Αστράτευτοι ή Άνδρόγυνοι (fr. 47)

179

from δορκάδες (roe-deer or gazelles; e. g. Ihphr. Char. 5.9; Plb. 26.1.8), which
were larger and showier than regular knucklebones (from sheep or goats); cf.
Diggle 2004. 241 with additional primary and secondary references. But the
elaphos was also a symbol of a readiness to run from danger (Ar. Nu. 353-4),
and an έλάφειος άνήρ was a coward (Phot, ε 565 = EM p. 326.10-11), so in
a play about men who refused to fight (astrateutoi), this may have been the
point: elapheia are the type of knucklebones cowards play with. For artistic
depictions of warriors shooting dice or playing knucklebones, Paus. 10.31.1;
Woodford 1982, esp. 175-7.
For the game of knucklebones—which had four scoring sides, valued 1,
3, 4 and 6, which were easily distinguishable and thus required no inscribed
numbers, unlike dice (for which, see fr. 372 n., and add to the bibliography
cited there Fitta 1997. 110-20)—e.g. II. 23.88; Hdt. 1.94.3; Ar. V. 295-6 with
Biles-Olson 2015 ad loc.·, Pl. Lys. 206e; Ale. 1110b; cf. fr. 209 n.; and see in
general Mau 1896; Schmidt 1971. 55-7; Laser 1987. 117-22; Neils 1992. 231-4;
Fitta 1997. 120-2; Kurke 1999. 287-97; Bar-Oz 2001. For deer, see Kitchell
2014. 44-6.