Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2009
A word of apology may be due for the loose arrangement of this paper; but, as an orderly progress through the 600 odd pages of the Didot Scriptores Erotici was out of the question, I have simply taken a number of passages on which I had corrections to propose, appending to each a few lines of comment, and adding, where feasible, a selection of texts amenable, in my judegment, to the same or an analogous treatment. A reading cited with no mark of orgin may be taken as the consenting manuscript tradition (trivialities excepted); an asterisk denotes a conjecture of my own.
page 53 note 1 Cf. Char. I 11 πηγ⋯ δ⋯ ἦν αὐτ⋯θι πολλο⋯ καἰ καθαρο⋯ ν⋯ματος—a passage which might perhaps be used for the correction of IV 2:—τ⋯ν ϒ⋯ρ πηϒ⋯ν ⋯νεὑρηκα το⋯ μεϒ⋯λου ν ⋯ μ α τ ο ς (*: αϊματος).In any case, Reiske's λ⋯ματος is wrong.
2 These trifling misadventures with final and initial consonants are common enough in the text of the Erotici. More curious than most is, possibly. Ach. Tat. IV 2:—ĸεϕαλή, περιϕερ⋯ς, оύσμιĸρά ⋅ έγγùς ϊππον παρεια⋯. Achilles Tatius, in a παρέкβασις featuting the river-horse, would if I read him aright, have reject ού μικρά as frigid, ού Σμικρά as Ogygian; and I think the critic who regularized the concord κεϕαλή… ού σμικρόν would have done better with:—κεϕαλή περιϕερής⋅ ούς μικρbν*⋅ έγγὐς ἴππου παρειαl.
page 55 note 1 As to the augment, present here and absent in тέθυто, it is necessarily omitted in Charition, Achilles Tatius, and Heliodorus after a long vowel or diphthong: otherwise, it is employed, or not, at pleasure. Hence the need for the following alterations:—Ach. Tat. I Ι θαλάσση [⋯]πεπε⋯σμην, though hiatus is allowed sparingly after v. The tense should be restored at Ach. Tat. II 10 ⋯π⋯σπαστο (*: ⋯πεσπ⋯το MV) μ⋯ν ⋯ Kλε⋯ω δ⋯ παρθ⋯νος ⋯ν τῷ περιπ⋯τῳ κατελ⋯ γεπτо, where the vulgate ⋯πεδπ⋯σθη has no authority worth the name; at VII 6 παρεδκεν⋯δμην (*: παρεδκεναδ⋯μην); probably at Heliod. II 16 ⋯πηκρ⋯ατο (*: ⋯πηκρ⋯το); and at VIII 9 παρεδ⋯δοτο (*: παραδιδοται) … καἰ ⋯νεβ⋯βλητο; not, however, at V 14 γραφῇ γἄρ ἔζεστο κα⋯ ε⋯ς μ⋯μημαξῴων ⋯κοιλα⋯νετο (⋯κεκο⋯λαντο H. Richards). Compare, inter alia, I 28 τ⋯ δ⋯ δ⋯ ἧν φὐσεως ἔργον… ⋯λλ⋯ τ⋯χνης λῃστνικ⋯ς… καἰ χειρ⋯ν A⋯γνπτ⋯ων ⋯ρνγμα, πρ⋯ς σὺλων φνλακ⋯ν περι⋯ργως κ о ι λ α ι ν ⋯ μ ε ν о ν. εἵργαστо δ⋯ ὦδ⋯ πως κτ⋯.
page 57 note 1 When in full feather, naturally; as at Ach. Tat. I 1 “Eρως, μικρ⋯ν παιδἰον ⋯πλὠκει τ⋯ πτερ⋯ν, ἥρτητο <τ⋯ν> φαρ⋯τπαν, ⋯κπ⋯τει τ⋯ π⋯ρ, Eust. H. et H. II 11 ⋯πλα φ⋯ρει κατ' ἄνδρ⋯ν. π⋯ρ κατἄ γυναικ⋯ν, τ⋯ξα κατ⋯ θηρ⋯ν, κατἄ πτην⋯ν τ⋯ πτερ⋯ν, etc. For passages like Ach. Tat. II 4, ⋯ρᾷς αὐτο⋯ τ⋯ σχ⋯μα ⋯ς ⋯στι στρατιωτικ⋯ν. τ⋯ξα κα⋯ φαρ⋯τρα κα⋯ β⋯λη κα⋯ π⋯ρ, obviously do not come into the count.