472

Eupolis

Meter lambic trimeter.

Discussion Meineke 1839 II. 539; Miiller-Strubing 1873. 165-6; Gilbert 1877.
132-3; Kock 1880 1.334; Schiassi 1944. 63-4; Mattingly 1968. 452; Storey 2003.
273-4
Citation context The quotation of the fragment in Pollux is part of a brief dis-
cussion of barber’s tools within a larger treatment of professional equipment
(σκεύη) of all sorts. Cratin. fr. 39 is cited immediately before this (for the term
μάχαιραι κουρίδες, “shearing knives, shears”), Ar. Th. 219-20 immediately
afterward (for the words ξυρόν, “razor”, and ξυροδόχη, “razor case”). The
entry in Photius likely goes back to the same source, as does Poll. 2.32 καί
μαχαιρίδας, άς καί κουρίδας ώνόμαζον (“and machairides, which they also
referred to as barber’s (shears)”). Related material is preserved in various
Atticist lexicographers at
- Ptol. Ascal. p. 402.10-11 = [Ammon.] Diff. 306 μαχαίρας μέν ομοίως ήμΐν
λέγουσιν οί Αττικοί, μαχαιρίδας δε τάς τών κουρεών (“Attic-speakers say
machairai (‘knives’) just as we do, but refer to barbers’ tools as machairi-
des”)
- Moer. μ 10 μαχαιρίδες- αί μάχαιραι τών κουρεών Αττικοί- μάχαιραι κοινόν
(“machairides: the knives used by barbers, (thus) Attic-speakers; machairai
(is) the common term”)
- [Hdn.] Philet. 108 μαχαιρίδες καί μάχαιραι- μαχαιρίδες μέν γάρ αί τών
κουρεών, μάχαιραι δε αί τών μαγείρων (“machairides and machairai: for
machairides are barbers’ tools, whereas machairai are butchers’ tools”).
Text The paradosis ύπό yields difficult sense (see Interpretation below), and
Bothe’s άπό might be right.
Interpretation A threat or prediction; Kassel-Austin compare Ar. Eq. 923-6
δώσεις έμοί καλήν δίκην, / ίπούμενος ταΐς είσφοραΐς. / έγώ γάρ είς τούς
πλουσίους / σπεύσω σ’ όπως αν έγγραφης (“You’ll pay me a nice penalty,
squeezed by eisphorail For I’ll do my best to get you enrolled among the
wealthy”; the Paphlagonian menaces the Sausage-seller), έπει(τα) suggests
that this is part of a narrative in naive style, while την εισφοράν appears to
be an aprosdoketon punchline. The mention of an εισφορά (see below) makes
it clear that this is a coded discussion of public life, although who is having
his beard trimmed, whom the barber represents and what he is up to—seiz-
ing the revenues for the state (thus Miiller-Strubing and Kaibel, taking the
barber to stand for Cleon)? or stealing them for himself (thus Meineke)?—is