Le Danaidi di Melanippide (fr. 757 P.): riflessioni sul testo.

I discuss in this article the text and the correct interpretation of Melanipp. fr. 757, 1 P. (οὐ γὰρ †ἀνθρώπων φόρευν μορφὰν ἐνεῖδος†). Dobree’s (μορφᾶεν εἶδος) and Casaubon’s (μορφὰν καὶ εἶδος) corrections seem to be very unlikely: the poet would have said that Danaos’ daughters had not human shape. A comparison with Aesch. Suppl. 234 ff., 279 ff. and 496 ff. provides a more likely explanation: Melanippides’ purpose was not to say that the Danaids did not have human shape, but that they had not the same body as Greek men, since they belonged to Aegyptian people. If it is so, ἐνεῖδος could be corrected exempli gratia into ἐνοίκων or ἐνέδρων.