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

ON DEPILATION: BODY COSMETICS IN CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY 551
Ûf ‰’ ÂéappleÚfiÛˆappleÔ˜, Ï¢Îfi˜, â͢ÚË̤ÓÔ˜,
Á˘Ó·ÈÎfiʈÓÔ˜, êapple·Ïfi˜, ÂéappleÚÂapplec˜ å‰ÂÖÓ
where ÂéappleÚÂapple‹˜ refers to the body in contrast to ÂéappleÚfiÛˆappleÔ˜, just as
êapple·Ïfi˜ refers to bodily smoothness and â͢ÚË̤ÓÔ˜ to a closely
shaven face; velvety and marble-like skin were especial attractions in
youths: cf. the fine play by Cratinus apud Athenaeus I, 29D (Fr. III
˘Ù›ÓË, Meineke vol. II p. 117 = Fr. 195 PC Gr. vol. II p. 221: ÓÜÓ ‰’
jÓ ú‰FË MÂÓ‰·ÖÔÓ ì‚áÓÙ’ àÚÙ›ˆ˜ / ÔåÓ›ÛÎÔÓ (play on Ó·ӛÛÎÔÓ),
≤appleÂÙ·È ÎàÎÔÏÔ˘ıÂÖ Î·d ϤÁÂÈ: / «ÔúÌ’ ó˜ êapple·Ïe˜ ηd Ï¢Îfi˜Ø pÚ’
ÔúÛÂÈ ÙÚ›·;»); these features, stereotyped in the mask of one type of
Ó·ӛÛÎÔ˜, were appropriate for the impersonation of a beautiful
young god: Pollux IV 136: ï ‰b êapple·Ïfi˜, ‚ÔÛÙÚ‡¯ÔȘ Í·Óıfi˜, Ï¢Îfi-
¯ÚÔ˘˜, ʷȉÚfi˜, appleÚ¤appleˆÓ ı¡á Î·Ïˇá.
Cleisthenes is shaven in the fundament, his anus is described as
ıÂÚÌfi‚Ô˘ÏÔ˜ in parody of a Euripidean verse, we are told by the
scholiast, but with an apposite allusion to the hot desires of that part
of Cleisthenes’ anatomy. In the following verse, Aristophanes,
parodying Archilochus this time, presents us with another of his
ingenious games: he, this time, says something less than expected,
something which is better literally fitting to the situation (for only
Cleisthenes’ face is actually seen, and it is, apparently, on account of
his extremely careful and close shave that he is called a eunuch), while
at the same time clearly alluding to the other more obscene and more
really appropriate feature, which is unmistakeably brought to mind by
the previous verse (ıÂÚÌfi‚Ô˘ÏÔÓ appleÚˆÎÙeÓ â͢ÚË̤ÓÂ), by the
mention of the ape (in whose anatomy the hidden parts figure very
eminently) and by the parody of the Archilochian verse, which makes
the whole business clear as light. (The scholiast has: ηd ÙÔÜÙÔ
apple·ÚˇÒ‰ËÎÂÓ âÎ ÙáÓ \AÚ¯ÈÏfi¯Ô˘ âappleáÓ the correction is practically
certain: ÙÔȋӉ ‰’, t apple›ıËÎÂ, ÙcÓ apple˘ÁcÓ ö¯ˆÓ, of which verse more
will be said in a moment). We see, thus, how a seeming anticlimax
(appleÒÁˆÓ after appleÚˆÎÙfi˜) is really a masterfully constructed climax.
Though the point is missed by Bentley on account of his
overcleverness and overcriticism; he says commenting on the scholiast:
immo non parodia sed vera lectio est ÙÔȿӉ ‰’, t apple›ıËÎÂ, ÙcÓ
apple˘ÁcÓ ö¯ˆÓ. It is very typical of the misjudgements of a certain school
of verbal thought in scholarship.