αἰκάλλοντες
(Phryn. PS 36.1–4)

D. General commentary

The entry in the PS (A.1) discusses the use of αἰκάλλω and προσσαίνω as synonymsSynonyms of the more common σαίνω, which is attested from Homer onwards. These verbs all carry the literal meaning of ‘to fawn, to wag the tail’ (principally of dogs) and metaphorically ‘to fawn on, to flatter’ (for this common metaphor in Greek literature, see Harriott 1982, 11–5, Caramico 2009, 451–6). Like Phrynichus, other erudite sources commenting on αἰκάλλω and προσσαίνω (see B.1–B.6) focus on both the literal and the metaphorical meanings. The translations provided above reflect an attempt to distinguish between these use contexts where possible.

Phrynichus (A.1) qualifies the use of αἰκάλλω with the adverb φιλοτίμως and that of προσσαίνω with πολιτικῶς. This is one of the five items for which the PS employs πολιτικός to refer to an urbane register or style that is neither eccentric nor poetic (see entries ἄψοφον ἔχειν στόμα, ἄπαρνος, ἔξαρνος, ἀμαξιαῖα ῥῆματα, and αὐθέντης). The extant text of the PS does not attribute αἰκάλλω to any classical author, but the occurrence of a parallel entry in Photius (B.1) suggests that Phrynichus originally quoted Plato Comicus (C.2, see too Theodoridis ad Phot. α 583 and Cunningham ad Σ^b α 572, and cf. F.1). Apropos Ar. Th. 869 (C.3), Austin and Olson (2004, 283) note that αἰκάλλω is ‘rare, late 5th-century vocabulary’. In its extant classical occurrences, the verb may be employed literally – as in the pseudo-Epicharmean fragment C.4 (on which see Favi 2020, 121–3) – and in its unique tragic attestation at Eur. Andr. 630 (C.5), though both passages comprise similes that equate women to bitches, and a symbolic meaning is therefore implied. Other classical occurrences employ the verb metaphorically in reference to humans who flatter or are flattered: see C.3 (where αἰκάλλω forms part of a paratragic parodyParody with respect to both vocabulary and metre: cf. Austin, Olson 2004, 283), C.6 (on which see Taillardat 1965, 404 and the scholium in B.6, and further F.2), and C.7.

All classical occurrences of αἰκάλλω are therefore poetic. The verb’s rarity in Attic texts may explain why Phrynichus singles it out as representative of a φιλότιμοςφιλότιμος (‘recherché’) style. Indeed (with the exception of two occurrences in Polybius), in post-classical texts, αἰκάλλω appears to be favoured by authors who employ high-register language (probably Lucian in Lex. 10.8, as conjectured by Bekker; Ath. 3.99e, where it occurs in hendiadys with προσσαίνω; Aelian, Philostratus, and Themistius). The many erudite sources focusing on the verb (B.1–B.7, as well as EM 34.1EM 34.1, [Zonar.] 91.16[Zonar.] 91.16, 983.19[Zonar.] 983.19, schol. Eur. Andr. 630Schol. Eur. Andr. 630) confirm that it was an erudite word that exerted no meaningful presence in Post-classical and Byzantine Greek.

προσσαίνω, a prefixed form of the common σαίνω, occurs with little more frequency than αἰκάλλω. It is attested only four times in Attic literature, all of which are tragic (C.1, on which see further F.1; C.8, [Aesch.] PV 835, and the textually difficult epode of Aesch. Pers. 93–100, on which see Garvie 2009, 83–6). At the same time, προσσαίνω occurs slightly more frequently than αἰκάλλω in post-classical literature – and not always in Atticising Greek (e.g., Philo of Alexandria, Zenobius, Eusebius, and various hagiographers). It is also telling that at Onomasticon 6.123Poll. 6.123, Pollux lists κύων προσσαίνων ‘fawning dog’ among the offensive expressionsAbuse (terms of) that may be used for a flatterer. This likely explains why Phrynichus labels προσσαίνω with πολιτικός: its tragic attestations lend it a more recherché flavour than the simpler σαίνω; however, it is an unmarked variant that can safely be used in prose and urbane conversation in contrast to the more conspicuous αἰκάλλω. The evaluative adjective φιλότιμοςφιλότιμος is not found elsewhere in Phrynichus’ work, but Pollux employs it several times, always in the comparative, to single out more distinct usages from common vocabulary (e.g. 1.11. 1.35, 1.60, etc.).

E. Byzantine and Modern Greek commentary

αἰκάλλω is an extremely rare, recherché word in Byzantine literature (with one occurrence in Nicetas Choniates and two in Planudes) and προσσαίνω, in both its literal and metaphorical meaning, is only slightly more frequent (see e.g. Maximus Confessor Quaestiones et dubia 168.22–3). σαίνω, which already in Classical Greek is the most common form of the group, remains a standard form, though in its literal meaning it suffers from the competition of κινέωκινέω (τὴν οὔραν), ‘to waggle the tail’. None of these verbs is attested in texts in Medieval and Early Modern Greek, a situation reflected in Standard Modern Greek as well, where ‘to waggle the tail’ is κουνάω την ουρά, and ‘to flatter’ is expressed by the classical κολακεύω.

F. Commentary on individual texts and occurrences

(1)    Phryn. PS 36.1–4 (A.1), Soph. fr. 1082 (C.1)

De Borries (1911, 36) identifies the Sophoclean locus classicus behind the PS entry as Soph. OT 597Soph. OT 597, with Musgrave (1800, 272) having dubiously conjectured αἰκάλλουσι for the transmitted ἐκκαλοῦσι. The conjecture has met with little favour (as Finglass 2018, 360 notes, it ‘gives a verb attested only once in tragedy [Eur. Andr. 630], and undermines Creon’s case by attributing to him a fondness for flattery rather than companionship and honour’). Accordingly, de Borries interpreted Phrynichus’ text to mean that Sophocles used αἰκάλλω and not προσσαίνω. However, aside from the implicit requirement that the text be corrected, this interpretation is specious in light of the two verbs' occurrences: αἰκάλλω is no more tragic than προσσαίνω, which has two secure attestations in Aeschylus. Thus, the use of προσσαίνω can only be attributed to an unknown play, as Kannicht does ad Soph. fr. 1082 (C.2), with useful notes on the exegetical history of the PS entry and the editing of the Sophocles fragment.

(2)    Σ^b α 572 (B.2), Su. αι 160 (B.4), Su. η 159 (B.6), Ar. Eq. 48 (C.6)

It is likely that the glossing of αἰκάλλω with θωπεύω in B.2, B.4 and B.6 depends on Ar. Eq. 48 (C.6), where the two verbs occur one after another. See also the scholium on this line (B.7).