APPENDIX C΄ ON DEPILATION: BODY COSMETICS IN CLASSICAL ...

568 APPENDIX C΄
not conform to the (misunderstood) conventions about its use. (X·Ï-
ÎfiÓ in Eustathius may be corrupt, besides).
Menelaus must also have been famous for his ivory thighs, as
Eustathius observes in his comment on Iliad Λ, 573, as well as calves
and ankles, v. Iliad Δ, 141 sqq.:
ó˜ ‰’ ¬ÙÈ Ù›˜ Ù’ âϤʷÓÙ· Á˘Óc ÊÔ›ÓÈÎÈ ÌÈ‹ÓFË
...
ÙÔÖÔ› ÙÔÈ, MÂӤϷÂ, ÌÈ¿ÓıËÓ ·¥Ì·ÙÈ ÌËÚÔd
ÂéÊ˘¤Â˜, ÎÓÉÌ·› Ù å‰b ÛÊ˘Úa ηϒ ñapple¤ÓÂÚıÂÓ.
As Eustathius says (455.31): ηd Ô≈Ùˆ ÌbÓ ì apple·Ú·‚ÔÏc Ï¢ÎeÓ
ʇÛÂÈ ÙeÓ MÂӤϷÔÓ îÛÙÔÚÂÖ; and in 457.2: ηd ÛËÌ›ˆÛ·È ¬ÙÈ Î·Ùa
ÙÔÜÙÔÓ ÙeÓ ÏfiÁÔÓ Ô鉒 iÓ \AÏÂÍ¿Ó‰ÚÔ˘ (i.e. Paris) „fiÁÔ˜ ÂúË Ùe àÚÁ‡-
Ú·, õÙÔÈ ÏÂ˘Î¿, ηd ηÏa ö¯ÂÈÓ Ùa âappleÈÛʇÚÈ·. Eustathius, here and
in his commentary on the quoted passages, faces the problem of how
Homer can speak of Ajax and Menelaus as having Ï¢ÎeÓ ¯Úfi·,
whiteness being not a particularly manly quality. From what we have
above said, the solution of this worry must be evident. It is one thing
to be apple·¯‡˜ and Ï¢Îfi˜ from àÚÁ›·, ÛÎÈ·ÙÚ·Ê›· and àÁ˘ÌÓ·Û›·; it
is another to be Ï¢Îfi˜ out of an effeminate care for your skin with a
sense of its exquisite preciosity; it is still another thing to be Ï¢Îfi˜
with a perfectly built, athletic body. Eustathius gives us further
valuable information on the matter (455.31 sqq.): Âå ‰b ηd ıËÏ˘appleÚÂappleb˜
âÓ ≥ÚˆÛÈÓ ì Ï¢ÎfiÙ˘ (the effeminate sense of whitepreciosity),
‰Èe ÙeÓ TÚˆ˚ÎeÓ K‡ÎÓÔÓ £ÂfiÎÚÈÙÔ˜ ÙÔÈÔÜÙÔÓ ùÓÙ· ıÉÏ˘Ó
àapplee ¯ÚÔÈĘ öÊË, àÏÏ’ âÓÙ·Üı· Ê·ÛdÓ Ôî apple·Ï·ÈÔd ¬ÙÈ ÎiÓ ôÏψ˜
Âéapple·ıb˜ Ùe Ï¢ÎeÓ (åÛ¯˘ÚfiÙÂÚ· ‰b Ùa ÌÂÏ¿Á¯ÚÔ· ÙáÓ ÛˆÌ¿ÙˆÓ),
àÏÏa apple·Úa ÙÔÖ˜ §¿ÎˆÛÈ ¯·Ú·ÎÙcÚ àÓ‰Ú›·˜ qÓ Ï¢Îe˜ ¯Úg˜ ηd
ÎfiÌË Í·Óı‹, ïappleÔÖÔÓ Î·d ÙeÓ \AϤͷӉÚÔÓ ÂrÓ·È åÛÙÔÚÂÖ ï appleÔÈËÙ‹˜.
This fits very well with the athletic and warlike nature of Ï¢ÎÔ› (not
labouring in exposed conditions, aristocratic men, as we observed
above in connection with the proverb: Ôé‰bÓ öÚÁÔÓ âÛÙdÓ àÓ‰ÚáÓ
Ï¢ÎáÓ, jÓ Ì‹ ÙÈ Î·d Ì¿¯ˆÓÙ·È). The present instance is a good
example of what I mean by the natural fitting together of all bits and
pieces of our evidence, if one goes thoroughly into the details of the
matter with an unprepossessed mind. For example, we can go even
further into this detail about the Lacedaemonians. For if they