Μαραθώνιοι (fr. 24)

193

between the natural and healthy skin of young virgins and the artificial and sagging
skin of (mature) prostitutes (see above, “Context”). However, these characteris-
tics are almost inseparable from the image of a young girl and a prostitute, and,
therefore, it is not necessary to assume with him that at night they are only visible
by the light of an oil-lamp. For beauty and sex appeal in Attic comedy see Robson
2013,43-66.
1-2 μετά κορίσκης ... κοιμάσθαι koimasthai in the sense “have sex” is
rare in comedy (only in Ar. Ec. 722 άλλα παρά τοϊς δούλοισι κοιμάσθαι μόνον),
the common verb for either “sleeping” or “having sex” being καθεύδειν; e. g. Ar.
Ach. 1146-7 καθεύδειν I μετά παιδίσκης ώραιοτάτης, “to sleep with a blooming
young girl” where, however, παιδίσκη is a prostitute, whom Dikaiopolis will have
the opportunity to enjoy during his private peace; Ec. 699; 893; 938; 1038.
For diminutives such as παιδίσκη in erotic contexts cf. Ar. Ra. 409-10 παρα-
βλέψας τι μειρακίσκης νυνδή κατεΐδον και μάλ’ ευπροσώπου “just now I glanced
sidelong at a girl with a very pretty face”.
2 βαβαί Exclamation expressing admiration; cf. Ar. Av. 272 βαβαΐ, καλός
γε καί φοινικιοΰς; cf. the intensifying form βαβαιάξ (e. g. Pl. Com. fr. 46.9 with
Olson 2007, 314).
3 The exclamatory tone, introduced in the previous line by βαβαί, is preser-
ved through three successive exclamatory asyndetic nominatives, supported by
the vocative δαίμονες at the end of the line.
ή στιφρότης Cognate with the substantive στίφος “body of men in close
array” and the adjective στιφρός, it denotes the firm flesh of young girls; cf. Ar. fr.
148.2-3 ή σύ τάς ύποπαρθένους, άλμάδας ώς έλάας, στιφράς; “or the demi-vierges,
firm as salted olives?”; Men. fr. 343 ώς άεί στιφράς έσομένας καί νέας, ταλάντατος
“(thinking) that they will remain firm and young for ever, the great fool”.
τό χρώμα The word is first attested in Aristophanes and Herodotus and be-
longs to the colloquial vocabulary; cf. Austin-Olson 2004, 182 (on Ar. Eh. 406).
Here apparently the natural colour of the young girls’ skin is contrasted with the
artificial color of the prostitutes; cf. Peisetaerus’ reaction to the appearance of
Procne: Ar. Av. 667-8 ώς άπαλόν, ώς δε λευκόν “how soft, how white!” In brot-
hels, prostitutes are encouraged by pimps to use cosmetics, in order to be more
attractive; cf. Alex. fr. 103.17-8 συμβέβηκ’ είναι μέλαιναν, κατέπλασε ψιμυθίω. /
λευκόχρως λίαν τίς έστι, παιδέρωτ’ έντρίβεται “it happens that she is dark; she
plasters herself with white lead. One is too white; she rubs rouge on herself”.
2 χαμαιτύπης lit. “a cheap whore who services her clients on waste ground”.
In comedy the word occurs also only in Men. Sam. 348 (see Sommerstein 2013,
210); fr. 472; cf. Theopomp. Hist. FGrHist 115 F 225. For prostitution in ancient
Athens cf. Davidson 1997, 78-91; Glazebrook 2011, 34-59; Robson 2013, 67-89;
McClure 2003; Biles-Olson 2016, 243; Kapparis 2018.
3 πνεύμα For the fresh and sweet breath of young women cf. the way
Trygaeus addresses the courtesan-like Theoria, with an introductory exclamatory
oiov: Ar. Pax 524-6 οίον δ’ έχεις τό πρόσωπον, ώ φίλη θεός, / οϊον δέ πνεϊς, ώς