridis 1982 ad loc.·, Cronert 1903. 87 n. 1.
λεοντή Cf. Phot, λ 187 λεοντή· ή δορά τού λέοντος with Theodoridis
2012 ad loc., to which add Hsch. λ 646 λεόντειος δορά· τό δέρμα αυτού (so
Latte) with Schmidt’s (λ 649) emendation to λεοντή· λέοντος δορά. References
to lionskins are not uncommon, primarily because of the association with
Herakles (e.g. Hdt. 4.8.3; Ar. Ra. 46, 430; cf. Pl. Cra. 411a); for an association
of lionskins with leopardskins, cf. Hdt. 7.69.1 Αίθίοπες δέ παρδαλέας τε και
λεοντέας ένναμένοι. Lions usually represent heroic qualities (cf. Lonsdale 1990,
esp. 39-70; Schnapp-Gourbeillon 1981. 38-63) and are common throughout
Greek literature, but by the historical period were extinct in Greece, although
known in Thrace (cf. How-Wells 1912 on Hdt. 7.125-6), Asia Minor and Africa;
cf. Usener 1994; Sallares 1991. 401, 502 n. 18; Keller 1909. 1.24-61; Janko 1992
on Η. II. 15.586-8 (where for JHS 109 read JHS 99).
παρδαλή Cf. [Hdn.] Philet. 46 παρδαλή τό τής παρδάλεως δέρμα, ώς
λεοντή και ίξαλή, τό τής αίγός, και μοσχή· άρνέα δέ και λυκέα; Hsch. π 741
παρδαλέην· παρδάλεως δοράν; ΕΜ ρ. 652.35-8 και τό θηλυκόν, παρδαλέη
παρδαλή, έπί τής δοράς, ώσπερ λεοντέη λεοντή· και τήν παρδαλέαν τήν
παρδαλήν, ώς τήν λεοντήν; Σ™ Η. II. 10.29 (cf. ΣΑ) παρδαλέη· τό μέν ζώον
πάρδαλις,153 ή δέ δορά παρδαλή; Σ^ Ar. Αν. 1250 (cf. ΣΓ2) παρδαλάς· παρ-
δάλεων δοράς. In high poetry, wearing a leopard skin is the mark of a hero
(Η. II. 3.17 [Paris; but cf. Krieter-Spiro 2009 ad loc.]·, 10.29 [Menelaos]; Pi.
P. 4.81 [Jason]; cf. S. fr. 11), while at Ar. Av. 1250 it is apparently connected
with the giants (cf. Dunbar 1995 ad loci). Eust. p. 374.44-6 (on Η. II. 3.17) notes
the existence of a proverb about wearing a leopard-skin (ίστέον δέ καί, ότι
παροιμιωδώς παρά τοϊς ύστερον παρδαλέην ένεϊσθαι λέγεται ό ποικίλος
τον τρόπον καί οίον πολύστικτος τό ήθος κατά τήν πάρδαλιν), although it is
unclear what literary sources, if any, he is drawing on, and he may simply be
deriving the idea from the character of Paris (here wearing a leopardskin). The
leopard, like the panther, apparently never existed in Greece but was confined
to Asia and Africa, so that most knowledge of such animals will have been
derived from the importation of the skins as a luxury good; cf. Dover 1968 on
Ar. Nu. 347; Keller 1909 1.62-4; Wotke-Jereb 1949.
153 For the orthography, cf. Ael. Dion, π 18 πάρδαλιν· Αττικοί, πόρδαλιν· Τωνες; ΕΜ
ρ. 652.28 πάρδαλις· πότε πάρδαλις, καί πότε πάρδαλις; Erbse 1969-1988 on Σ Η.
II. 10.29. Hsch. π 3009 πάρδαλις- ό άρσην, ή δέ θήλεια πάρδαλις, ό μέν άπό τού
προαλέσθαι· ή δέ άπό τού παράλεσθαι is a mistaken attempt to make sense of the
discrepancy, which is probably dialectal; cf. Buck 1955. 20.
307
The orthography of άρκτος (as opposed to άρκος) was disputed in an-
tiquity; cf. Phot, a 2824 (cf. 2265, 2826) άρκτος· τό θηρίον συν τώ τ with
Theodoridis 1982 ad loc.·, Cronert 1903. 87 n. 1.
λεοντή Cf. Phot, λ 187 λεοντή· ή δορά τού λέοντος with Theodoridis
2012 ad loc., to which add Hsch. λ 646 λεόντειος δορά· τό δέρμα αυτού (so
Latte) with Schmidt’s (λ 649) emendation to λεοντή· λέοντος δορά. References
to lionskins are not uncommon, primarily because of the association with
Herakles (e.g. Hdt. 4.8.3; Ar. Ra. 46, 430; cf. Pl. Cra. 411a); for an association
of lionskins with leopardskins, cf. Hdt. 7.69.1 Αίθίοπες δέ παρδαλέας τε και
λεοντέας ένναμένοι. Lions usually represent heroic qualities (cf. Lonsdale 1990,
esp. 39-70; Schnapp-Gourbeillon 1981. 38-63) and are common throughout
Greek literature, but by the historical period were extinct in Greece, although
known in Thrace (cf. How-Wells 1912 on Hdt. 7.125-6), Asia Minor and Africa;
cf. Usener 1994; Sallares 1991. 401, 502 n. 18; Keller 1909. 1.24-61; Janko 1992
on Η. II. 15.586-8 (where for JHS 109 read JHS 99).
παρδαλή Cf. [Hdn.] Philet. 46 παρδαλή τό τής παρδάλεως δέρμα, ώς
λεοντή και ίξαλή, τό τής αίγός, και μοσχή· άρνέα δέ και λυκέα; Hsch. π 741
παρδαλέην· παρδάλεως δοράν; ΕΜ ρ. 652.35-8 και τό θηλυκόν, παρδαλέη
παρδαλή, έπί τής δοράς, ώσπερ λεοντέη λεοντή· και τήν παρδαλέαν τήν
παρδαλήν, ώς τήν λεοντήν; Σ™ Η. II. 10.29 (cf. ΣΑ) παρδαλέη· τό μέν ζώον
πάρδαλις,153 ή δέ δορά παρδαλή; Σ^ Ar. Αν. 1250 (cf. ΣΓ2) παρδαλάς· παρ-
δάλεων δοράς. In high poetry, wearing a leopard skin is the mark of a hero
(Η. II. 3.17 [Paris; but cf. Krieter-Spiro 2009 ad loc.]·, 10.29 [Menelaos]; Pi.
P. 4.81 [Jason]; cf. S. fr. 11), while at Ar. Av. 1250 it is apparently connected
with the giants (cf. Dunbar 1995 ad loci). Eust. p. 374.44-6 (on Η. II. 3.17) notes
the existence of a proverb about wearing a leopard-skin (ίστέον δέ καί, ότι
παροιμιωδώς παρά τοϊς ύστερον παρδαλέην ένεϊσθαι λέγεται ό ποικίλος
τον τρόπον καί οίον πολύστικτος τό ήθος κατά τήν πάρδαλιν), although it is
unclear what literary sources, if any, he is drawing on, and he may simply be
deriving the idea from the character of Paris (here wearing a leopardskin). The
leopard, like the panther, apparently never existed in Greece but was confined
to Asia and Africa, so that most knowledge of such animals will have been
derived from the importation of the skins as a luxury good; cf. Dover 1968 on
Ar. Nu. 347; Keller 1909 1.62-4; Wotke-Jereb 1949.
153 For the orthography, cf. Ael. Dion, π 18 πάρδαλιν· Αττικοί, πόρδαλιν· Τωνες; ΕΜ
ρ. 652.28 πάρδαλις· πότε πάρδαλις, καί πότε πάρδαλις; Erbse 1969-1988 on Σ Η.
II. 10.29. Hsch. π 3009 πάρδαλις- ό άρσην, ή δέ θήλεια πάρδαλις, ό μέν άπό τού
προαλέσθαι· ή δέ άπό τού παράλεσθαι is a mistaken attempt to make sense of the
discrepancy, which is probably dialectal; cf. Buck 1955. 20.