414

Eupolis

If Pollux 6.39 (quoted in Citation context) is in fact referring to this pas-
sage, the onion and olives are to be eaten as opson along with the bread or
barley-cake that will make up the bulk of the meal. But the verb is sometimes
used instead in reference to eating after one drinks (e.g. Telecl. fr. 27.3; Hp.
Int. 20 = 7.216.7 Littre; [Arist.] Pr. 868b29), in which case water (sc. rather than
wine) was likely in question; contrast II. 11.630 επί δέ κρόμυον ποτώ δψον
(“and an onion as well, as opson for the wine”; quoted appreciatively at X. Smp.
4.7) and note the use of onions and olives as a snack accompanying wine in
Ar. Ec. 306-8 (quoted below).
Onions (for which, see in general fr. 327.2 n.) can endure rough handling
and are therefore stereotypical soldier’s food (Ar. Ach. 550 σκορόδων, έλαών,
κρομμύων έν δικτύοις (“garlic, olives, onions in mesh-bags”; among the sup-
plies purchased by soldiers preparing for a campaign), 1099 άλας θυμίτας οίσε,
παϊ, καί κρόμμυα (“Fetch thyme-flavored salt, slave, and onions!”; Lamachus
packs his bag for a campaign); Eq. 600 σκόροδα και κρόμμυα (“garlic and
onions”; supplies purchased by the Knights’ horses before boarding transport
ships); Pax 529 κρομμυοξυρεγμίας (“onion-vinegar-belch”; produced by sol-
diers), 1128-9 κράνους άπηλλαγμένος / τυροΰ τε καί κρομμύων (“set free from
helmet, cheese and onions”; a happy consequence of peace). Meineke therefore
took this to be part of Phormio’s description of camp life to Dionysus, while
Kock suggested that it was instead a complaint from the god about the same.
But this might be a description of the unsophisticated diet typical of any
simple place and time; cf. Ar. Ec. 306-8 έν άσκιδίω φέρων πιεϊν άμα τ’ άρτον
αύον καί δύο κρομμύω καί τρεις ... έλάας (“bringing something to drink in a
little wineskin, and a dry bit of bread along with it and two onions and three
olives”; provisions taken as a snack to a meeting of the Assembly in the past,
before the introduction of pay for attendance).
1 έπιφαγεΐν (έπ)έφαγον supplies the aorist of (έπ)εσθίω. The compound
is too undignified for tragedy or other elevated genres, being restricted to
comedy (also Pherecr. fr. 167.2; Aristomen. fr. 6; Epich. fr. 40.6), prose (e.g. X.
Mem. 3.14.3; Arist. HA 612a24) and satyr play (E. fr. 90 7).237
2 λέποντα The normal sense of the verb appears to be “strip the skin/
hull/crust” from something (fr. 99.8 with n.; II. 1.236; Pl. Com. fr. 12; Antiph.
fr. 133.3; Timocl. fr. 31.3; Apollod. Car. fr. 5.10; Nic. fr. 82; Phryn. PS p. 87.17);
cf. the cognates λέπος (“rind, husk”; e.g. Alex. fr. 268.7), λεπτός (literally

237 The simplex is also rare in tragedy (A. Supp. 226; fr. 253; S. fr. 897; E. fr. 472.38), with
the majority of the attestions in the tragic poets coming from satyr play or what
is likely satyr play (A. fr. 28; S. frr. 563.2; 671; E. Cyc. 233, 336; Astydam. II TrGF60
F 4.3; cf. E. Cyc. 341 κατεσθίων, 440 καταφαγεϊν).