Κόλακες (fr. 180)

109

Discussion Meineke 1839 11.490; Toppel 1846. 33-6; Dunbar 1995. 452-3;
Napolitano 2012. 18-19
Citation context From a series of examples of men who “buzzed” around
the tables of wealthy individuals and who thus offer a historical precedent
for the behavior of Albius, the Roman flatterer of Antonius. The Suda of-
fers this material (assigned to Aelian by Meineke) after—and thus seemingly
as a gloss on—the phrase βομβούσιν cd μέλισσαι, όταν τις προσίη μύρου
όζων (“the bees buzz, whenever someone approaches smelling of perfume”)
from Timaeus’ Lexicon on Plato (in reference to the buzzing appetites of R.
573a).
Interpretation Although Aelian mentions Callias’ flatterers, he makes no
explicit reference to Eupolis, hence Kassel-Austin’s *. The phrase “flatterers
of Callias” is most naturally taken in apposition to the names that precede
it (“Orestes [and] Marpsias, [who are] flatterers of Callias”), confirming that
Eupolis’ characters were still well-known in general terms in the Roman peri-
od, while leaving open the possibility that Marpsias and Orestes are confused
borrowings from elsewhere in Old Comedy (below).
Marpsias (PAA 635505) is a very rare name (no other Athenian examples),
and this is thus presumably the man referred to at Ar. Ach. 702 (425 BCE) as the
sort of person who might insist on the fairness of the contemporary Athenian
political and social system, despite all evidence to the contrary. A mugger
named Orestes is mentioned in the same play (Ach. 1166-8) and again at Ar.
Av. 712, 1490-3 (414 BCE; see Dunbar for exhaustive discussion of the point),
but a man like this seems an unlikely guest at Callias’ house, and “Orestes” is
transparently a nickname (~ “the madman”) in any case. Perhaps Aelian has
simply jumbled various bits and pieces of literary tradition together, or Eupolis
referred mockingly to someone else in this way.

fr. 180 K.-A. (165 K.)
ZAreth' Pl. Ap. 20e (p. 421 Greene)
(Χαιρεφών) Εϋπολις δ’ έν Κόλαξιν Καλλίου κόλακα λέγει
(Chaerephon) And Eupolis in Kolakes says that he was a flatterer of Callias
Discussion Toppel 1846. 32-3; Napolitano 2012. 19
Citation context From the same note that preserves fr. 253, where see n.
Interpretation For Chaerephon of the deme Sphettos (PA 15203; PAA 976060),
see fr. 253 n. For the meaning of κόλαξ, see Kolakes Introductory note.