Προσπάλτιοι (fr. 261)

349

μέντ(οι) + potential optative expresses lively surprise or, more likely here,
indignation (Denniston 1950. 402). This might thus be a reaction by (B.) or
(C.) to whatever (A.) said in 29. But it is just as easily understood as a further
development of the thesis put forward in the preceding two verses via addition
of a fresh perspective on the action: (A.) is concerned about how someone else
(e.g. the city as a whole; thus Austin) might react, were he to give in to (B.).
31 seemingly picks up on 26 αύτως δέ ναός, and in the absence of other
information is most easily taken to represent a claim by the speaker to be
practicing (or at least endorsing) the sort of prudent behavior called for in the
balance of the Sophocles passage quoted there (23-6 n.). Either ήμεΐς δέ or
ύμεΐς δέ might be the reading in the papyrus; whatever the correct text is, the
words mark an emphatic shift of subject—“but we/yow”, in contrast to someone
else. If ήμεΐς is printed, the remark seems out of place in the mouth of (A.),
who elsewhere refers to himself (10,12, 26, 28) and is addressed and referred to
by others (18, 21-3, perhaps 27) exclusively in the singular. If ύμεΐς is printed
instead, this might be (A.) addressing (B.) and (C.) collectively or (C.) alone;
(B.) addressing (C.); or (C.) addressing (A.) and (B.) collectively.

fr. 261 K.-A. (244 K.)
(A.) το δεΐν’, ακούεις; (B.) Ήράκλεις, τούτ’ έστι σοι
τό σκώμμ’ ασελγές και Μεγαρικόν και σφόδρα
ψυχρόν, ψ σέλας όρας ψ τα παιδία
1 τό δεΐν’ (vel ό δεΐν’) Meineke : τό δεινής cod. : τό ante lac. pos. Heylbut ού δεΐν’
άκούειν; Herwerden 2 και2 om. ΣΑη 3 σέλας cod.: γελάς, i. e. γελάς Anon,
ed. Aid. : γελά <γάρ, ώς> Cobet
(A.) Uh ... are you listening? (B.) Heracles! This joke of yours
is offensive and Megarian and extraordinarily
clumsy, ψ flash you see f the boys
Anon, in Arist. ENTV.6, Commentaria in Aristotelem Graeca XX p. 186.10-15 Heylbut
Μυρτίλος έν Τιτανόπασι (fr. 1)· < ... Εύπολις έν Προσπαλτίοις·>-. διασύρονται
γάρ οί Μεγαρεΐς έν κωμωδία, έπεί και αντιποιούνται αύτής ώς παρ’ αύτοΐς πρώτον
εύρεθείσης, εϊ γε καί Σουσαρίων ό κατάρξας κωμωδίας Μεγαρεύς. ώς φορτικοί τοίνυν
καί ψυχροί διαβάλλονται, καί πορφυρίδι χρώμενοι έν τή παρόδω
Myrtilus in Titanopanes (fr. 1): < ... Eupolis in Prospaltioit) . For the Megarians are
disparaged in comedy, since they lay claim to it, on the ground that it was invented by