Ταξίαρχοι (fr. 269)

397

that they have more than enough for a year and are not in need”); Min. 320c;
and cf. Ar. Nu. 1252 ούχ όσον γ’ εμ’ είδέναι (“not as far as I know”).
1-2 έναριστάν, άριστήσομεν For άριστον (“morning meal”, but in the
classical period “brunch” or “lunch”), see fr. 374 n. The compound έναριστάω
is attested only here and at Hp. Viet. ΙΠ 68 = 6.600.20 Littre (but in a different
sense) and is probably a nonce-formation, like εναποπατέω (Ar. Pax 1228),
έγκατακλίνω (Ar. Av. 122), έναποτίνω (Ar. Av. 38), έγκατακρούω (Ar. Ra. 330)
and έναπονίπτω, ένεξεμέω and ένεκπλύνω at Polyzel. fr. 4 (all making the
sense of a straightforward verb more complex by adding έν- as a prefix), on
the one hand, and like έγκορδυλέω (Ar. Nu. 10) and έγκοισυρόομαι (Ar. Nu.
48) (the simplex also an innovation), on the other. For the simplex, also e. g.
Ar. V. 435; Canthar. fr. 10.2; Arar. fr. 11; Antiph. fr. 216.25.
2 τί δ’ έστιν; expresses at least nominally baffled surprise. * at e. g. Ar.
Ach. 178; V. 836, 1297; Pax 1211; Ph. 202, 582; Ec. 157; Pl. 970; Pl. Com. fr. 182.2
τί δ’ εστι;; A. Ph. 803 τί δ’ έστι;; S. Ai. 1318; El. 1112; E. Med. 63; Tr. 712.
εις ώμιλλαν άριστήσομεν; presumably means “Are we going to gamble
for individual items of food?”, although (B.) is being ridiculous, meaning that
there is no need to try to identify exactly what he is imagining. For what little
is known or can be surmised about the game εις ώμιλλαν, see fr. 314 n.
3 τήν μάζαν For barley-cake220 (simple, basic food), see frr. 21 n.; 172.12
with n.; 370 n.; 380 n.; Arnott 1996 on Alex. fr. 145.7; Olson 1998 on Ar. Pax 1;
Olson-Sens 1999 on Matro fr. 1.92; Pellegrino 2013 on Nicopho fr. 6.1. The defi-
nite article marks this as a typical item; no specific barley-cake is in question.
κόψομεν ... ώσπερ δρτυγα For the game of “quail-tapping” (όρτυγοκο-
πία)—doubtless more fun for the human participants than for the bird—cf. Ar.
Av. 1297-9 with Dunbar 1995 ad loc.; fr. 253, Pl. Com. fr. 116 with Pirrotta 2009
ad loc.·, Poll. 9.107-9 (offering slightly different details than at 9.102, where he
quotes this fragment); Campagner 2005. 82-3. For quail generally, see fr. 226
n. κόπτω is perhaps used as a figurative verb meaning “eat” at Chionid. fr. 6,
where Meineke 1839 II.8 compared the use of παίειν at Ar. Ach. 835, of σποδεΐν
at Ar. Pax 1306/7 and Pherecr. fr. 61 (obscure), and of κοπετός in fr. 375 (also
obscure); see also Kindstrand 1983. 105-6. But (BJ’s remark does not require
this extended sense in order to be funny.

220

Not “dough” (Rusten 2011. 266).