Line 682
†ἐπὶ βάρβαρον ἑζομένη πέταλον· †
The text contains the critical symbol † (obelus) before both words, indicating that the phrase 'ἐπὶ βάρβαρον ἑζομένη πέταλον' is widely regarded by scholars as a corruption or interpolation. The phrase is syntactically awkward and semantically obscure in its current form; most editors, following the lead of ancient scholia and modern critics like Denniston and Page, suggest that 'πέταλον' (a flat cake or coin) does not fit the context of the scene, where a character (likely the Chorus or a specific character like Xanthias) is describing someone sitting. A common conjecture is that the text should be emended to read 'ἐπὶ βάρβαρον ἑζομένη πέταλον' as a corruption of 'ἐπὶ βάρβαρον ἑζομένη πέταλον' (though this is circular) or more likely, that 'πέταλον' is a dittography or corruption of 'πέταλον' (a specific type of bread) or perhaps 'πέταλον' refers to a specific object in a different context. However, the most accepted view is that the line is corrupt and requires significant emendation to make sense, possibly involving the omission of 'πέταλον' or a complete reordering. The presence of the obelus signals that the sentence as it stands is not to be taken as authoritative text but as a crux requiring editorial intervention.
Frogs. Aristophanes. . 2026-09-08.