Incertarum fabularum fragmenta (fr. 406)

173

άκούσητ’; Antiph. fr. 209.2 κακώς άκούσομαι; E. Hel. 968 κακώς άκοϋσαι;
Hdt. 7.16.α.2 άκούσαντα ... κακώς; [X.] Ath. 2.18 άκούωσι κακώς). For the
far more common λέγω κακώς, e. g. Thgn. 1130; A. Eu. 413; E. Med. 457-8; Ar.
Ach. 503; [X.] Ath. 2.18.

fr. 406 K.-A. (376 K.)

Phot, a 1801 = Synag. B a 1351
άνεμος κ al όλεθρος άνθρωπος· πάνυ καινώς εϊρηται καί έναργώς. έστι
δέ Εύπόλιδος· τό μέν γάρ άνεμος δηλοϊ τό πανταχοΰ φερόμενον άνέμου δίκην καί
άλώμενον καί άβέβαιον, τό δέ όλεθρος ολέθρου άξιον καί άπωλείας. χρήση δέ τω
λόγω, ως φησι Φρύνιχος (PS fr. 186), έν συνουσίαις
άνθρωπος Phot. = Synag. Β : άνθρωπος Reitzenstein
a person (is) wind and ruin: said in a quite novel and vivid manner. (The
expression) belongs to Eupolis; for the word “wind” indicates something that goes in
every direction, as the wind does, and that wanders about and is unfixed, while the
word “ruin” (indicates something) worthy of ruin and destruction. You should use the
phrase, says Phrynichus (PS fr. 186), in conversation
Phryn. PSp. 21.12
άνεμος καί όλεθρος άνθρωπος· Εϋπολις
“a person (is) wind and ruin”: Eupolis

Discussion Meineke 1839 11.570—1; Bothe 1855. 206
Citation context An Atticist note drawn from Phrynichus.
Text Bothe identified άνεμος κώλεθρος άνθρωπος as a fragment of two
iambic trimeters:
<x— X—>| — —
—o<— x—x—>
But άνθρωπος has perhaps been used merely to show that the referent of the
metaphorical image is a human being, as may also be the case in frr. 408-9;
cf. Cratin. frr. 381-2.

Interpretation The two images are a hendiadys, referring to someone who
wanders around erratically, bringing ruin with him—and thus deserving it
himself—wherever he goes. The figurative use of όλεθρος to mean “(a person
who brings) ruin” (cf. English “pest”) is a well-attested form of colloquial abuse
(Ar. Lys. 325 with Henderson 1987 ad loc.·, Th. 860; Ec. 934; Men. Dy sc. 366; Sam.