Φίλοι (fr. 287)

443

(“these women”), δέ might be scriptio plena (thus δ’ Αργείας), but in any case
—o or the equivalent is needed between ταΰτα and Αργείας to fill out the
line. Meineke suggested ταΰτα δ’ έστίν (* at Antiph. fr. 69.14); cf. Herwerden’s
ταΰτα δή στιν (no parallels in comedy or tragedy).265 But this puts the particle
very late in the line to no obvious purpose, and one might consider instead e. g.
δέσποτ’ (* at Ar. Eq. 960; Amphis fr. 27.4, and commonly used by comic slaves to
address or refer to their master; cf. fr. 250 n.), with the error to be traced to the
fact that the word was abbreviated δέσπτ vel sim. in the exemplar and miscopied.
Regardless of whether the paradosis φέρειν (“to be bringing, carrying”) or
Herwerden’s φορεΐν (“to be wearing”, seemingly more appropriate if clothing
or shoes are the object; cf. fr. 158.2 n.) is printed in 1, the switch to aorist
ένεγχειν (“to bring, carry”) in 2 in Ptolemy’s version of the text seems odd.
Kassel-Austin accordingly adopt [Ammonius’] ένεργεΐν, although the verb
(“operate, execute, effect”) is not attested elsewhere in Attic before Aristotle
and the sense remains obscure. Edmonds comments “there is certainly an
obscene joke” (sc. because anything “split” must on some level be a vagina?;
thus Henderson 1991 § 196) and posits a para prosdokian joke connected with
the “split dance” mentioned at Poll. 4.105.266 Perhaps the word is simply a
corrupt, intrusive gloss on φέρειν.
Interpretation A condemnation of someone for the effeminate or expensive
way he/she/they dress, i. e. for what that style of dress and/or footwear sup-
posedly reveals about his/her/their true character. If δέσποτ’, were correct
(in place of the metrically deficient paradosis t δέ t), the speaker would be a
slave addressing his master.
1 οΰ δεινά ταΰτα Similar expressions at e.g. fr. 111.1* οΰ δεινόν + infin.;
Ar. Ach. 770* οΰ δεινά; θάσθε· τοΰδε τάς απιστίας, 1079* οΰ δεινά + infin.; Eq.
875* οΰ δεινόν + infm.; V. 417 ταΰτα δήτ’ οΰ δεινά;, 1368* οΰ δεινά + infin.;
Αν. 27* οΰ δεινόν + infm.; Th. 705 ταΰτα δήτ’ οΰ δεινά πράγματ’ έστί καί
περαιτέρω;; Ec. 400 οΰ δεινόν + infin.; Antiph. fr. 217.1* οΰ δεινόν + infin.;
Lys. 11.6 πώς οΰν οΰ δεινόν + infin.; Pl. Smp. 177a οΰ δεινόν + infin.; Is. 6.58
πώς οΰ δεινόν + infm.
Άργείαι are mentioned also at Herod. 7.60; Poll. 7.88 (in a catalogue
of shoe and sandal types called after their supposed place of origin) and at
Hsch. a 7014 Αργείαι· ΰποδήματα πολυτελή γυναικεία (“Argives: expensive

265 Blaydes ταϋτ’ ένθάδ’ is not impossible, but is further from the paradosis and again
finds no parallels in comedy or tragedy.
266 Storey—presumably simply drawing on Edmonds—offers the same suggestions,
but without explaining his reasoning.