frr. 404-18 K.-A.
Fragments of two or three words (arranged alphabetically)

171

fr. 404 K.-A. (374 K.)
Eust. p. 1165.13-15 = IV.263.20-1
αγελαίας ίσχάδας τάς είκαίας Εϋπολις έφη καί άλλοι κωμικοί, ώς φησι
Παυσανίας (α 12), καί λίθους δέ αγελαίους τούς είκαίους καί άκαταξέστους
Eupolis and other comic poets referred to ordinary dried figs as herd figs, according
to Pausanias (a 12), and to ordinary, unworked stones as herd stones

Discussion Kock 1880 i.357; Blaydes 1896. 50
Meter Probably iambic trimeter, e. g.
<X->^-| - <X-o->
Citation context From a note on II. 18.573 έν δ’ αγέλην ποίησε βοών
όρθοκραιράων (part of the description of Hephaestus’ ornamentation of
Achilleus’ shield), explicitly drawing on the Atticist lexicon of Pausanias, one
of Eustathius’ basic sources for such matters. The implication is that this is a
distinctly Athenian, colloquial use of the adj. αγελαίος, as the other evidence
(see Interpretation) also suggests. Phot, a 141 = Synag. B a 99 αγελαίος- αντί
τού ... ευτελής. ... καί άγελαϊον άρτον τον χυδαϊον (“herd: used to mean ...
‘cheap’. ... Also, coarse bread is ‘herd bread’”) may well be drawn from the
same source.
Interpretation “Herd figs” are figs that do not stand out from the group,
just as “herd stones” are stones that look like most other stones; “herd bread”
is coarse, ordinary bread (Pl. Com. fr. 78); “herd people” are ordinary people
(Pl. Pit. 268a); “herd sophists” are run-of-the-mill sophists (Isoc. 12.18); and
κεραμίδες άγελαϊαι are common tiles, i. e. pan tiles (IGII 1672.209 = Clinton
#177.271 (Eleusis, 329/8 BCE); further inscriptional material collected at DGE
s.v. III). Kassel-Austin compare Hsch. a 423 αγελαίοι ιχθύες- πολλοί μικροί
καί όμοϋ λίθοι ευτελείς (“herd fish: numerous, small and as inexpensive as
stones”; a confused gloss on Hdt. 2.93.1); Sen. Ben. 1.12.4 gregalia poma (“herd
apples”); to which add Plin. Nat. 18.86 siligo gregalis (“herd wheat”). For dried
figs, a simple, basic foodstuff, e. g. Pherecr. fr. 74; Ar. V. 297; Lys. 564 (a dried-
fig-vendor in the Agora); fr. 681; Nicopho fr. 10.2 (dried-fig-vendors); Alex. fr.
122 with Arnott 1996 ad loc.; see in general Olson 2002 on Ar. Ach. 801-3; Orth
2009 on Strattis fr. 4.1; Zohary and Hopf 2000.159-64; Dalby 2003.143-4; and
cf. frr. 337.1; 443; 460.