318

Incertarum fabularum fragmenta (fr. 73)

(fr. 3. Korte) χοϋς κεκραμένου / οίνου. While enallage is possible, it seems out
of place in what appears to be straightforward dialogue; cf. on fr. 41.37-8
(where the enallage is also unexpected).
Manuscripts of all authors using the word routinely vary between ψίθιος
and ψύθιος (or between psithius and psythius in Latin), while editors invariably
print ψίθιος (or psithius), although with no clear reason for doing so. The
etymology is unknown (Beekes 2010 s.v. thinks the word is probably pre-
Greek; Chantraine 1968-1980 s.v. Tnconnue. Ressemble a priori au derive
d’un toponyme’), and variation between υ and i is possible in either direction
(cf. Threatte 1980 1.260-6 for discussion and parallel examples [e. g. βύβλιος/
βίβλιος, for which cf. Arnott 1996 on Alex. fr. 140.1]). The only solid evidence
for the classical orthography is SEGIX 11.10 σταφυλά ψυθία, a fourth-century
document from Cyrene; while one inscription from Cyrene may shed little
light on Athenian orthographical habits generally, in this instance it provides
the entirety of the evidence and ought to be followed.168
Interpretation The fragment plausibly belongs to a symposium or banquet
scene but could just as easily belong to a description, comparison or much else.
1 χοϋς See on fr. 33.1.
κεκραμένος For mixing wine with various ratios of water, the normal
way of consuming it, see on fr. 3.2.
2 ψυθίου ψυθία is a sort of grape (Poll. 6.82 σταφυλαί, και τούτων
ονόματα ... ψιθία; Σ Nic. Al. 181 ψιθία 6’ είδος αμπέλου, ήτις καί πραμνία
λέγεται [cf. Σ 163]; Hsch. ψ 186 ψιθία· είδος αμπέλου; Columella 3.2.24; cf.
Hsch. π 2806 πολλόγειος· ή ψιθία σταφυλή; Plin. ΝΗ 12.130), whence ψύθιος
οίνος (Eub. fr. 136; cf. Hsch. μ 658 μελαμψίθιος· οίνος τις οϋτω καλείται;
Dsc. 5.6.4). Both this wine and the related μελαμψύθιος are apparently rai-
sin-wines;169 cf. Plin. NH 14.80 psithium et melampsithium passi genera sunt
suo sapore, non vine, Verg. Georg. 2.93; 4.269; Stat. Silv. 4.9.38. For what little
is known about the plant itself and its cultivation, cf. Gp. 5.2.4 μόνη μέντοι ή
ψιθία καί ή Κερκυραία, καί ή καλουμένη χλωρίς, λευκαί ούσαι, χαίρουσι ταΐς
λεπτογείοις, διά τό είναι λιπαρώτεραι; Hug 1959; Dalby 2000. 402.

168 Latte 1966 seems to have been the only scholar willing to adopt this orthography,
noting on Hsch. μ 658 ‘ubique ψυθ- scribendum’.
169 Cf. the mention of ψιθία άσταφίς at EMp. 149.27. Dsc. 5.5 reports the existence of
χυλός δμφακος ψιθίας σταφυλής μήπω περκαζούσης.