the attic stelai - The American School of Classical Studies at Athens

THE ATTIC STELAI 279
OCCUPATION
Three of the slaves of Adeimantos (VI, 20-22) and three others named in the
first column of Stele II (lines 73, 76 and 78) are described by their occupations. Five
different occupations are designated: oBEXUt-K0o'WtO6, 6vAXa6r/s, D-KVcTOTO'LLO% TcpaTE4oToto6
and Xpvo-oXoVD. The fees for the goldsmith (360 drachmas) and the trapezopoios (215
drachmas) were much above average, that for the donkey driver (140 drachmas)
much below.
The word 0,8EXUt0Ko1ot6s is new. Obeliskos is the term generally applied to iron
spits or skewers,13 or to objects, such as nails,'4 shaped like a spit. For the industrial
specialization concerned in the manufacture of this one particular iron object, comparison
may be made with other types of smiths: nailsmith (rXoGrot6s), sicklesmith
(8pewavoirot6'), locksmith (KXEt807oTtoU), cutlerysmith (FaxatpoW-ot6o'), spear-maker
(XoyXo,wot6s), etc."5
Liddell-Scott-Jones defines the trapezopoios as 'a slave who sets out the table,'
but the suggestion has more recently been made that he was a carpenter who made
tables.'6 The lexicographers, interested in the similarity of rpa 4E,orot-ou and rpa'WE-o-
K6OO%, defined the trapezopoios as the slave who had charge of the servants, of the
utensils, and of entertainments,17 a sort of manager of the table. Athenaeus (IV, 170 d
and e, translation of C. B. Gulick with slight modification) quotes two fragments from
the fourth-century comic poets, Philemon and Antiphanes, respectively: " You have
no oversight in the kitchen; a trapezopoios is appointed to serve; " and " I went and
hired in addition this trapezopoios, who will wash the dishes, get the lamps ready, prepare
the libations, and do everything.else which it is his business to do."
Athenaeus defines the trapezopoios as: T'v Tpa1TE4,v T1 E-JT,usEXr/r)v Kca aXX7))
EvK0ocrptas.18 Pollux states that he is o a'vrcov trJv 1TEpF n)7v E&rtao-tvw,' and elsewhere
enumerates the members of his long retinue.20 The trapezopoios, then, was a manager
of all services related to the table.
The skytotomos is defined by Liddell-Scott-Jones as 'leather-cutter, worker in
leather; esp. shoemaker, cobbler.' Earlier, Tod had rendered the word as 'saddler'
which allowed him to distinguish it from the term hypodematopoios.2" While Pollux
13
See below, pp. 312-313. For bibliography, see Reinach in Daremberg-Saglio, Dictionnaire, s.v.
Veru, and Deonna, Delos, XVIII, p. 227.
14
See I.G., XI, 2, 178, line 70. Cf. I.G., J2, 313, line 141.
15 For references for these terms, see Bliimner, Technologie, IV, pp. 360-363.
D. Hereward, B.S.A., XLVII, 1952, p. 114. There is no evidence to corroborate this.
17
Cf. Hug in R.E., s.v. Structor, 383.
18 IV, 170 e.
19 III, 41. Similar definitions may be found in Hesychius, Photius and Et. Mag.
20 IV, 13.
21
B.S.A., VIII, 1901-1902, p. 204.