Κόλακες (fr. 183)

111

- Hsch. λ 726 λευκή ήμερα- άγαθή (“a white day: a good one”)
- Zenob. 6.13 καί Μένανδρος δέ φησίν έν Λευκαδία (fr. 260 Koerte-Thier-
felder) τήν αγαθήν ήμέραν λευκήν καλεϊσθαι (“and Menander in Leukadia
(fr. 260 Koerte-Thierfelder) says that a good day is called a white one”).
Interpretation For λευκή ήμερα in the sense “a happy day”, apparently
an Attic colloquialism,54 cf. (in addition to the fragments of Sophocles and
Menander cited in Citation context) A. Pers. 301 καί λευκόν ήμαρ νυκτός
έκ μελαγχίμου; Call. frr. 178.2 ήμαρ ... λευκόν; 191.37 λεύκάς ήμέρας; Plu.
Per. 27.2-3 (a silly explanation for the expression, which predates the events
in question) with Stadter 1989 ad loc.; Suda λ 323 ~ τ 868 (another—even
sillier—explanation, tracing the expression to the Scythians); Pearson 1917
1.6. Meineke suggested that the reference might be to the day when Callias’
dinner party was held—Kock added the idea that one of the kolakes was speak-
ing—which is merely a guess.

fr. 183 K.-A. (171 K.)
Poll. 10.96-7
καί κρατευτάς δέ καί κρατευτήρια έρεΐς, καί ώς έν τοϊς Δημιοπράτοις έστιν εύρεϊν,
μολυβδοκρατευτάς ... έν δέ ταϊς Άττικαϊς στήλαις, αϊ κεΐνται έν Έλευσινίω (Bergk :
Έλευσΐνι codd.), τά των άσεβησάντων περί τώ θεώ δημοσία πραθέντα άναγέγραπται-
έν αίς άλλα τε πολλά σκεύη έστιν ώνομασμένα καί μολυβδοκρατευταί- καί Εΰπολις
δέ έν τοϊς Κόλαξιν έφη μολυβδίνους κρατευτάς
But you will also say krateutai (“spit-rests”) and krateuteria (“small spit-rests”), and
as can be found in the Public Auction Lists, molybdokrateutai (“lead spit-rests”) ... In
the Attic Stelae, which are located in the Eleusinion (thus Bergk : “in Eleusis” codd.),
the goods of those who behaved impiously in regard to the two goddesses that were
sold at public auction are catalogued; many other utensils are named among them
as well as molybdokrateutai (“lead spit-rests”); and Eupolis in his Kolakes also said
m o ly b d in o i krateutai (“spit-rests made of lead”)
Meter Perhaps iambic trimeter, e. g.
— -<—>
Discussion Kock 1880 11.305; Toppel 1846. 54; Sarati 1996. 109-10; Napolitano
2012. 83-4

54 In origin in reference to a day on which the public notice-boards were white, i. e.
featured no notices, meaning no trials, military call-ups or the like?