Πολυπράγμων (Polypragmdn)
(“The Busybody”)

211

Discussion Meineke III (1840) 609; Kock II (1884) 463; Bevilacqua 1939, 45-6;
PCG VII (1989) 775.
Title The same title occurs in Heniochus and Diphilus; cf. Criton’s Φιλοπράγμων
“Fond of Business” and Timocles’ Φιλοδικαστής “The Man Who Loved Jury-Duty”.
For titles signifying a dominant sentiment or feature of a character cf. on Timocles’
Έπιχαιρέκακος, under “Title”.
In Greek literature, the word πολυπράγμων is used to describe a person of
restless activity, a meddler who interferes in others’ affairs. The term and its co-
gnates πολυπραγμονέω and πολυπραγμοσύνη are loaded words, mainly used in
a negative sense in private life and also in a social context, in the forensic envi-
ronment and in politics. The opposite of polypragmdn is apragmon “not medd-
ling in other’s affairs”. In Attic oratory polypragmosyne is a typical attribute of
sycophants, and is therefore disapproved of by Athenian litigants; cf. Lys. 1.16
with Todd 2007 ad loc.; D. 40.32 άπράγμων και ού φιλόδικος; Christ 1998, 66,
146-7. In Aristophanes and Old Comedy, the term is also mainly associated with
sycophancy. In Plutus (913-5), the Just Man wonders whether meddling can be a
benefit, and the sycophant answers that it might be, provided that whoever wishes
can support the laws against wrongdoers; cf. Ar. Ach. 381 μολυνοπραγ μονού μένος,
probably an Aristophanic coinage, imitating πολυπραγμονέω and describing the
results of sycophantic activity of Cleon; Eup. fr. 238 (with Olson 2014 ad loc.) ού
γάρ πολυπράγμων έστίν, άλλ’ άπλήγιος “for he’s not meddlesome, but uncompli-
cated”; Pherecr. fr. 163.2 μή πολυπραγμονεί “Don’t meddle!” Rarely, however, it
has a positive meaning, e. g. Ar. Av. 471 (Peisetaerus is speaking, the pre-eminent
polypragmdn) άμαθής γάρ έφυς κού πολυπράγμων “because you are ignorant and
not energetic”.* * * * 221 For the Aristophanicpolypragmdn cf. Leigh 2013, 30-33. On the
other hand, Plutarch devotes a long section (Mor. 515b-523b= De curiositate) to
polypragmosyne, which is treated mainly with reference to private life and is defi-
ned as φιλομάθεια άλλοτρίων κακών “curiosity concerning others’ misfortunes”.
In Greek and Roman New Comedy, the equivalent ofpolypragmdn isperiergos
and curiosus respectively. In Menander’s Sarnia (299-300) Demeas calls Parmeno
“the mostperiergos man”, since nothing escapes his notice. In Epitrepontes Onesimus
renounces any meddlesome activity: 573-6 χαιρέ[τω I τό πολλά πράττειν, άν δε τις
λάβη μ[έ τι] / περιεργασάμενον ή λαλήσαντ’, έκτεμεΐν / δίδωμ’ έμαυτοϋ τάς γονάς

Assembly, but instead opted to bring his bill surreptitiously (έν παραβύστω... λάθρα
τον νόμον είσήνεγκεν). But even in this passage the speaker feels the need to use the
adverb λάθρα, and έν παραβύστω may mean “on the sly” (cf. the Loeb translation by
J.H. Vince).
221 Pace Ehrenberg 1947, 54-5, who considers polypragmosyne to be a totally negative
characteristic, ascribed to demagogues by Aristophanes.