320

Incertarum fabularum fragmenta (fr. 75)

Metre Uncertain (word is
Discussion Meineke 1840 III.201—2; 1847. 593; Bothe 1855. 434; Meineke 1857
V.clxxx, 82; Kock 188411.163; Edmonds 195911.80—1; Kassel-Austin 1991 11.277;
Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 274
Citation context A lexicographic notice assigned by Cunningham to Σ'".
Text Whether the word is άκολαστάσματα173 (cf. Ar. Lys. 398: άκόλαστ’
άσματα codd.) or άκολαστήματα (cf. Muson. fr. 4; Plu. Crass. 32.5; M. Ant.
11.20.5) has been disputed.174 Analogy with τέχνασμα (e. g. Ar. Th. 198;175E. Or.
1053 [cf. Willink 1986 ad loo]) and τέχνημα (e. g. S. Ph. 36; E. IT 1355) suggests
that either form is possible. Clearly the reading at Ar. Lys. 398 is due simply to
the failure to properly divide άκολαστάσματα,176 which ought probably to be
retained in Aristophanes and adopted here. The readings of the lexicographers
are best explained as independent errors, in which the Synagoge mistakenly
omitted a letter and created a nonexistent form, whereas Photius substituted
a more common form for a less common one.
Interpretation Anaxandrides is cited along with Aristophanes merely as
proof that the word is not confined to the Epicureans; in fact, it is extant only
here and at Ar. Lys. 398 prior to the first century AD, and even thereafter is
rare (prior to the third century AD only in the passages cited under Text).
But cognate forms are common enough in comedy (e. g. Ar. Nu. 1348; Pl.
Com. fr. 98.3; Alex. fr. 37.6) and elsewhere (e. g. E. Or. 973; Th. 3.37.3; Pl. Grg.
477e), and the meaning is clear (cf. Dover 1993. 59; Mastronarde 1994 on E.
Ph. 971; van Leeuwen 1902a on Ar. Av. 1227); note Mastronarde’s suggestion
that the adjective άκόλαστος ‘perhaps has a somewhat colloquial air’ due to
its occurrence predominantly in comedy and prose.

173 DGE does not recognize this as a legitimate form of the word; LSJ, on the other
hand, retain it for Anaxandrides and Aristophanes (their additional citation of
Alciphr. 1.38 [deleted in the Supplement] is a conjecture by Bergk).
174 Cf. Arnott 1996 on Alex. frr. 37.6 and 345 Kock (interpreted by K-A as a citation of
fr. 37.6) for difficulties concerning the transmission of ακολασία versus άκολαστία.
175 Fritzsche emended to the more common τεχνήμασι, a poor choice on methodolog-
ical grounds, as is van Leeuwen’s support of the emendation in order to achieve
homoioteleuton with the following line.
176 Henderson prints άκολαστήματα on the basis of Photius.