Incertarum fabularum fragmenta (fr. 395)

157

fr. 395 K.-A. (361 K.)

δεξάμενος δε Σωκράτης τήν έπιδέξι’ <άδων>
Στησιχόρου προς τήν λύραν οίνοχόην εκλεψεν

1 έπιδέξι’ <άδων> Meineke, Fritzscheo ducente (έπιδέξια): έπίδειξιν ZAld: fort, έπιδέξι’
<ώδήν> 2 προς τήν λύραν Σν : om. ΣΑ1ά

And Socrates received the branch of bay (?) being passed from left to
right, <and as he sang>
a bit of Stesichorus to the lyre—he stole the wine-pitcher

ΣΑ1ά Ar. Nu. 96 (vol. 1.3.1 pp. 31.22-3 + 259.12-15 Holwerda-Koster)
Εϋπολις, εί καί δι’ ολίγων έμνήσθη Σωκράτους, μάλλον ή Αριστοφάνης έν δλαις ταϊς
Νεφέλαις αύτοΰ καθήψατο. ούδέν δέ χείρον ύπομνησθήναι των Εύπόλιδος·-, οίον
ήν όράν τον φιλόσοφον τό έν φανερω μάλιστα σκεύος κατακείμενον κλέπτοντα καί
ύφαιρούμενον
Even if Eupolis rarely mentioned Socrates, he attacked him more than Aristophanes
did in his entire Clouds. But there is no disadvantage in recalling Eupolis’ words:-,
about how one could see the philosopher stealing a vessel that was laying there very
much in open sight and making off with it
Σν Ar. Nu. 179 (vol. 1.3.1 p. 49.4-5 Holwerda-Koster)
δμοιον τούτο τω ύπό Εύπόλιδος ρηθέντι περί Σωκράτους· (ν. 2)
This is similar to what Eupolis says about Socrates: (v. 2)

Meter Like frr. 41.3; 172, an idiosyncratic mix of choriambs and iambs (ch
ia ch iaj, one example of what West 1982. 95-8 refers to as a general class
of “comic dicola” consisting of 15 syllables divided into two halves of eight
and seven syllables, respectively; cf. also test. 45; frr. 42.1-2; 89 (corrupt and
lacunose); 132; 316; 396.

Discussion Fritzsche 1835. 218-22; Bergk 1838. 352-3; Kock 1880 i.355
Assignment to known plays Assigned to Kolakes by Bergk on account of the
use of the same meter as in fr. 172. As the topic there is dinner parties and how
flatterers behave at them, it is not difficult to imagine that these verses were
part of a similar discussion elsewhere in the Kolakes parabasis of symposia
and other forms of bad behavior at them.