22

Άμφις (Amphis)

4. —ooo — (penthemimeral caesura)
5. —^1—(penthemimeral caesura)
Discussion Meineke 3,301; Bothe 480; Kock 2,236; Edmonds 2,312f.; PCG
2,213f.; Llopis/Gomez/Asensio 293; Papachrysostomou 32-35
Citation Context At the beginning of Book 13 Athenaeus announces
his intention to discuss matters relating to love (τον περί ερωτικών λόγον;
13.555a-b). Within this context he studies both wedded wives and hetairai,
quoting passages that make arguments for and against each group of women.
At 13.558e the banqueter Leonidas launches an irate attack against married
women (γαμέτη γυνή), citing a series of comic fragments. Amphis’ present
fragment is preceded by Alex. fr. 150, Xenarch. fr. 14, and Philetaer. fr. 5; the
latter also draws a comparison between hetairai and wives.
Constitution of Text The play’s title is left out by Athenaeus’ epitome co-
dices C and E (cf. Intro. 3 “Tradition and Reception”). In 1. 1 codices C and E
preserve εύνοικωτέρα, whereas codex Marcianus (A) preserves εύνοικώτερον,
which provides for a common syntactic pattern (adjective of neuter gender
describing a male or female noun; cf. comm. s.v.). Kassel & Austin adopt A’s
reading; Meineke cared to add dialytics (εύνοικώτερον). The second half of 1.
2 (πολύ γε καί μάλ’ εικότως) is left out in the epitome. In 1. 4 Athenaeus’ man-
uscript tradition unanimously preserves the phrase οίδεν ότι ή τοΐς τρόποις
ώνητέος. Instead, Cobet (1858: 62) proposed the alternative reading οίδ’ ότι
ήτοι τοΐς τρόποις όνητέος; in this case the meaning would be that the hetaira
must benefit a man with her manners. The concept is plausible and the line
scans. However, the verbal adjective όνητέος has no parallels (though the
adjective όνητός “beneficial” does occur - albeit sporadically); and, since the
text preserved by the manuscript tradition poses no critical issues, no change
is necessary.
In 1. 5 Meineke proposed the reading άνθρωπός, i. e. with a rough breathing
as a result of crasis of the noun άνθρωπός and the definite article ό. Though a
possible reading, it is not necessary that we modify what the tradition unan-
imously preserves, since the transmitted text makes perfect sense as it is:
the comic character does not refer to a specific occasion (in which case the
definite article would be essential), but rather he speaks generally; cf. Kuhner
& Gerth (41955) ii.l §461.
Interpretation Thematically, the speaker touches on two topics of sensitive
social and legal importance in ancient Athens: wives and hetairai. In so doing,
he stylistically argues a paradox, i. e. that hetairai are more loving than wives.
The speaker sounds sophisticated and learned. The language and style of the