Incertarum fabularum fragmenta (fr. 46)

267
fr. 46 (47 K.)

Schol. (Q) Arat. 37 - 44, p. 90,13 Martin (1974)
Άμφις ό των κωμω<ι>διών ποιητής περί τής μείζονος Άρκτου φησίν ότι τον Δία όμοι-
ωθέντα Άρτέμιδι καί κυνηγετοϋντα εις τό δρος φθεϊραι αυτήν, ύστερον δέ έταζομένην
είπεϊν μηδένα έτερον αίτιον είναι τού συμπτώματος πλήν Άρτεμιν. έφ’ ώ όργισθεϊσ<αν
τήν θεόν> (suppl. e cod. S) έκθηριώσαι αυτήν, eadem addito Amphidis nomine narrant
Schol. German. (AP, SV) p. 58,9 et 113,3. 16 Br., Arat. Lat. p. 181,14 Maass et Hygin.
Astr. 2.1 (Robert 21963: 50/51,20 - 52/53,7)
Regarding the Great Bear, Amphis, the writer of comedies, says that Zeus, assuming
the shape of Artemis, seduced her (i. e. the maiden Helice), as he was questing about in
the mountain; and when she was later questioned, that she said that no other was to be
held responsible for this mishap but Artemis; and that this infuriated the goddess who
turned her into an animal (similar testimonies survive in the corpus of the Scholiast of
Germanicus’ Latin version of Aratus (AP, SV; p. 58,9, 113,3. 16 Br.), in Aratus Latinus
(p. 181,14 Maass), and inHyginus’ Astronomica 2.1; cf. Robert 21963: 50/51,20 - 52/53,7.)

Discussion Meineke 3,320; Bothe 488; Kock 2,249; PCG 2,234; Llopis/
Gomez/Asensio 307f.
Citation Context This is an ancient scholion on Aratus’ Phaenomena 37-44,
preserved by codex Q (Salmanticensis 233) (Martin 1974: 90,13). In this section
Aratus refers to the constellations of the Great Bear (which he calls 'Ελίκη)
and the Lesser Bear (Κυνόσουρα); the Scholiast deems it necessary to register
Amphis’ (different) version on the former constellation myth. Similar infor-
mation on Amphis’ handling of this myth is also preserved by the Scholiast of
Germanicus’ Latin version of Aratus (AP, SV; p. 58,9 et 113,3. 16 Br.; cf. Gain’s
1976 edition of Germanicus’ text), in Aratus Latinus (Maass 1898: 181,14 sqq.),
as well as in Hyginus’ Astronomica 2.1; cf. Robert 21963: 50/51,20 - 52/53,7.
Interpretation The evidence quoted above played a crucial role in prompting
Meineke (3,320) to suggest the existence of a play by Amphis called Callisto
(cf. comm, ad loci). The maiden who was transformed into the constellation of
the Great Bear (called 'Ελίκη by Aratus in the passage to which the scholion
refers) was the Arcadian nymph Callisto (Καλλιστώ), daughter of king Lycaon
and devotee of Artemis (cf. e. g. Apollod. 3.8.2, Paus. 1.25.1, etc.). The frequent
reference to Amphis’ treatment of the constellation myth of the Great Bear
in our sources (cf. “Citation Context”) is conspicuous and points to Amphis’
creative imagination regarding the innovative twist that he gave to the tradi-
tional story. Yet, a crucial caveat is in order; as I explain in full under Amphis’
[Callisto], all these references simply testify to the mere fact that Amphis dealt
with this constellation myth somewhere in his work, and not that he wrote an