231
t Συνεργικά “Synergika”
(“Joint Labors?”)
Discussion Meineke III (1840) 611; Kock II (1884) 464; Edmonds II (1959)
622-3; PCG VII (1989) 777.
Title The (otherwise unattested) word Συνεργικά in the title is apparently cor-
rupt. Meineke I (1839) 433 suspects Συνεργοί (adopted by Kock); in his ed. min.
(II, 1847 ad lock) he suggests Συνέριθοι “(female) weavers jointly working”; cf.
Amphis”'Epi6oi and Alexis’ Παννυχίς ή’Έριθοι; Moer. σ 43 συνέριθοι Αττικοί ·
συνυφαίνουσαι Έλληνες.225 These women were usually slaves or prostitutes
(on “spinning Hetaerae” cf. Davidson 1997, 83-91; Cohen 2006, 106, n. 92;
Papachrysostomou 2016, 121, with further bibliography), but it is also possible
that such manual labour, although considered undignified, was sometimes per-
formed by women of free status due to poverty; cf. D. 57.45: πολλαι και τιτθαι και
έριθοι και τρυγήτριαι γεγόνασ’ ύπό των τής πόλεως κατ’ έκείνους τούς χρόνους
συμφορών άσται γυναίκες “many women of citizen status have become wetnurses
and wool-workers and labourers in the vineyards, because of the misfortunes of
the city in those days”.
An attractive correction of the title into Συνερώσα has been made by M.L. West
per litteras to Kassel-Austin (cf. PCG, VI.2 [1998] 219). There is indeed a play by
Menander entitled Συνερώσα, where perhaps a young lover is being assisted by a
bona meretrix (so Dietze 1901, 17); cf. Lyr. Adesp. 1.11-14 p. 117 Powell Άστρα
φίλα και πότνια Νύξ συνερώσα μοι / παράπεμψον έτι με νϋν προς δν Κύπρις /
έκδοτον άγει με χώ / πολύς’Έρως παραλαβών; also on Timocl. fr. 8.6 συνεραστής
“assistant in love-affairs”; Plu. Alex. 41 συνερώντες. Helping friends or patrons in
love-affairs is typical of New Comedy; cf. Chaereas’ boastful statements in Men.
Dysc. 57-68. In a slightly different context, Andromache asserts that she even
helped Hector in his dalliances: E. Andr. 222-3 ώ φίλταθ’Έκτορ, άλλ’ έγώ την
σήν χάριν / σοι και ξυνήρων, εϊ τί σε σφάλλοι Κύπρις “my dearest Hector, I even
assisted you in your love-affairs, to please you, if ever Aphrodite seduced you”. Also
cf. Antiphanes’ and Nicostratus Αντερώσα, Anaxandrides Άντέρως.
Date Unknown.

225

It seems that the older meaning of the word συνέριθος was “collaborator”; cf. Hom. Od.
6.31; Ar. Pax 785-6; Pl. R. 533d.