260

Eupolis

Epitome of Athenaeus 12.525e
έν δέ τω σχολίω τοϋ βιβλίου δθεν αί παρεκβολαί τάδε ήσαν περί τοϋ άνω γεγραμμένου
ρόμβου· ρόμβος έστί τροχίσκος, ον τύπτοντες ίμάσι καί στρέφοντες ποιοϋσι περιδι-
νεϊσθαι καί -ψόφον άποτελεϊν· ρόμβον δέ αυτόν Εϋπολις είπε· καλείται δέ καί βρυτήρ
The following regarding the above-mentioned rhombos was found in the scholion of
the book whence the notes: A rhombos is a wheel, which they cause to rotate and to
produce a noise by striking it with straps and making it turn; Eupolis referred to it as
a rhymbos, but it is also called a bryter
Meter Probably iambic dimeter.
But trimeter is possible as well, e. g.
—-—1<- x—>
Discussion Fritzsche 1835. 214; Meineke 1839 II.452-3; Kock 1880 1.275;
Rutherford 1881. 11; Kaibel ap. K.-A.; Delneri 2006. 299-303
Citation context Glosses on A.R. 4.143-4 (the snake guarding the golden
fleece άπειρεσίας έλέλιξεν / ρυμβόνας, “rolled its countless coils”) and 1.1139
(“the Phrygians propitiate Rhea with rhombos and drum152”), in the latter
case with explicit reference to the Alexandrian scholar Didymus (1st century
BCE/lst century CE) and thus presumably to his Comic Vocabulary, although
Didymus himself was only compiling material from older sources. Vollgraf
1940. 181-5 (esp. 182-3) takes the reference to come through Pamphilus. The
reference in Photius likely goes back to the same source, as does the note in
the Epitome of Athenaeus (not from the main text). Note also Hsch. p 433, 488;
Et.Gen. AB s. v. ρύμβω; Σ Clem.Al. Protr. p. 302.28-32 Stahlin-Treu (tracing
the information to Diogenianus); ΣκυΕΑ Theoc. 2.30 (p. 277.3-4 Wendel), none
of whom mention Eupolis.
Nothing in the full text of Athenaeus matches the note in the Epitome,
which has been brought in from elsewhere.
Text Meineke believed that the scholion read ρύμβοις, and he therefore
emended metri gratia to ρύμβοισι.
Interpretation The notes that preserve or mention this fragment, along with
the other ancient material cited in Citation context, appear to be confused and
are actually referring to two separate objects, both mentioned in Theocritus
Idyll 2: (1) a magical wheel, usually referred to as an ϊυγξ, which was made to
spin backward and forward by means of a string that ran through two holes

152

Typanon, i. e. tympanon; see fr. 88.1 n.