243

Incertarum fabularum fragmenta
fr. 36 K.-A. (34 K.)
δστις φοβείται τον πατέρα κάσχύνεται,
ούτος πολίτης αγαθός έσται κατά λόγον
και τούς πολεμίους δυνάμενος κακώς ποιεϊν
1 καί αϊσχύνεται SMA 2 ούτος SM: ούτως A
whoever fears his father and feels shame before him,
that man is likely to become a good citizen,
and able to harm his city’s enemies
Stob. 4.25.17
Τιμοκλέους · δστις - ποιεϊν
and Timocles’; ‘whoever - enemies’
Cf. Arsenius Paroemiogr. Apophthegmata 13.10g (not mentioned in PCG)

Metre lambic trimeter

Discussion Meineke III (1840) 612; Kock II (1884) 465; Edmonds II (1959)
624-5; PCG VII (1989) 779.
Citation context The fragment is included in the section under the title ότι χρή
τούς γονείς τής καθηκούσης τιμής καταξιοΰσθαι παρά τών τέκνων “that parents
must be deemed worthy of receiving the honor due from their children” (4.25.1-
34). The section contains a long series of aphorisms on this issue, mainly derived
from tragedy and comedy, including Antiph. fr. 261 and Men. fr. 821; cf. on v. 1.
Text 2 For ούτος after δστις in such sententious aphorisms cf. fr. 37.2-3 below
and E. HF 105; frr. 37.2 Kannicht; 952 Kannicht δστις πατήρ προς παϊδας έκβαίνει
πικρός, τό γήρας ούτος τερματίζεται βαρύ; Alex. fr. 78.1-4.
Interpretation It looks like a counsel (Jiypotheke) to a young man, apparently by
a person of some authority. A similar counsel is addressed by Peisetaerus to the
young father-beater (patraloias) in Aristophanes’ Birds. Peisetaerus’ short speech
concludes with the suggestion that the young would-be killer should respect his
father’s life and, moreover, fight the enemies of his city (1368-9). Τον πατέρ’ έα
ζήν. Άλλ’ έπειδή μάχιμος εΐ, / εις τάπ'ι Θράκης άποπέτου κάκεΐ μάχου.
Disagreements and conflicts between fathers and sons are particularly com-
mon both in Old and in New Comedy, often constituting a keystone of the plot;