SOL Search

If they [= the Athenians] were dawdling on their way into the assembly, the archers[1] used to soak a rope in miltos[2] and chase them together and close the shops.
And [there is] a saying:[3] 'they are fleeing the miltos-soaked rope'. To force them into the assemblies they devised this and many other things. For they used to stretch out screens and close off those streets which did not lead into the assembly-place, and remove the goods for sale in the markets, so that they would not spend time on them; what is more, they encircled them with a miltos-soaked rope and chased them together into the assembly. This they did to stop dawdling; for those who were dyed had to pay a fine. Alternatively: since the Athenians were reluctant as regards the meetings, two attendants used to stretch out a miltos-soaked rope and pursue the crowd through the agora into the assembly, as Plato the comic poet says. And those who were dyed had to pay a fine.[4]

*sxoini/on memiltwme/non: ei) bradu/noien e)pi\ th\n e)kklhsi/an, oi( toco/tai sxoini/on miltou=ntes sunh/launon kai\ ta\ prath/ria die/kleion. kai\ paroimi/a: to\ sxoini/on feu/gousi to\ memiltwme/non. u(pe\r tou= e)c a)na/gkhs au)tou\s ei)s ta\s e)kklhsi/as i)e/nai tou=to e)mhxanw=nto kai\ polla\ a)/lla. a)nepeta/nnusan ga\r ta\ ge/rra kai\ a)pe/kleion ta\s o(dou\s ta\s mh\ ferou/sas ei)s th\n e)kklhsi/an, kai\ ta\ w)/nia a)nh/|roun e)n tai=s a)gorai=s, o(/pws mh\ peri\ tau=ta diatri/boien: e)/ti mh\n kai\ memiltwme/nw| sxoini/w| periba/llontes au)tou\s sunh/launon ei)s th\n e)kklhsi/an. tou=to de\ e)poi/oun u(pe\r tou= mh\ bradu/nein: o(/soi ga\r e)xri/onto zhmi/an e)ce/tinon. a)/llws: e)pei\ o)knhrw=s ei)=xon oi( *)aqhnai=oi pro\s ta\s suno/dous, ei)w/qeisan u(phre/tai du/o memiltwme/non sxoini/on e)ktei/nontes, dia\ th=s a)gora=s diw/kein to\n o)/xlon ei)s th\n e)kklhsi/an, w(/s fhsi *pla/twn o( kwmiko/s. o(/soi de\ e)xri/onto e)ce/tinon zhmi/an.

The first part of this entry is also in Photius (sigma914 Theodoridis). The second and fuller part draws on the scholia to Aristophanes, Acharnians 22 (web address 1), where the phrase "they are fleeing the miltos-soaked rope" occurs.
cf. mu 564, and see generally M.H. Hansen, The Athenian Assembly (Oxford [Blackwell] 1987) 46-7.
[1] So, correctly, ms F (following Photius), as printed by Adler; cf. generally tau 771, tau 772. The other mss have the error 'demesmen'.
[2] Red ochre, red lead, ruddle; besides mu 564 see mu 1069, mu 1070, mu 1071.
[3] Not, despite this, taken up by the paroemiographers; simply 'a saying' in Aristophanes himself.
[4] This reference to Plato Comicus is problematic (whether or not it is supposed that what follows here actually quotes him).

Elizabeth Vandiver (Added italics; added link; cosmetics; set status) on 5 December 2003@14:57:32.
David Whitehead (x-refs) on 7 December 2003@04:11:32.
David Whitehead (augmented notes and keywords; tweaks and cosmetics) on 23 August 2011@08:26:21.
David Whitehead on 5 January 2014@08:47:56.
David Whitehead (another note) on 10 June 2014@05:04:03.
Catharine Roth (tweaked translation) on 14 June 2022@23:12:49.

Suda On Line Search