Δήλος (fr. 4)

43

7 έν λόγοισι δεινός Υπερείδης Hyperides (PAA 902110) the son of
Glaucippus of the deme Collytus was a reasonably wealthy Athenian and had un-
dertaken several liturgies (APF, p. 30). He had a reputation for glibness and was a
fierce enemy of Macedonia; cf. D.S. 18.13.5Ύπερείδη τώ πρωτεύοντιτών ρητόρων
τή τού λόγου δεινότητι καί τή κατά των Μακεδόνων άλλοτριότητι “Hyperides,
foremost among the speakers in eloquence and in hostility to the Macedonians”.
The characterization δεινός here is probably ironical; cf. the allegorical descrip-
tion of Hyperides’ flamboyant and “ready for hire” rhetoric in Timocl. fr. 17. The
wording δεινός έν τοϊς λόγοις is also attributed to Demosthenes by Aeschines,
the leader of the pro-Macedonian party, in reference to his ineffective deliberative
rhetoric: Aeschin. 2.114 ό γάρ περιττός καί έν τοΐς λόγοις δεινός Δημοσθένης
ούδενός τών αναγκαίων έμνήσθη “for the over-subtle and eloquent speaker
Demosthenes mentioned none of the essential topics”; cf. 3.174 δεινός λέγειν,
κακός βιώναι; 3.215 δεινός δημιουργός λόγων. Alternatively, the wording may
allude to the fact that Hyperides was a logographer before entering politics ([Plu.]
Vit. dec. or. 848a) and it seems that he continued to undertake cases up to the late
phase of his career.56 Togographers tended to inspire a certain distrust in their
contemporaries; cf. D.H. Is. 4.13, where Isaeus is described as having a reputation
for chicanery and deception: δεινός άνήρ τεχνιτεϋσαι λόγους έπί τά πονηρότερα
“being clever at devising speeches for the worse cause”. For “Hyperides of the glib
tongue” see Whitehead 2000, 10-11.
έχει has (a share); cf. v. 1.
8 τούς ίχθυοπώλας ... πλουτιεΐ For the attitude of comic poets towards
Attic fishmongers cf. Ath. 6.224c-228b, where 18 fragments are cited. They are
mainly attacked for their arrogant ways and preposterous prices; cf. Arnott 1996,
98-9,208,216,363,377; Papachrysostomou 2016,194-7. For the idea of “rich fish-
mongers” cf. Alex. fr. 204 νή την Αθήναν, άλλ’ έγώ τεθαύμακα / τούς ίχθυοπώλας,
πώς ποτ ούχί πλούσιοι / άπαντές είσι λαμβάνοντες βασιλικούς / φόρους “Yes, by
Athena, I am astonished that the fishmongers are not all wealthy men, such royal
taxes they receive”.
9 όψοφάγος An όψοφάγος is a person inclined to eat excessive δψον, a
term denoting the accompaniment to the main meal, but most often applied to fish.
Opsophagoi in comedy: Ar. Pax 809 Γοργόνες όψοφάγοι (said of Morsimus and
Melanthius, frigid tragic poets and notorious gluttons); Eub. fr. 87.3 όψοφάγος,
όψωνών δέ μέχρι τριωβόλου (a miser opsophagos); Antiph. fr. 188.5 άνδρες
πάλαι όψοφάγοι (for Euthynus and Phoenicides); Sophil. fr. 8 όψοφάγος εΐ καί
κνισολοιχός “you are an opsophagos and a fat-licker”; Axion, fr. 4.4-6 .. .γαλεούς I
σίτον όψοφάγων καί λίχνων άνδρών άγάπημα “dogfish, a great dainty for fish-
eaters and gluttonous men”. For Hyperides’ inclination to fish-eating cf. fr. 17,
where he is described as an ίχθυόρρους ποταμός (“a river flowing with many

56 Cf. for instance the speech Against Athenogenes, dated to 330-24; cf. Worthington 2000,
266-7.