250
frr. 490-4
Fragments probably not from Eupolis (dubid)
fr. 490 K.-A. (136 K.)
εις βαλανεϊον είσιών
μή ζηλοτυπήσης τον συνεμβαίνοντά σοι
εις τήν μάκραν
1 είσιών Sauppe : είσελθών Poll.FSA 3 μάκραν Poll.FS: μάκτραν Poll.A et cf. supra
τήν έν τω βαλανείω μάκτραν
When you enter a bathhouse,
don’t be resentful of the man who joins you
in the tub
Poll. 7.168
των δέ έτι νεωτέρων τις Εϋπολις καί τήν πύελον τήν έν τω βαλανείω μάκτραν
ώνόμασεν, ώς οί νϋν· λέγει γοΰν έν Διαιτώντι·-
Eupolis, one of the even more recent poets, also referred to the tub found in a bathhouse
as a maktra, as people do today. He says at any rate in Diaitdn:-

Meter lambic trimeter
<X — X>|-—-
-O— <x—o— x—o—>
Citation Context From a discussion of words having to do with bathhouses
and bathing that also includes fr. 280; Anaxil. fr. 17 is cited just before this.
Text In 1, the unmetrical είσελθών has driven out its less common synonym
είσιών. In 3, μάκτραν is the proper form in the classical period, but is metri-
cally impossible here.
Interpretation Seemingly a piece of traditional advice, or at least presented
as such. Since bathing with others is in the nature of visiting a bathhouse, it is
unreasonable to go to one and complain of having to share a tub with another
man; so too (mutatis mutandis) if someone decides to participate in any other
activity open to the world at large (e. g. politics), he has no choice but to put
up with others who choose to do the same.
There are at least five reasons to doubt the authenticity of the fragment: