282

Eupolis

which Kaibel accordingly added to the text of Athenaeus at 15.666d. Athenaeus’
source for all this material may be Dicaearchus of Messana’s On Alcaeus,
which is cited repeatedly in the section (where fr. 399 is also preserved).
Text Kassel-Austin treat this as a paraphrase, although the words as trans-
mitted scan as part of e. g. an iambic trimeter and are no more obscure than
many other poetic fragments. If κοτταβείω (“/cottrffios-stand”; cf. Ar. fr. 231
(quoted under Interpretation); Eub. fr. 15.2 with Hunter 1983 ad loc.) is printed,
either there is a lacuna (—I— —(—» or this is not iambic
trimeter.
The paradosis χαλκω περί κοττάβω would have to mean “impaled upon a
bronze kottabos [stand]” vel sim. (e. g. Ar. Ach. 1180 περί λίθω with Olson 2002
ad loc.; poetic), which is odd although not impossible. Meineke accordingly
emended to παρά, with the error presumably to be traced to a misexpansion
of the ligature πε, which can stand for both περί and παρά. Fritzsche emended
instead to genitive χαλκω περί κοττάβω, but the use of a Doric form makes
this a more difficult correction.
Interpretation Kottabos was a drinking-game that involved tossing one’s
wine-lees at a target consisting of either (1) a plate (the πλάστιγξ) that was
balanced on top of a pole-stand, and that—if struck—fell and hit a bronze
vessel called the μάνης, producing a loud noise (= κότταβος έν λεκάνη or
κατακτάς); or (2) small vessels (όξύβαφα) floating in a basin (λεκάνη) filled
with water, which one attempted to sink (= κότταβος δι’ όξυβάφων). Which
variety of the game Eupolis was referring to is uncertain, although there is
no obvious reason why (2) would require equipment made of bronze, whereas
(1) does. Cratin. fr. 124 (quoted at Ath. 15.667f along with Ar. fr. 231 f εγνωκ’
εγώ δε χαλκίον (τοΰτ’ έστίν κοττάβειον) ίστάναι καί μυρρινας ψ (“f and I
know how to set up a piece of bronze, i. e. a kottabeion, and myrtle branches
t”)), on the other hand, is discussing the latter. Delneri 2006. 348 suggests that
the reference may be not to the apparatus with which the game was played
but to the prize awarded the winner. But according to Ath. 15.667d (citing a
number of comic fragments, including fr. 399 and Antiph. fr. 57.2-3), kottabos
was played for trivial items such as eggs and cakes, as one would expect of
a party-game. For kottabos, see in general fr. 399 n.; Poll. 6.109-11; Hayley
1894; Schneider 1922; Sparkes 1960; Csapo and Miller 1991; Schäfer 1997.
48-9; Olson 1998 on Ar. Pax 343/4 (with additional bibliography and primary
references); Campagner 2002; Putz 2003. 221-41.
For the unexpected word order, hinting at elevated style, see Orth 2013
on Ale. Com. fr. dub. 35 (p. 144), with further examples of the phenomenon.