268

Άμφις (Amphis)

entire play about it (Callisto), as Meineke presumed. Instead, what essentially
matters here is to emphasise Amphis’ resourcefulness when dealing with the
traditional myth. Nesselrath (1990: 234-235) makes a good case regarding
Amphis’ originality and establishes two major and groundbreaking twists
that Amphis introduced to mythical tradition: (i) he presented Zeus assuming
the shape of Artemis when seducing Callisto, and (ii) he presented Callisto
blaming Artemis, who subsequently punished her devotee by turning her into
a bear. Cf. Amphis’ [Callisto].

fr. 47 (48 K.)
(a) Exc. e Catasterismis Marc. 33 (Maass 1898: 579) <Π>ερί τού Κυνός (post p. 25lb16)
περί δε τής ανατολής αυτού Άμφις ό των κωμωδιών ποιητής φησιν, ότι ύπό των
ανθρώπων *** (Erat. Catast. Olivieri 1894: ρ. 39,18 adn.) omissa servavit Arat. Lat. p.
25lal9 sqq. de ortu autem eius Amphis carminum poeta ait: quum ab hominibus Stellas
deficere deprecatus, Canis missus est ab eis. et videns Fructus (Οπώραν) eo tempore
maturescere, concupivit ea et cum hominibus mansit ostendens illis potentiam suam.
ob amorem quidem exardescebat et non potens inpetrare magis agrestabatur (ήγριώθη).
homines quidem obsessi ab eo precati sunt decs auxiliatores. tunc Aquilonius mittit
filios suos iuniores, qui Fructum tradiderunt Cani. et quod eorum flatu succendebantur
(“ύπερπυρούντο et ύπεπραΰνοντο confusum videtur” Maass), mansuefecerunt et sic
quidem vocati sunt postulaticii (έτησίαι). amoris autem memoria remansit in tempore
fructuum fieri apparitio stellarum constante et significante potentiam eius.
On the Dog-Star (after p. 25lb16) Amphis, the comic playwright, says about his rising
that by humans *** (Erat. Catast. Olivieri 1894: p. 39,18 adn.); the missing part is pre-
served in Aratus Latinus (Maass 251a19 sqq.): about his rising the playwright Amphis
says: when the Dog-Star was invoked by humans to avert the stars from deserting them,
he was sent by the stars (to humans). And seeing the crops (personified, i. e. Οπώρα) being
mature at that time, he fell in love with her and he stayed with the humans demonstrating
his power to them. Indeed, he was burning with love and, not being able to get any satis-
faction, his passion grew more and more wild. And the humans, being besieged by him,
prayed to the gods to help them. Then, Boreas (the North Wind) sent his younger sons, who
delivered Opora to the Dog-Star. And, because they soothed the scorching with their breeze
and brought serenity again, they were called “postulaticii” (< lat. “postulo” = ask, pray for,
i. e. the winds that were granted after prayer, in Greek they are known as έτησίαι = the
etesian, periodic winds blowing from north-west during summer; cf. Pfeiffer 1949: 80,
comm, on Callim. Aet. fr. 75,36 sq.). But the memory of this erotic passion for the crops
remained during that season of the year, becoming a service rendered from the stars (i. e.
the summer heat ripens the crops), confirming and displaying the Dog-Star’s power.

(b) Schol. German. (AP, SV) p. 94,15 et 168,3 Br. (Robert Erat. Catast. 21963 p. 168)