404
AMERICAN JOURNAL
OF PHILOLOGY
SOUND AND SENSE IN OX. PAP. XXII 2322 Criticism of Oxyrhynchos-Papyri XXII 2322 has focussed on the question of authorship and on whether the fragment contains one or two poems. I believe that an examination of the sound patterns in the first ten lines shows that these are a separate poem and reveals a new level of meaning in what has seemed to be a straightforward lament.
5
Kai KOprlq,1 TOIKQT'appov SaKia4ev auXeva. o pv OTOAoKpoq, vuv 65 au ri 6' eic aU6xpqlpaqneooloa xsipaq a6p6Trlp6Aatvav eq KOVIV KQTeppUrI Tolt TArmqovcp6v
10
aoli5pou
nerplntaouO' Ey&)6' 6ialTo TSipopal 'Ti yap Tiq epTri" pi6' uniTpOpiltKnqTUXO)V;
There is too much alliteration in these lines to be accidental. The kappas of line 1 and line 6, the sigmas of line 3 and the taus of line 7 and line 9 are proof enough that the poet is choosing his words for their sound as well as for their meaning. But the main purpose of this alliteration is to prepare the listener for the last two lines of the poem. The T, p, and [ of TLq ;p[r|l, the 0, p, K and q of OpflLKrlqand the T and X of TUX(V call to mind the consonants of Opi(, TPLXoq. The implicit contrast between KO6pr in line 1, which suggests something like 'coiffure', and 9pi( which is a much more prosaic word, provides an ironic twist at the end of a lament on a commonplace theme; the poet says, in effect, "After all, it's only hair." Ross G. ARTHUR YORK UNIVERSITY