ἐξαλλάσσω, ἐξάλλαγμα
(Antiatt. ε 92, Antiatt. ε 93, Phryn. Ecl. 341)

D. General commentary

Atticist sources discussed the admissibility of ἐξαλλάσσω in its meaning ‘to amuse’ (for other meanings, see below) and, consequently, the admissibility of the deverbal noun ἐξάλλαγμα ‘amusement’ vis‑à‑vis the verb’s more common meanings (see below). The entries in the Antiatticist (A.1, A.2) and in Phrynichus’ Eclogue (A.3) typically reveal how their approaches differ as regards the comic canon: while the Antiatticist marshals evidence from later comedy (Anaxandrides, Menander) in support of ἐξαλλάσσω ‘to amuse’ and ἐξάλλαγμα ‘amusement’, Phrynichus programmatically rejects the late comic poets Menander and Philippides as models of Attic language. The entry in the second book of Phrynichus’ Eclogue may represent a reaction against the corresponding entries in the Antiatticist, unless we assume that the Antiatticist and Phrynichus are relying on the same sources (cf. Latte 1915, 381 n. 2; Tribulato 2022, 928).

ἐξαλλάσσω is a high‑frequency verb that encompasses a broad semantic spectrum pertaining to different types of change (for a particularly rich exemplification, see LSJ s.v., DGE s.v., and CGL s.v.). To limit ourselves to a handful of uses, ἐξαλλάσσω may indicate a transformation of the inner nature of concrete or abstract referents (e.g. plants, Thphr. HP 8.8.3: γένος δ’ ὅλον ἐξαλλάττειν εἰς ἕτερον οὐδὲν [ἕτερον] ἄλλο πέφυκε πλὴν τίφη καὶ ζειά, ‘but no species is such by nature to completely change into another, except for the one-seeded wheat and the rice-wheat’); a change in external appearance (e.g. clothing, see Eur. Hel. 1297: ἐσθῆτά τ’ ἐξάλλαξον, ‘change clothes’); a variation in form (e.g. language, see Arist. Po. 1458a.21–2: σεμνὴ δὲ καὶ ἐξαλλάττουσα τὸ ἰδιωτικὸν ἡ τοῖς ξενικοῖς κεχρημένη, ‘the [diction] which employs exotic language is solemn and different from the ordinary [way of expression]’); a change of place (e.g. leaving a country, see Eur. IT 134–5: χόρτων τ᾿ εὐδένδρων | ἐξαλλάξασ’ Εὐρώπαν, ‘leaving Europe with its well-wooded fields’); a change in movement (e.g. change of direction, Eur. Hec. 1059–60: ποίαν | ἢ ταύταν ἢ τάνδ’ ἐξαλλάξω, ‘which way should I turn my direction to, this or that?’). The verb also retains these meanings in later Greek, with the addition of religious nuances in Christian contexts (see Lampe s.v.). The semantic evolution that yields ἐξαλλάσσω ‘to amuse’, on which the deverbal ἐξάλλαγμα ‘amusement’ depends (contrast ἐξαλλαγή ‘change, alteration, variation’), may be easily grasped (see also Lightfoot 1999, 511): as an analogy, we may readily consider ‘to divert’ from Latin divertere. The very limited evidence and the lack of documentation in high prose suggest that the use of ἐξαλλάσσω and ἐξάλλαγμα with these meanings was likely an element of informal languageRegister (though this does not imply that it was also a vulgarism). This conclusion aligns well with the fact that the Antiatticist (A.1) ascribes ἐξαλλάσσω ‘to amuse’ to the Alexandrians, a category of speakers that corresponds to non‑standard and non‑prestigious Post-classical Greek (see Fournet 2009; Favi, Tribulato 2024; Favi forthcoming; AGP vol. 2, forthcoming, on πατάνια/βατάνια in Antiatt. β 7Antiatt. β 7 and Poll. 10.107–8Poll. 10.107–8; see also the entries ἤμελλον, ἠβουλόμην, ἠδυνάμην; ἐλέγοσαν, ἐγράφοσαν, ἐσχάζοσαν; χειμάζω).

The Atticist lexica quote the classical occurrences of ἐξαλλάσσω to document the meaning ‘to amuse’ (C.2, C.3). As regards ἐξάλλαγμα in Anaxandrides (C.1), the Antiatticist entry (A.2) does not provide an exegesis (probably due to the epitomisation). However, comparison with the entries pertaining to ἐξαλλάσσω reveals that ἐξάλλαγμα may reasonably be taken in the sense of ‘amusement’ (see Millis 2015, 112 who weighs three possible scenarios for the contextualisation of Anaxandrides’ fragment). The evidence in classical texts for such a use of ἐξαλλάσσω and ἐξάλλαγμα is limited to the comic fragments quoted by the lexica, and the very few additional instances of these meanings of ἐξαλλάσσω and ἐξάλλαγμα occur in later texts. However, these instances also show an additional semantic developmentSemantic shift, whereby ἐξαλλάσσω indicates ‘to entice, to seduce, to captivate, to win over, to bribe’ (C.5, on which see F.3, and C.6), while this nuance is more difficult to express in the case of ἐξάλλαγμα in Parthenius’ passage (C.4, see F.2). Semantically, the development from ‘to amuse’ – that is, to procure a source of enjoyment for someone as a means of captivating them – is clear. Although the evidence for this meaning comes from late texts, it is highly likely that a meaning along these lines may already lurk behind the instance of ἐξαλλάσσω in Menander (C.2, see F.1).

Finally, an entry in Photius (B.1, unlikely to derive from the Antiatticist) attests to yet another use of ἐξάλλαγμα – namely, to indicate an ἀπατεών ‘a cheat, a rogue’. No other evidence for the use of ἐξάλλαγμα to indicate a person is known, and we might have expected ἐξάλλαγμα to have been glossed with a word meaning ‘deceit’ or similar. We are left to speculate about the interpretation of the interpretamentum. The first possibility is that ἐξάλλαγμα might effectively have been used to indicate a person who cheats (perhaps as an element in predicative constructions such as ‘the man [is a] deceit’). Alternatively, ἀπατεών may have been part of a paraphrase of ἐξάλλαγμα; in such cases, ἀπατεών may have functioned as an adjective modifying a noun that was lost during the textual transmission process (see, e.g., ἀπατεὼν λόγος ‘deceptive argument’ in Max.Tyr. 31.1). Finally, the text of the interpretamentum may have been altered during transmission, perhaps having originally stated that ἐξάλλαγμα means ‘deceit’ (e.g. ἀπάτη or ἀπάτημα, eventually corrupted into ἀπατεών). In any case, the meaning of ἐξάλλαγμα to which the Photius entry attests works very well with the semantic developments of ἐξαλλάσσω (‘to divert’ > ‘to amuse’ > ‘to captivate’ > ‘to deceive’).

E. Byzantine and Modern Greek commentary

Neither ἐξαλλάσσω nor ἐξάλλαγμα with the meanings ‘to amuse’ and ‘amusement’ are known to have survived into Byzantine or Medieval Greek. Rather, ἐξαλλάσσω (‘ξαλλάσσω) otherwise retains its ancient range of meanings (see Kriaras, LME s.v.), though it also has attained a specialised use to indicate the changing of clothes (LBG s.v.). While no form of ἐξαλλάσσω survives in Standard Modern Greek, ξαλλάσσω survives in Cypriot Greek with the meaning ‘to wear a new dress’ (see Yiangoullis 2005 s.v.).

F. Commentary on individual texts and occurrences

(1)    Men. fr. 540 (C.2)

The Antiatticist (A.1) and Phrynichus (A.3), followed by modern lexica (see LSJ s.v. ἐξαλλάσσω II.4, DGE s.v. ἐξαλλάσσω A.II.5.1), explain this instance of ἐξαλλάσσω with τέρπω ‘to amuse’ or with a periphrasis that indicates as much (παραγαγεῖν εἰς εὐφροσύνην, ‘to procure [someone] a good time’). Menander’s fragment is short, and the context is obscure. However, if the speaker and his party intend to lure someone with amusements (ἄνθρωπον ἐξαλλάξομεν) with the intention of having this person give somebody else a hard time (κακόν τί σοι δώσοντα), it seems plausible that ἐξαλλάσσω indicates not simply ‘to amuse’ but, more poignantly, ‘to captivate’ or ‘to win over’ this person (e.g. by offering something to please him) so that he will ultimately do what those people want. The lack of context makes it difficult to ascertain this conclusively, but we should afford serious consideration to the possibility that the ancient sources somewhat misinterpreted Menander’s fragment in attributing to that instance of ἐξαλλάσσω the same meaning with which ἐξαλλάσσω and ἐξάλλαγμα are used by writers who are roughly contemporary to Menander. If this suggestion is viable, it becomes possible to date back to Menander a semantic development (i.e. ‘to entice, to seduce, to captivate, to win over, to bribe’) that is otherwise deemed to have surfaced only in later texts (see D.).

(2)    Parth. Narrationes amatoriae 24.1 (C.4)

In parallel with the semantic developments that ἐξαλλάσσω (‘to amuse’ > ‘to captivate’, see D.) underwent, Parthenius clearly uses ἐξάλλαγμα to indicate the ‘amusements’ that Hipparinus uses to win over the affection of young Achaeus and persuade him to come and live with him. The meaning ‘recreation, amusement’ that is given in LSJ s.v. ἐξάλλαγμα and DGE s.v. ἐξάλλαγμα in relation to this passage does not fully express all its implications: the ἐξαλλάγματα are evidently a means of obtaining something – a form of for the purpose of obtaining sexual favours (e.g. through gifts, as suggested by Ellis 1886, 227 who translates ‘by constant changes of gifts’ and aptly cites as a point of comparison the erotic tale in Petr. Sat. 85–7 about Eumolpus’ experience as a teacher in Pergamum). The full expression of this sense of ἐξάλλαγμα remains challenging (e.g. Lightfoot 1999, 351 adopts a periphrasis: ‘with many inducements and diversions’; see also Bast 1809, 241). This semantic difference from Anaxandrides’ use of ἐξάλλαγμα suggests that Parthenius is likely adopting – rather than a comic expression – a meaning with which he was familiar from contemporary language. Hence, this occurrence of ἐξάλλαγμα also points to the evidence for ἐξαλλάσσω ‘to captivate, to win over, to corrupt’ (C.2, C.5, C.6) and to the connection of ἐξάλλαγμα with deceit that is attested by Photius (B.1, see D.). Millis (2015, 112) envisages the possibility that the context of Anaxandrides’ fragment may be similar to that in Parthenius, but no concrete proof exists in favour of such a speculation. For a general discussion of Parthenius’ language as one of the very few extant examples of Hellenistic prose, see Lightfoot (1999, 283–97).

(3)    P.Oxy. 3.531.18 (= TM 28371) [2nd century CE] (C.5)

This well-known papyrus preserves a letter that the rich businessman Cornelius wrote to his son Hierax who was a student at Oxyrhynchus. The tone of the letter is affectionate, as Cornelius offers his son advice about how to behave, reminds him to be a diligent student, and explains to Hierax that he will receive new items of clothing and more money through his intermediaries. Then, Cornelius refers to the dainties (ὀψάρια, likely fish-based gastronomic delicacies; see LSJ s.v.) that had won him over and adds that he will return to Hierax the money he paid for those. Finally, Cornelius adds that the boy will have to pay out of his own pocket for a while before more money can be delivered to him. As in any private correspondence, much inevitably remains unknown. It is possible that Hierax had previously had the dainties delivered to his father, possibly with the intention of obtaining more money from him. In any case, Cornelius clearly employs ἐξαλλάσσω with the aim of implying a bribery-like action on his son’s part. This is wholly in line with the tone of the letter, and it further corroborates the notion that ἐξαλλάσσω ‘to seduce’ was an element of informal language. While Cornelius’ letter is competently written, it does not aim to adopt high‑register language (notice, e.g., adverbial comparative τάχιον at line 8; see the entry θάττων, ταχίων). For a different (though far less likely) syntactical interpretation of this passage, see Grenfell, Hunt (1903, 269).