Ἀφύα ἐς πῦρ
anchovy into fire
Translated by Jennifer Benedict7 Jun 2001Vetting: high10 revisions
Translation
It is said in the singular in Aristophanes in Broilers,
Also found is aphros ["cloud fish"] [so called] because of its whiteness.
It is also called engraulis ["grayling"] by many people.
Also [sc. attested is the phrase]
Also [sc. attested are "Phalerian anchovies", [meaning] the big ones. Phalereus [is] a harbour of Attica.5
But it is said in the plural, very rarely [in the singular]
Aristophanes [writes]: "he used to get everything he wished through [calling you] gleaming, having attached [to you] anchovies' honour."6
There are more kinds:7 one is called the aphritis,8 which is not born from procreation, but from the foam [aphros] floating at the surface of the sea. Another is called the kobitis ["little gudgeon"],9 which is born from small and lowly gudgeons which are washed up on the sand; from these [there are] others, which are called
"Apicius the gourmet11 presented Nicomedes, the king of the Bithynians who was far from the sea and had his heart set upon anchovies, [with a dish] pretending it was a little fish like anchovies. But this was the preparation. He took a delicate turnip and cut this into long and slender [pieces], mimicking the appearance of the anchovy, and he boiled them in oil and poured on salt, sprinkled on poppy seeds, and satisfied his longing."12
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἀφύα ἐς πῦρ· ἐπὶ τῶν τέλος ὀξὺ λαμβανόντων ἡ παροιμία· παρόσον καὶ τὴν ἀφύαν τάχιστα ἕψεσθαι συμβαίνει. ἑνικῶς δὲ παρὰ Ἀριστοφάνει λέγεται ἐν Ταγηνισταῖς ἀφύη· ἀλλ' ἀεὶ πληθυντικῶς τὰς ἀφύας. λέγεται δὲ καὶ ἀφρὸς διὰ τὴν λευκότητα. ἔστι δὲ ἡ παρὰ πολλῶν λεγομένη ἔγγραυλις. καὶ Ἀφύων τιμή, τὸ ἔλαιον· ἐπεὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἕψονται. καὶ Ἀφύας Φαληρικάς· τὰς μεγάλας. Φαληρεὺς δὲ λιμὴν Ἀττικῆς. πληθυντικῶς δὲ λέγεται, σπανιώτατα δὲ ἀφύην. Ἀριστοφάνης· εὕρετο πανευδίως τὰς λιπαρὰς, ἀφύας τιμὴν περιάψας. ἔστι δὲ γένη πλείονα· ἡ μὲν ἀφρῖτις λεγομένη, ἥτις οὐ γίνεται ἀπὸ γόνου, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ ἐπιπολάζοντος τῇ θαλάττῃ ἀφροῦ. ἑτέρα δέ ἐστιν ἡ λεγομένη κωβῖτις, ἣ γίνεται ἐκ τῶν μικρῶν καὶ φαύλων τῶν ἐν τῇ ἄμμῳ φερομένων κωβιῶν· ἐξ αὐτῆς δὲ ἕτεραι, αἳ ἐγκρασίχολοι καλοῦνται. καὶ ἄλλη, ἥτις ἐστὶ γένος μαινίδων, καὶ ἄλλη ἐκ τῆς μεμβράδος, καὶ ἄλλη ἐκ τῶν μικρῶν κεστρέων. ἔστι δὲ προηγουμένη ἡ ἀφρῖτις. ὅτι Νικομήδει τῷ Βιθυνῶν βασιλεῖ ἀφύης ἐπιθυμήσαντι καὶ μακρὰν ὄντι τῆς θαλάσσης, Ἀπίκιος ὁ ὀψοφάγος μιμησάμενος τὸ ἰχθύδιον παρέθηκεν ὡς ἀφύας. ἡ δὲ κατασκευὴ ἦν αὕτη. θήλειαν λαβὼν γογγυλίδα ταύτην ἔτεμεν εἰς μακρὰ καὶ λεπτὰ τὴν ὄψιν τῆς ἀφύης μιμούμενος, ἐπιζέσας ἔλαιον, ἐπιχέας ἅλας, μήκωνας ἐπιπάσας, ἔλυσε τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν.
Betacode
*)afu/a e)s pu=r: e)pi\ tw=n te/los o)cu\ lambano/ntwn h( paroimi/a: paro/son kai\ th\n a)fu/an ta/xista e(/yesqai sumbai/nei. e(nikw=s de\ para\ *)aristofa/nei le/getai e)n *taghnistai=s a)fu/h: a)ll' a)ei\ plhquntikw=s ta\s a)fu/as. le/getai de\ kai\ a)fro\s dia\ th\n leuko/thta. e)/sti de\ h( para\ pollw=n legome/nh e)/ggraulis. kai\ *)afu/wn timh/, to\ e)/laion: e)pei\ e)n au)tw=| e(/yontai. kai\ *)afu/as *falhrika/s: ta\s mega/las. *falhreu\s de\ limh\n *)attikh=s. plhquntikw=s de\ le/getai, spaniw/tata de\ a)fu/hn. *)aristofa/nhs: eu(/reto paneudi/ws ta\s lipara\s, a)fu/as timh\n peria/yas. e)/sti de\ ge/nh plei/ona: h( me\n a)fri=tis legome/nh, h(/tis ou) gi/netai a)po\ go/nou, a)ll' e)k tou= e)pipola/zontos th=| qala/tth| a)frou=. e(te/ra de/ e)stin h( legome/nh kwbi=tis, h(\ gi/netai e)k tw=n mikrw=n kai\ fau/lwn tw=n e)n th=| a)/mmw| ferome/nwn kwbiw=n: e)c au)th=s de\ e(/terai, ai(\ e)gkrasi/xoloi kalou=ntai. kai\ a)/llh, h(/tis e)sti\ ge/nos maini/dwn, kai\ a)/llh e)k th=s membra/dos, kai\ a)/llh e)k tw=n mikrw=n kestre/wn. e)/sti de\ prohgoume/nh h( a)fri=tis. o(/ti *nikomh/dei tw=| *biqunw=n basilei= a)fu/hs e)piqumh/santi kai\ makra\n o)/nti th=s qala/sshs, *)api/kios o( o)yofa/gos mimhsa/menos to\ i)xqu/dion pare/qhken w(s a)fu/as. h( de\ kataskeuh\ h)=n au(/th. qh/leian labw\n gogguli/da tau/thn e)/temen ei)s makra\ kai\ lepta\ th\n o)/yin th=s a)fu/hs mimou/menos, e)pize/sas e)/laion, e)pixe/as a(/las, mh/kwnas e)pipa/sas, e)/luse th\n e)piqumi/an.
Notes (12)
- cf. alpha 4659.↩
- 1Zenobius 2.32. ↩
- 2Aristophanes fr. 506 Kock = 520 Kassel-Austin (already at alpha 1244), from a scholium on Aristophanes, Acharnians 640 (for which see below). Compare Athenaeus, Deipnosophists 3.96C (3.49 Kaibel), 7.284F (7.22 Kaibel). See also pi 461. ↩
- 3Scholium on Aristophanes, Birds 76. ↩
- 4On this phrase see further below. ↩
- 5More exactly, 'Phalereus' is the demotikon of the harbour (and deme) Phaleron. See phi 46, and cf. phi 49. ↩
- 6A garbled version of Aristophanes, Acharnians 640 (web address 1 below); correct at theta 433, and see also lambda 575. ↩
- 7From Athenaeus, Deipnosophists 7.284F-285A (7.22 Kaibel). ↩
- 8Cross-referenced at alpha 4650. ↩
- 9Cross-referenced at kappa 2210. ↩
- 10cf. mu 557. ↩
- 11For Apicius, see already alpha 3207, alpha 3213, alpha 3214. ↩
- 12From Athenaeus, Deipnosophists 1.7D-F (1.13 Kaibel), quoting a comic poet.
External resources
- Web address 1 perseus.tufts.edu
Linked from4 entries
- α1244Ἅλιςenough[Meaning] plentifully, sufficiently. "When he had had enough of this vengeance, he ordered him carried into the city, with both hands tied behind his back". Aristophanes [writes]: "enough sardine for me: I'm stretched…
- α3214ἈπίκιοςApicius[The name of a] gourmet. See under aphua.
- α4650ἈφρῖτιςaphritisA type of small-fry. Look under aphua.
- α4659ἈφύαςAnchovies[Nick]names of two courtesans, sisters, in Hyperides.
Neighbouring entries
Revision history10 revisions · last 1 Jan 2016
- cross-reference — Catharine Roth
- updated a ref — David Whitehead
- expanded some refs — David Whitehead
- tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- tweaks, cross-reference — Catharine Roth
- added cross-reference — Catharine Roth
- augmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics — David Whitehead
- augmented notes; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- restorative cosmetics — Catharine Roth
- augmented notes; cosmetics — David Whitehead
- Translated — Jennifer Benedict