Incertarum fabularum fragmenta (fr. 327)

17

were in fact located directly next to the incense and spice vendors. But the
plain, earthy commodities in 2 contrast amusingly in any case with the ex-
pensive aromatic goods in 3. That 1 and 2-4 are from the same speech is only
a conjecture. If 1 is not to be combined with 4 (making trinkets and books
another matching pair, to the discredit of the latter?), however, it might instead
be either the journey’s beginning or its destination.
As this passage and the glosses on it make clear, dealers in particular com-
modities tended to group together in and around the Agora, and individual
areas were called after what was sold there; see also e. g. Pherecr. fr. 13 και
τάς βαλάνους και τάς άκύλους και τάς άχράδας περιόντας (“going around
the dates and the acorns and the wild pears”); Ar. Lys. 557 καν ταϊσι χύτραις
και τοϊς λαχάνοισιν (“and in the cookpots and the vegetables”); frr. 258.1 εις
τούψον (“to the groceries”); 310.1 ές τον οίνον (“to the wine”); Alex. fr. 47.8 έν
τοϊς λαχάνοις (“in the vegetables”) with Arnott 1996 ad loc.; Antiph. fr. 123.1
έν τοϊς ίχθύσι (“in the fish”); Thphr. Char. 11.4 προσελθών προς τά κάρυα ή τά
μύρτα ή τά άκρόδρυα (“going up to the nuts or the myrtle berries or the tree-
fruit”) with Diggle 2004 on Char. 2.7; Wycherley 1957. 193-201 (test. 632-68).
1 ού τά βιβλί’ ώνια For the expression, cf. Ar. Eq. 1247 έπϊ ταϊς
πύλαισιν, ού τό τάριχος ώνιον (“at the gates, where the saltfish is sold”); Is.
6.20 παρά τήν πυλίδα, ού ό οίνος ώνιος (“beside the little gate, where the wine
is sold”). For other references to the book-market, book-sellers and the like,
Ar. Av. 1288 τά βιβλία (along with this passage, seemingly the two earliest
references to the trade); Aristomen. fr. 9 with Orth 2014 ad loc.; Nicopho
fr. 10.4 with Pellegrino 2013 ad loc.; Theopomp. Com. fr. 79; Cratin. Jun. fr.
11; Kleberg 1969. 5-9; Hartwig 2014. 216-18; and perhaps Pl. Ap. 26d-e (the
teachings of Anaxagoras for sale “for a drachma, if the price is high, from
the orchestra”, although whether the reference is in fact to the sale of books
containing Anaxagoras’ writings is unclear), ώνιος is first attested at Epich.
fr. 88.1 (although the line is corrupt); subsequently here and at Ar. Ach. 758;
Eq. 480, 1247 (above). Colloquial vocabulary, confined to comedy (also e. g.
Euthycl. 1.1; Alex. fr. 76.7 with Arnott 1996 ad loc. (on είσϊν ώνιοι used as the
passive of πωλοΰσι); Anaxandr. fr. 34.11) and prose (e.g. X. An. 1.2.18; Pl. Lg.
849a; D. 10.49). Epic (Od. 14.202), tragedy (e.g. S. OT1123; E. Hoc. 365; fr. 978.1)
and Thucydides (1.121.3; 3.40.1) use the seemingly more dignified ώνητός.
2 περιήλθον ~ “I/they circulate, make my/their way around”, not
implying any actual circular movement; cf. fr. 65 περιήει with n.; Ar. Lys. 558
περιέρχονται κατά τήν άγοράν (“they circulate through the Agora”); Pherecr.
fr. 13 (above); Phryn. Com. fr. 3.4 κατά τήν άγοράν περιόντες (“circulating
through the Agora”); Pl. Com. fr. 211.1; Luc. Lex. 2 περιελθών τά άρώματα