Ταξίαρχοι (fr. 272)

405

And likewise a bathing-tub in Taxiarchoi:-. For in fact a chalkion is a particular
item of equipment in bathing-establishments, just like a lebes (“cauldron”) and a tripous
empyribetes (“tripod placed on the fire”)

Meter lambic trimeter.

Discussion Bentley 1824. 47; Meineke 1839 1.144, 11.530; Kock 1880 1.328;
Norwood 1931. 197; Schiassi 1944. 47; Wilson 1974. 251; Kaibel ap. K.-A.;
Storey 2003. 253-4; Storey 2011. 208
Citation context From a brief catalogue of equipment used in a bathhouse,
located within a larger discussion of σκεύη (cf. fr. 307 n.) of all sorts. Fr. 305
is preserved immediately before this (as evidence for the word κατάχυτλον,
“bowl (for pouring water)”).
Text The variants at the end of 1 likely reflect an ambiguously abbreviated
exemplar, but Poll, ’s χσ.λκίον must be right in any case.
In 2, Bethe reports that the reading in Pollux is στρατιώτης, and Meineke
1839 11.530 assigns the emendation στρατιώτις (printed without comment by
Kassel-Austin) to Jungermann.
Interpretation The use of a second-person verb in an indirect question marks
this not as a simple characterization of the individual (a man) addressed, but
as a reproach: either his identity is unknown and he is behaving badly (~
colloquial English “whoever you are, who”), or his identity is known but his
behavior shows that he misestimates his position in the world (~ colloquial
English “whoever you think you are, who”); cf. Ar. Ach. 304, 492; Eq. 311-12;
Nu. 135; Th. 883, 888; Pl. 1124; frr. 23; 715. The point of the comparison in 2 is
that new mothers from Ionia do not normally present themselves in military
camps,230 but that if one did, the mere fact of her being there would complete
her resemblance to the addressee, who must similarly have arrived nominally
ready to serve as a soldier but with unreasonable expectations about the real-
ities of day-to-day life in the field. That bathing is in question in these verses
does not mean that it was the only point at issue, since the speaker might
easily have continued with a long list of apparent misconceptions and mis-

230 LSJ s. v. στρατιώτις (followed by Rusten 2011. 266) takes the reference to be to a
soldier’s wife (sc. who has followed him on campaign?), an odd image that takes
no account of the meaning of λεχώ.