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The fragment presents a textual crux regarding the reading of the place-name. While the majority of the manuscript tradition (A) reads Καρδίας (Genitive of Κάρδιος), some editors and papyri suggest a corruption or alternative reading related to the island of Cardia in the Propontis or a specific local reference. The adjective ἔκτοπον ('out of the way' or 'strange') modifies the omitted noun (likely ἔθος or a similar abstract noun implied by context) in a way that suggests a specific, perhaps obscure, geographical or cultural reference to the Cardians, which Aristophanes uses for comic effect. The abrupt ending ἀ- (likely the start of ἀπό or ἀντί) complicates the syntactic reconstruction, requiring careful attention to the metrical constraints of the iambic trimeter and the specific dialectal forms used in the comic dialogue.
1481.
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The phrase 'ἀσπίδας φυλλορροεῖ' (shields are shedding leaves) is a striking example of Aristophanic comic hyperbole and neologism. The verb φυλλορροέω is a hapax legomenon in this context, coined by the poet to describe the act of shedding leaves like a tree. Here, it humorously suggests that the shields are so old, rusted, or perhaps so covered in moss that they are disintegrating naturally, or it may be a satirical allusion to the shields of the Scythians (who were often depicted with leather or hide coverings) turning into foliage, thereby undermining the martial dignity of the Athenian hoplites. This construction relies on the audience recognizing the absurdity of inanimate objects shedding leaves, a metaphor for decay or the trivialization of war.
