Archiloco e un caso molto concreto di hybris: il fr. 45 W.2

Archilochus fr. 45 W.2 is not connected with the ancient sources dealing with Lycambes’ and his daughters’ suicide. The text is rather a realistic picture that portrays vomiting symposiasts. The vomiting men violate the rules of a well-ordered symposium. The disgusting act of vomiting is a consequence of their bad temper. In the sympotic poetry (Xenoph. fr. B1 W.2; Anacr. fr. 33 Gent [= 356 (a) PMG]; Eub. fr. 93 K.-A.) to drink beyond measure is qualified as an act of hybris. This can explain the expression ὕβριν ἀπέφλυσαν, the true pointe of the fragment.