Some duals

Menander, fr. 520 Kock
μήτηρ τέθνηκε ταῖν ἀδελφαῖν ταῖν δυοῖν (δυεῖν in Körte-Thierfelder)
ταύταιν· τρέφει δὲ παλλακή τις τοῦ πατρὸς
... but ...
αὐτάς, ἅβρα τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῶν γενομένη.


Josephus (!), AJ 14.425:
ὡς δὲ καθιμήθησαν αἱ λάρνακες, ἐτόλμα δ’ οὐδεὶς προσελθεῖν τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν στομίων,
ἀλλ’ ὑπὸ δέους ἠρέμουν, μάχαιράν τις περιζωσάμενος τῶν ὁπλοφόρων καὶ ταῖν χεροῖν ἀμφοτέραιν δραξάμενος ἁλύσεως, ἀφ’ ἧς ἤρτητο ἡ λάρναξ, κατῄει ἐπὶ τὰ στόμια δυσχεράνας τὴν τριβὴν τῶν ἐπεξιέναι μὴ τολμώντων.

In Plutarch, we find ταῖν with θεαῖν (so too in Arrian's Anabasis) and χεροῖν.

In Job 13:20, we find δυεῖν '(you shall indulge me) in two things' (NETS, p. 678) in the poetic section, but δύο in 42:7 in the prose epilogue (Joosten 2014: 35), where δυεῖν would be inadmissible syntactically.

Phrynichus at his best

(316) Καμμύειν· τοσαύτη κακοδαιμονία περί τινάς ἐστι τῆς βαρβαρίας, ὥστε, ἐπειδὴ Ἄλεξις (fr. 319 K.) κέχρηται τῷ καμμύειν ἠμελημένως ἐσχάτως, αἱρεῖσθαι καὶ αὐτοὺς οὕτω λέγειν, δέον ὡς οἱ ἄριστοι τῶν ἀρχαίων καταμύειν.
(317) Κεφαλοτομεῖν· ἀπόρριπτε τοὔνομα καὶ Θεόφραστον κεχρημένον αὐτῷ (Π. εὐδαιμονίας), λέγε δὲ καρατομεῖν.
(318) Λάκαιναν μὲν γυναῖκα ἐρεῖς, Λάκαιναν δὲ τὴν χώραν οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ Λακωνικήν, εἰ καὶ Εὐριπίδης παραλόγως φησὶν (Androm. 194) "ὡς ἡ Λάκαινα τῶν Φρυγῶν μείων πόλις".

καμμύω (apocope of καταμύω)  appears in 'LXX' Isaiah 6:10 and its New Testament quotations. As elsewhere, the comedian Alexis gets a rap on the knuckles. Even the great Theophrastus, more Attic than the people of Attica, nods from time to time. An instance in Euripides is not enough to justify misusing ethnic adjectives.

Plautus in LSJ

On the continuing thread of Greek words and meanings cited from Latin texts, all instances of 'Plaut.' in LSJ can be gathered automatically.

A dvandva compound: ~ brunch ?

Hesychius has ἀριστόδειπνον· ὅταν τὸ ἄριστον τῷ δείπνῳ συνάψωσιν.

The word is known from a fragment of Alexis (via Athenaeus) and, from Pollux VI 102, we know that it was used by Menander.  

Bleeting

Cratinus, fr. 43 (Dionysalexandros): ὁ δ’ ἠλίθιος ὥσπερ πρόβατον βῆ βῆ λέγων βαδίζει.

Aristophanes, fr. 648 KA. ~ 642 Kock (West after Dindorf): θύ<σ>ειν <με> μέλλει καὶ κελεύει βῆ λέγειν. 

Barking

In addition to ΑΥ ΑΥ in Aristophanes' Wasps when the dog Λαβής enters, there is also βαύ in Fr. Choliambica Adespota 2:  

A. ⏒–⏑ ‘βαὺ βαύ’. B. καὶ κυνὸς φωνὴν ἵεις;

Hermippos Comikos and catalogues of flowers

Fragment 82 Kock concerns various wines:

Μενδαῖον, τοῦ μὲν καὶ ἐνουροῦσιν θεοὶ αὐτοὶ
στρώμασιν ἐν μαλακοῖς. Μάγνητα δὲ μειλιχόδωρον
καὶ Θάσιον, τῷ δὴ μήλων ἐπιδέδρομεν ὀδμή,
ταῦτον ἐγὼ κρίνω πολὺ πάντων εἶναι ἄριστον
τῶν ἄλλων οἴνων, μετ’ ἀμύμονα Χῖον ἄλυπον.   
ἔστι δέ τις οἶνος, τὸν δὴ σαπρίαν καλέουσιν,
οὗ καὶ ἀπὸ στόματος στάμνων ὑπανοιγομενάων
ὄζει ἴων, ὄζει δὲ ῥόδων, ὄζει δ’ ὑακίνθου.
ὀσμὴ θεσπεσίη κατὰ πᾶν δ’ ἔχει ὑψερεφὲς δῶ.
ἀμβροσία καὶ νέκταρ ὁμοῦ τοῦτ’ ἐστὶ τὸ νέκταρ.
τούτου χρὴ παρέχειν πίνειν ἐν δαιτὶ θαλείῃ
τοῖσιν ἐμοῖσι φίλοις, τοῖς δ’ ἐχθροῖς ἐκ Πεπαρήθου.

For other flower catalogues, see: GVI 1409, IG XIV 607 e.1-10 (Hadrianic(?), a multipart bilingual), Il.14.346-351, Cypria fr. 4, Sapph.94.12-17, 96.12-14, hHom.2.6-8, 2.425-8, 19.23-26, Theoc.1.132-4, and Mosch.2.64-66.

φωνή in Heracl(e)ides Criticus 294-220 BC (369A New Jacoby)

The translations are by Jeremy McInerney.

Fragment 1, section 20 (Boeotian women):
Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ταῖς ὁμιλίαις οὐ λίαν Βοιώτιαι, μᾶλλον δὲ Σικυώνιαι. Καὶ ἡ φωνὴ δ’ αὐτῶν ἐστὶν ἐπίχαρις· τῶν δ’ ἀνθρώπων ἀτερπὴς καὶ βαρεῖα.
In their social behaviour the women are scarcely Boiotian, but rather Sikyonian. Their speech is delightful, while their men’s is harsh and overbearing.

 

1.30 (Chalcis):

Ἡ δὲ χώρα πᾶσα αὐτῶν ἐλαιόφυτος, ἀγαθὴ δὲ καὶ ἡ θάλαττα. Οἱ δ’ ἐνοικοῦντες Ἕλληνες οὐ τῷ γένει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ φωνῇ· τῶν μαθημάτων ἐντός· φιλαπόδημοι· γραμματικοί· τὰ προσπίπτοντα ἐκ τῆς πατρίδος δυσχερῆ γενναίως φέροντες· δουλεύοντες γὰρ πολὺν ἤδη χρόνον, τοῖς δὲ τρόποις ὄντες ἐλεύθεροι, μεγάλην εἰλήφασιν ἕξιν τοῦ φέρειν ῥᾳθύμως τὰ προσπίπτοντα.

Their entire territory is planted with olives, and the sea is good to them as well. The inhabitants are Greek not only by descent but also in speech. In their lessons, they are well travelled and well read. The misfortunes they have suffered, such as banishment and other disasters, they bear nobly. For though they have long been enslaved, by maintaining the manners of free men, they have acquired the habit of bearing misfortune lightly.

 

3.2:

Ἕλληνες μὲν γάρ εἰσι τῷ γένει, καὶ ταῖς φωναῖς ἑλληνίζουσιν οἱ ἀφ’ Ἕλληνος· Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ οἱ τὴν Ἀττικὴν κατοικοῦντες Ἀττικοὶ μέν εἰσι τῷ γένει, ταῖς δὲ διαλέκτοις ἀττικίζουσιν, ὥσπερ Δωριεῖς μὲν οἱ ἀπὸ Δώρου τῇ φωνῇ δωρίζουσιν· αἰολίζουσι δὲ οἱ ἀπὸ Αἰόλου, ἰάζουσι δὲ οἱ ἀπὸ Ἴωνος τοῦ Ξούθου φύντες.

So Hellenes are those who are descended from Hellen and speak the Hellenic language inherited from Hellen. So too, Athenians, who dwell in Attica, are Attic by birth, and speak Attic with respect to their dialect, just as Dorians are those who speak Doric Greek inherited from Doros, while those descended from Aiolos speak Aiolic, and those who spring from Ion, son of Xouthos, speak Ionic Greek.

 

3.5:

 Ἡ δὲ καλουμένη νῦν Ἑλλὰς λέγεται μὲν, οὐ μέντοι ἐστί· τὸ γὰρ ἑλληνίζειν ἐγὼ εἶναί φημι οὐκ ἐν τῷ διαλέγεσθαι ὀρθῶς, ἀλλ’ ἐν τῷ γένει τῆς φωνῆς· αὕτη δ’ ἐστὶν ἀφ’ Ἕλληνος· ἡ δὲ Ἑλλὰς ἐν Θετταλίᾳ κεῖται. Ἐκείνους οὖν ἐροῦμεν τὴν Ἑλλάδα κατοικεῖν καὶ ταῖς φωναῖς ἑλληνίζειν.

What is presently called Greece is a word, but not a reality, for I maintain that ‘to hellenize’ or ‘speak Greek’ is not a matter of correct pronunciation but concerns the language’s descent. This speech is from Hellen. Hellas lies in Thessaly. Accordingly we say that those men inhabit Hellas, and, with respect to their speech, they ‘hellenize’ or ‘speak Greek’.

3.7:

Ὅτι δὲ πᾶσα ἣν κατηριθμήμεθα Ἑλλάς ἐστι, μαρτυρεῖ ἡμῖν ὁ τῶν κωμῳδιῶν ποιητὴς Ποσείδιππος, μεμφόμενος Ἀθηναίοις, ὅτι τὴν αὑτῶν φωνὴν καὶ τὴν πόλιν φασὶ τῆς Ἑλλάδος εἶναι, λέγων οὕτως·

  Ἑλλὰς μέν ἐστι μία, πόλεις δὲ πλείονες.

  Σὺ μὲν ἀττικίζεις, ἡνίκ’ ἂν φωνὴν λέγῃς

  αὑτοῦ τιν’· οἱ δ’ Ἕλληνες ἑλληνίζομεν.

  Τί προσδιατρίβων συλλαβαῖς καὶ γράμμασιν

  τὴν εὐτραπελίαν εἰς ἀηδίαν ἄγεις; 

That everything which we have included in our account constitutes Hellas finds confirmation in the work of the comic poet Poseidippos, when he reproaches the Athenians for claiming that theirs is the language and the city of Hellas, saying as follows:One Hellas there is, though cities there are many.
You speak Attic, and your utterances take the prize
They’re so distinctive. But we Hellenes hellenize.
Why must you transform the euphonious,
With your obsession with syllables and letters,
Into verses malodious?
 

 

The author's name might involve the ethnic Κρητικός Cretan, not Κριτικός.

More on names, their plurals, and on ethnics, etc.

The first (and only) fragment of Susarion, who is credited with being the first Greek comedian, presents all of his terms of identification, almost:

ἀκούετε λεῴ· Σουσαρίων λέγει τάδε,

υἱὸς Φιλίνου Μεγαρόθεν Τριποδίσκιος·

κακὸν γυναῖκες· ἀλλ’ ὅμως, ὦ δημόται,

οὐκ ἔστιν οἰκεῖν οἰκίαν ἄνευ κακοῦ.

καὶ γὰρ τὸ γῆμαι καὶ τὸ μὴ γῆμαι κακόν. 

Name, Susariaon: Patronymic, son of Philinos (but with υἱὸς explicit): village ethnic 
Τριποδίσκιος [a κωμήτης, says Steph.Byz.]: and city/regional ethnic equivalent Μεγαρόθεν (the testimonia give Μεγαρεύς).

Roman daughters took the feminine of their gentilicium as their personal name: daughter of a Cornelius would be a Cornelia, etc. So, what happened when there were several daughters in one immediate family?

legimus epistulas Corneliae matris Gracchorum: apparet filios non tam in gremio educatos quam in sermone matris. auditus est nobis Laeliae C. f. saepe sermo: ergo illam patris elegantia tinctam vidimus et filias eius Mucias ambas. quarum sermo mihi fu it notus, et neptes Licinias, quas nos quidem ambas, hanc vero Scipionis etiam tu, Brute, credo, aliquando audisti loquentem. 

Cicero, Brutus 211

Dawn appears as Ἠώς (not Ἕως) in Isoc.10.52 (a mythological context?), but as Ἕως in E. (Hipp.455, Ion 1158, Phaeth.5). A name hopping dialectal lines...

Puerile Lexicographic Humour

LSJ s.v. μακκοάω ('be stupid') glosses Ar.Eq.62 (εἶτ’ αὐτὸν ὡς ὁρᾷ μεμακκοακότα,) as 'sitting mooning'. The notion of sitting is not explicit in this context, although it is in μακκοᾷ καθήμενος (Ar.Eq.396).

OED s.v. moon, v. 2 a-c helps by referring to aimless behaviour and daydreaming - a meaning reported as recently as 1997. However, this gloss could easily misunderstood (OED s.v. moon, v. 4 a) so as to put more smut into Aristophanes.

Plurals of personal names

Aristophanes, Frogs 1039-1051 makes sustained use of plurals of personal names:


Aeschylus

ἀλλ’ ἄλλους τοι πολλοὺς ἀγαθούς, ὧν ἦν καὶ Λάμαχος ἥρως·

ὅθεν ἡμὴ φρὴν ἀπομαξαμένη πολλὰς ἀρετὰς ἐποίησεν,

Πατρόκλων, Τεύκρων θυμολεόντων, ἵν’ ἐπαίροιμ’ ἄνδρα πολίτην

ἀντεκτείνειν αὑτὸν τούτοις, ὁπόταν σάλπιγγος ἀκούσῃ.

ἀλλ’ οὐ μὰ Δί’ οὐ Φαίδρας ἐποίουν πόρνας οὐδὲ Σθενεβοίας,

οὐδ’ οἶδ’ οὐδεὶς ἥντιν’ ἐρῶσαν πώποτ’ ἐποίησα γυναῖκα.

Euripides 

μὰ Δί’, οὐ γὰρ ἐπῆν τῆς Ἀφροδίτης οὐδέν σοι.

Aeschylus                 

μηδέ γ’ ἐπείη·

ἀλλ’ ἐπί τοι σοὶ καὶ τοῖς σοῖσιν πολλὴ πολλοῦ ’πικαθῆτο,

ὥστε γε καὐτὸν σὲ κατ’ οὖν ἔβαλεν.

Dionysus             

νὴ τὸν Δία τοῦτό γέ τοι δή.

ἃ γὰρ εἰς τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἐποίεις, αὐτὸς τούτοισιν ἐπλήγης.

Euripides  

καὶ τί βλάπτουσ’, ὦ σχέτλι’ ἀνδρῶν, τὴν πόλιν ἁμαὶ Σθενέβοιαι;

Aeschylus 

ὅτι γενναίας καὶ γενναίων ἀνδρῶν ἀλόχους ἀνέπεισας

κώνεια πιεῖν αἰσχυνθείσας διὰ τοὺς σοὺς Βελλεροφόντας.

Commentators on female characters, especially in Menander

Handley on Dysc.208 ff.:
"[Poverty] appears on the stage looking like a cross between a tragic fury and the fraudulent barmaid next door, or something equally low."

Gomme-Sandbach on Epitr.489:

"'The childish admiration for the beautiful garment and the sympathy for its loss is indicative of Habrotonon's uncorrupted youth' wrote Wilamowitz, who had a weak spot for the girl. Lord Harberton (Unus Multorum), who felt that she oozed vulgarity at every pore', a judgement that may be held to do its author little credit, thought it indicative of her values that she gives so much attention to Pamphile's clothes, so little to her misfortune. ... Habrotonon ... is young, warm, and clever. But her only deep feelings are for herself."

Hons Dons

Some people get their degrees the easy way:



~Typhoeus