Χρυσοϋν γένος (fr. 313)

493

- Hsch. β 1353 βύττος- γυναικός αίδοΐον (“byttos: female genitals”)
- Hsch. σ 15 σάβυττος- είδος ξυρήσεως εις καλλωπισμόν- πότερον δε τού
πώγωνος ή τής κεφαλής άδηλον, τινές δε τό γυναικεΐον (“sabyttos: a type
of shave intended to beautify; whether of the beard or of the head is un-
clear. But some (say) the female genitals”)
- Phot, σ 8 σαβύττης- ξυρήσεως είδος (“sabyttes: a type of shave”)
- Phot, σ 10 σάβυττος- τό γυναικεΐον αίδοΐον- άπό τού σάττεσθαι καί
βύεσθαι, ώς καί σάθη (“sabyttos: the female genitals; from sattesthai (‘to
be stuffed’) and byesthai (‘to be stuffed full, stopped’), like sathe”)
- Phot, σ 74 = Suda σ 110 σάραβον- τό γυναικεΐον αίδοΐον οί κωμικοί (=
adesp. com. fr. 536) καλούσι- καί σά{κ}ταν· καί σάβυτταν- καί σέλινον-
καί ταύρον καί ετερα πολλά (“sarabon: the comic poets (= adesp. com. fr.
536) call the female genitals (by this term); also sa{k}tas, sabytta, selinon,
tauron and many other (terms)”)
Text Edmond’s καρατμής fits both the meter and the letter traces in 1, but
the word is unattested and ought to mean “decapitated” (not “with your hair
cut”). But a form of κάρα or a cognate (as already suggested and printed in
the editio princeps) is a reasonable guess to help fill the gap.
Interpretation For σάβυττος (attested nowhere else outside of the lexi-
cographers; etymology uncertain), cf. in addition to the words mentioned in
Citation context σάκανδρος (“cunt”; Ar. Lys. 824), σαβαρίχην (Telecl. fr. 70
ap. Phot, σ 4, glossing τό γυναικεΐον αίδοΐον, “the female genitals”; cf. Hsch.
σ 10, where the gloss is missing but the lemma is identical); Henderson 1991
§§ 187-8. The POxy. glossary claims that the reference here is to the style in
which the individual has his hair or beard cut (cf. Hsch. σ 15), and Kassel-
Austin cite as parallels Ar. Ach. 849 άποκεκαρμένος μοιχόν (“with his hair cut
adulterer-style”); Th. 838 σκάφιον άποκεκαρμένην (“with her hair cut bowl-
style”); Ec. 724 κατωνάκην τον χοίρον άποτετιλμένας (“with their pussies
plucked fleece-style”); Hermipp. fr. 13 σύμβολον κεκαρμένος (“with my hair
cut symbolon-style’y, S. fr. 473 χειρόμακτρον έκκεκαρμένος (“with his hair cut
short like a hand-towel”); and cf. Av. 806 σκάφιον άποτετιλμένω (“with its
head plucked bowl-style”). In all these cases, the accusative is singular, so that
the sense of 2 (where it is plural) is unlikely to be “shaved like vaginas”. But
Kassel-Austin also cite Ar. Lys. 151 δέλτα παρατετιλμέναι (“with their (pubic)
triangles plucked”), and add Pherecr. fr. 113.29 τά ρόδα κεκαρμέναι (“with
their roses”—i.e. their pussies—“shaved”); Ar. Ach. 119 πρωκτόν έξυρημένε
(“with your asshole shaved”); and see in general Bain 1982. 78-9 on female
pubic depilation. What “shaved in respect to your vaginas” might mean when
addressed to a man, and in particular why the plural rather than the singular