180

Eupolis

Citation context Taken by Alpers to be drawn from Orus’ 5 -c. CE Collection
of Attic Words.
Meter Perhaps iambic trimeter, e. g.
<x— x—>|- ——-
Interpretation Despite Zonaras (or Orus), ευκταίος and εύκτός are both
legitimate Attic forms (< εύχομαι). But the former is tragic vocabulary (e. g.
A. Supp. 631; Ag. 1387; S. Tr. 239; E. Med. 169; in comedy only at Ar. Av.
1060 (lyric); LSJ s. v. compares άραϊος, “accursed” et sim., which is similarly
restricted), while the latter is more broadly dispersed and seemingly more
colloquial (in addition to the passages cited by Zonaras, e. g. S. fr. 843.2; E. Ion
642; Lys. 2.69; Men. Georg. 82; Euphro fr. 9.12)—and thus unsurprisingly more
at home in comedy and prose.
Singular γάμος is “marriage”, vs. plural γάμοι “wedding”. For marriage
as a blessing (although using different adjectives), e.g. Ar. Ach. 254-5 ώς
μακάριος / δστις σ’ όπύσει (“How blessed the man who will marry you!”;
Dicaeopolis to his daughter); Ar. Av. 1724 μακαριστόν ... γάμον (lyric); Od.
15.126 πολυηράτου ... γάμου; hAphr. 141 γάμον ίμερόεντα; Philox.Cyth.
PMG 828. But this might just as well be lamentation (i. e. of that which is
lost or threatened) as celebration; and cf. [Men.] Mon. 159 Jaekel γάμος γάρ
άνθρώποισιν εύκταϊον κακόν (“for marriage is an evil people pray for”); Plu.
Mor. 289b ζηλωτός γάρ ό πρώτος γάμος, ό δε δεύτερος άπευκταϊος (“for the
first marriage is enviable, the second one abominable”).

fr. 415 K.-A. (384 K.)
Poll. 6.103
τήν μέντοι έλαιηράν έπίχυσιν μακρόν χαλκίον Εϋπολις ώνόμασεν
Eupolis called the jug for olive oil, in fact, a large bronze vessel
Poll. 10.92
τήν έλαιηράν έπίχυσιν, ήν Εϋπολις μακρόν χαλκίον ώνόμασεν
The jug for olive oil, which Eupolis called a large bronze vessel
Hsch. χ 93
χαλκίον μ α κ p ό v · τήν έλαιηράν έπίχυσιν
a large bronze vessel: the jug for olive oil

Discussion Meineke 1839 11.497; Kock 1880 i.359