222

Eupolis

fr. 66 K.-A. (58 K.)
δίφρος Θετταλικός τετράπους
a Thessalian stool with four feet
Poll. 10.47
δίφροι Θετταλικοί, ώς έν Αύτολύκω Εύπόλιδος·-
Thessalian stools, as in Eupolis’ Autolykos:-
Meter Anapaestic; the words scan
Discussion Storey 2003. 93
Citation context From a short collection of words for benches, stools and
the like. Related material (but without reference to Eupolis) is preserved
at Poll. 7.112 κάλλιστοι δέ οί Θετταλικοί δίφροι, διό καί ή Πυθία έφη·
Θετταλέ ποικιλόδιφρε (“Thessalian diphroi are extremely attractive, which
is why the Pythia said: ‘Thessalian of the elaborate diphros’”); Ael.Dion. Θ 11
Θετταλικοί δίφροι· διάφοροι, τουτέστι διαφέροντες <τω κάλλει) προς τούς
άλλους (“Thessalian diphroi: exceptional ones, i. e. distinguished (for their
beauty) in comparison to the others”, ap. Hsch. θ 423; Phot, θ 142; Eust. p.
331.17 = 1.517.5-6); Hsch. θ 685; Tim. Lex. p. 1002.28-9; Erot. ε 36 (quoted in
Interpretation).
Interpretation Storey suggests that “in the light of Kn. 1384-6” (where the
Sausage-seller tells Demos that he can use an attractive young male slave as
an όκλαδία, “folding stool”) these words “could have pederastic overtones”,
which is true but represents an enormous and unnecessary leap of the imag-
ination.
A δίφρος (literally “two-bearer”, { δίς + φέρω) is both (1) a chariot seat
and by extension a chariot (LSJ s. v. I), and (2) a couch or stool (LSJ s. v. II), as
here and at e. g. Ar. Eq. 1164; Men. fr. 461 έκάθηντ’ επί δίφρου μήτηρ τε καί /
παρθένος (“the mother and the girl were sitting on a diphros”). According to
Erot. ε 36 πας ... δίφρος άνακλισμόν έχων Θεσσαλικός παρά τοΐς παλαιοΐς
λέγεται (“the ancients refer to any diphros that has a back as Thessalian”),
and Pollux and Aelius Dionysius (quoted in Citation context) both assert that
Thessalian diphroi were particularly attractive—although in neither case is it