αὐθεκαστότης, αὐθέκαστος
(Phryn. Ecl. 329)

A. Main sources

(1) Phryn. Ecl. 329: αὐθεκαστότης ἀλλόκοτον· τὸ μὲν γὰρ αὐθέκαστος κάλλιστον ὄνομα, τὸ δὲ παρὰ τοῦτο πεποιημένον αὐθεκαστότης κίβδηλον.

αὐθεκαστότης (‘bluntness’) [is] strange. Indeed, αὐθέκαστος [is] a very good noun, but the [noun] αὐθεκαστότης built upon it [is] spurious.

(2) Phryn. PS 28.4–8: αὐθέκαστα <λέγειν>· τὸ τὰ κυριώτατα διὰ βραχέων καὶ τὰ ἀναγκαιότατα λέγειν, μὴ κύκλῳ βαδίζοντα καὶ περιτρέχοντα, αὐθέκαστα λέγειν ἐκάλεσαν οἱ ἀρχαῖοι. Μένανδρος <δὲ> ἐπὶ τοῦ πικροῦ καὶ ἀηδοῦς τέθεικε τὴν λέξιν ‘πικροῦ γέροντος, αὐθεκάστου τὸν τρόπον’.

λέγειν was supplied by de Borries | The second occurrence of αὐθέκαστα λέγειν is a correction by Bekker (1814–1821 vol. 1, 17 and vol. 3, 1067), while cod. has ἀλλὰ τὰ ἕκαστα λέγοντα | τὸν τρόπον was corrected into τοῦ τρόπου by de Borries on the basis of the text in Σ^b 2396 (cf. B.3, apparatus) | Bekker (1814–1821 vol. 3, 1067) also compared the words in cod. Vat. 1410: αὐθέκαστος, ὁ ἀκοινώνητος καὶ ἐν τοῖς καθ’ ἕνα θέλων ἀριθμεῖσθαι, ἢ ὡς ἀπαξιῶν πάντας διὰ τὸ νομίζειν αὐτὸν ἑαυτῷ δύνασθαι ἀντὶ πάντων ἀρκεῖν, ἢ ὡς ἀντεπιτηδείως ἔχων πρὸς τὰς ἐπιμιξίας δι’ ἁπλότητα γνώμης.

αὐθέκαστα <λέγειν> (‘to speak frankly’): The ancient [authors] used [the expression] αὐθέκαστα λέγειν to denote saying candid and necessary things in short, without beating about the bush. Menander (fr. 592 = C.1), applied the expression ‘an old harsh man, straightforward in manners’ to denote a brusque and disagreeable person.

B. Other erudite sources

(1) Hsch. α 8256: αὐθέκαστα· ἁπλᾶ. αὐστηρά.

αὐθέκαστα (neut. pl.): Straightforward, strict.

(2) Hsch. α 8257: *αὐθέκαστος· ἀκριβής. αὐστηρὸς τῷ λόγῳ. ἀπαρακάλυπτος, ἢ τῷ τρόπῳ ἁπλοῦς (vgAS). ἐλευθέριος (gAS). ἀξιόπιστος (AS). αὐτάρεσκος (S).

Cf. [Zonar.] 343.11.

αὐθέκαστος: Precise, strict in speaking, open-hearted, or frank in manners, free-spirited, trustworthy, self-willed.

(3) Σ^b α 2396 (~ Phot. α 3158, ex Σʹʹʹ): αὐθέκαστα· αὐτὰ τὰ γενόμενα, οἷον ἀκριβῶς καὶ συντόμως καὶ ἀποτόμως. καὶ λόγοι αὐθέκαστοι οἱ σαφεῖς καὶ σύντομοι ἢ οἱ ἀληθεῖς. Ἡρόδοτος καὶ διαλύων φησὶν αὐτὰ ἕκαστα, οἷον αὐτὴν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. λέγεται δὲ αὐθέκαστα καὶ τὰ ἀπότομα καὶ σκληρά. Μένανδρός φησι· ‘πικροῦ γέροντος αὐθεκάστου τὸν τρόπον.’ Ποσείδιππος δὲ ἀντὶ τοῦ ἁπλοῦ ἐχρήσατο.

Cf. Σ α 1083 (~ Su. α 4425.1–2): αὐθέκαστα· αὐτὰ τὰ γενόμενα, οἷον ἀκριβῶς καὶ συντόμως καὶ ἀποτόμως | ἀπότομα Photius : αὐτόματα cod. B | τοῦ τροποῦ cod. B (cf. C.1, apparatus). See also EM α 2075 ~ Et.Sym. α 1598; [Zonar.] 345.16–8.

αὐθέκαστα (neut. pl.): What is exact, concise and precise. And αὐθέκαστοι words [are] wise, concise or truthful [words]. Herodotus (e.g. 1.107.1 = C.2) says [it] even separating [the words] αὐτὰ ἕκαστα, in the meaning ‘the very truth’. Concise and harsh things are also said αὐθέκαστα. Menander (fr. 736 = C.1) says: ‘[…] of an old bitter man, straightforward in manners’. Posidippus (fr. 41 = C.3) used it in place of ἁπλόος (‘straightforward’).

(4) Σ^b α 2397 (~ Phot. α 3159, ex Σʹ): αὐθέκαστος· ἀκριβὴς καὶ αὐστηρὸς τῷ λόγῳ καὶ ἀπαρέγκλητος τῷ τρόπῳ. καὶ αὐθέκαστα τὰ ἁπλᾶ καὶ ἀληθῆ αὐτοακριβῶς.

Cf. Σ α 1084 (= Su. α 4425.2–4): αὐθέκαστος· ἀκριβὴς καὶ αὐστηρὸς τῷ λόγῳ καὶ ἀπαρέγκλητος τῷ τρόπῳ. ἀπαρακάλυπτος. The lemma in the Suda goes on as follows: οἱ τοίνυν ἀπεχθανόμενοι πρὸς αὐτὸν διὰ τὸ αὐθέκαστον τῶν νόμων καὶ ἄμικτον λαμβάνονταί τε καὶ ἐπ’ αὐτοφώρῳ ἁλόντα παρανομοῦντα ἐδείκνυσαν (peraphs a locus classicus; Adler tentatively attributed it to Aelian). See also [Zonar.] 345.18–9.

αὐθέκαστος: Precise and strict in speaking, and direct in manners. And αὐθέκαστα [are things] that are straightforward and precisely true.

(5) Schol. Luc. Phal. 1.2 (= 1.18–2.8 Rabe): αὐθέκαστον· τὸ ἀπροβούλευτόν φησι. τοιαῦτα γὰρ τὰ ταχέα ὡς ἐπίπαν καὶ σύντομα, ὃ βούλεται σημαίνειν τὸ αὐθέκαστον· σημαίνει γὰρ τὸ αὐθέκαστος τόν τε ἁπλοῦν καὶ ἄδολον καὶ ἀληθευτικὸν καὶ τὸν ἕτοιμον πρὸς ἅπαν καὶ τὸν ταχὺν καὶ σύντομον καὶ αὐτόματον. BCMNUΩΔ αὐθέκαστον· ἀκριβῆ καὶ αὐστηρόν. λαμβάνεται καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀληθευτικοῦ τὸν τρόπον καὶ μή τινα διπλόην ἔχοντος ἀλλ’ οἷον αὐτὸ ἑκάστου ὑπάρχοντος, οἱονεὶ μηδὲν ἐπισυρομένου ἀλλότριον. C⸤Γ_?⸥φMNSUΩ.

Cod. C adds οὕτως Ἀριστοτέλης | codd. NUΩ add οὕτ. Ἀρ. ἐν τοῖς Ἠθικοῖς Νικομαχείοις | cod. S adds ἐμοὶ δ’ εὕρηται παρὰ Πλάτωνι τὸ αὐθέκαστον τὸ αὐθαίρετον καὶ φίλαυτονδηλοῦν.

αὐθέκαστον (cf. C.4): He (i.e. Lucian) means that which is unpremeditated. For in general, such actions are fast and concise, which the term αὐθέκαστον is intended to denote. For αὐθέκαστος indicates that which is straightforward, genuine, truthful, ready for anything, sudden, concise and spontaneous. αὐθέκαστον: precise and strict. It is also applied to someone who is authentic and not duplicitous but remains true to himself, as if he is not led astray into something foreign.

(6) Thom.Mag. 25.8–10: αὐθέκαστος ὁ ἰδιόρρυθμος. Λουκιανὸς ἐν τῷ Φάλαρις πρῶτος· βίαιον δὲ ἢ σκαιὸν ἢ ὑβριστικὸν ἢ αὐθέκαστον οὐδεὶς ἀπεκάλει με.

Lucian’s text has οὐδεὶς οὐδὲν ἐπεκάλει μου (cf. C.4) | Exc. Guelf. (cod. Guelf. 20 Gud. graec., cf. Ritschl, lviii–lx) read αὐθέκαστος οὐκ ἰδιόρυθμος (f. 26r) and αὐθέκαστος ὁ ἀκοινώνητος φύσει ἤ προαιρέσει (f. 27r).

αὐθέκαστος [means] someone who follows his own intentions. Lucian in the First Phalaris (1.2 = C.4) [says]: ‘and no one ever charged me with a single violent, rude, insolent, or overbearing action’.

C. Loci classici, other relevant texts

(1) Men. fr. 592:
πικροῦ γέροντος, αὐθεκάστου τὸν τρόπον (cf. A.2, B.3).

τὸν τρόπον Phryn. and Phot. : τοῦ τρόπου Synagoge (cod. B).

[…] an old bitter man, straightforward in manners.

(2) Hdt. 1.107.1: ὑπερθέμενος δὲ τῶν μάγων τοῖσι ὀνειροπόλοισι τὸ ἐνύπνιον, ἐφοβήθη παρ’ αὐτῶν αὐτὰ ἕκαστα μαθών.

After submitting the vision to those of the Magi who interpreted dreams, he was terrified when he learned every single thing from them.

(3) Posidipp. fr. 41 = Σ^b α 2396 re. αὐθέκαστος.

(4) Luc. Phal. 1.2: […] βίαιον δὲ ἢ σκαιὸν ἢ ὑβριστικὸν ἢ αὐθέκαστον οὐδεὶς οὐδὲν ἐπεκάλει μου τῷ προτέρῳ ἐκείνῳ βίῳ.

[…] and no one ever charged me with a single violent, rude, insolent, or overbearing action in the early period of my life. (Transl. Harmon 1913, 5).