Ταξίαρχοι (fr. 277)

417

used not only for defensive purposes, but also to help shove back the enemy
line—at least on the now-standard reconstruction of how battle functioned-
see Snodgrass 1967. 53-8; Krentz 1985; Hanson 1989. 65-71, 83-8, 135-84;
Anderson 1991. 15-25; Hanson 1991b. 67-74; Schwartz 2009. 32-54; Matthew
2009; Viggiano and van Wees 2013. 57-60; Schwartz 2013.

fr. 277 K.-A. (259 K.)
εγώ δέ γε στίξω σε βελόναισιν τρισίν
But I’ll mark you with three needles
Poll. 10.136
και βελόνης δέ τοΰνομα έν Εϋπόλιδος Ταξιάρχοις--
And also the noun belone (is found) in Eupolis’ Taxiarchoi:-
Meter lambic trimeter.
—- — —
Discussion Bothe 1855. 189; Kock 1880 1.329; Gildersleeve 1908; Headlam
1922. 257; Schiassi 1944. 48; Kaibel ap. K.-A.; Storey 2003. 252
Citation context From a collection of vocabulary having to do with the care of
clothing. Hermipp. fr. 50 (βελονίδες) follows. The same fragment of Hermippus
is cited at Poll. 7.199 in the course of a discussion of sellers (-πώλαι/-πώλιδες)
of various commodities, including at 7.197 βελονοπώλαι and βελονοπώλιδες,
suggesting that all this material (presumably including a reference to Ar. Pl.
175 as well) was found together in Pollux’ source, which may thus have been
the original, uncondensed version of Phryn. Ecl. 63 (quoted in Interpretation).
Interpretation Kassel-Austin compare Ar. Eq. 365 εγώ δέ γ’ έξέλξω σε τής
πυγής θύραζε κύβδα (“But I’ll drag you outside by the ass with your head
down!”), a capping remark from an exchange of threats between two char-
acters. But Ar. Ra. 575 εγώ δέ γ’ εις τό βάραθρον έμβάλοιμί σε (“But / would
throw you into the ravine!”), from a catalogue of threats made by two charac-
ters against a third, is an equally viable parallel. Put another way, while έγώ
is patently emphatic, it is unclear whether σε is as well (as in Knights) or is
merely intended to capture and hold the addressee’s attention (as in Frogs).
The threat perhaps refers to tattooing, which might be applied to runaway
slaves to make future attempts at desertion more difficult; cf. frr. 172.14 n.;