Ταξίαρχοι (fr. 278)

419

at Herod. 5.65-6 κέλευσον έλθεΐν τον στικτήν / έχοντα ραφίδας και μέλαν
(“Tell the tattooer to come with needles and ink!”; punishment of a slave).
fr. 278 K.-A. (17 Dem.)
(A.) τις ένεβρόντησέ μοι;
(B.) ώ μοχθηρέ, τίς έπάταξέ σε;
(A.) Who smote me with thunder?
(B.) You miserable creature, who struck you?
Phot, ε 867
ένεβρόντησεν- έπάταξεν. Εϋπολις Ταξιάρχαις (ν. 1)·-. είτα επιφέρει (ν. 2)·-
he/she smote with thunder: he/she struck. Eupolis in Taxiarchai (v. 1):-. Then he
goes on (v. 2):-
Meter lambic trimeter, e. g.
<x— χ_^|_ ——


Discussion Schiassi 1944. 47; Kaibel ap. K.-A.; Storey 2003. 254
Citation context An isolated lexicographic gloss. That Photius has got the
title of Eupolis’ play wrong in the same way as in frr. 273 (from Photius = Suda
= Synagoge) and 279 (from Photius = Suda), but not the other two times he
cites the play (frr. 276, from Photius = Suda·, 281), may suggest that all three
notes containing the error go back to the same source.
Text Some ancient grammarians distinguished between an unambiguously
abusive μοχθηρός (“bad”; e. g. fr. 60.1; Ar. Ach. 165; Pl. Com. fr. 180) and a less
overtly hostile μόχθηρος (“miserable”; e. g. Ar. Av. 493) (thus Hdn. Grammatici
Graeci III. 1 p. 197.19-21; cf. πονηρός vs. πόνηρος). Here a “rough, jocular com-
passion” (Dover 1993 on Ar. Ra. 1175) seems more likely to be intended, and I
print the word proparoxytone (vs. oxytone in Demianczuk and Kassel-Austin).
Interpretation If (B.)’s τίς έπάταξέ σε; represented a pointedly more prosaic
rendering of the sentiment expressed in (A.)’s extravagant τίς ένεβρόντησέ
μοι;, one would expect (B.) to respond δστις κτλ; (“(You ask) who hit you?”;240
e. g. Ar. Ach. 594-5; Av. 299, 960; Men. Pk. 827). Assuming that Photius is

240

Thus Rusten 2011. 267 “you mean, who pummeled you?’