A Wolf at the Table: Sympotic Perjury in Archilochus

The epode of the eagle and the fox (Archilochus 172-181W) stages a rich and multifaceted play of reflections between the biographical narrative of the poet's persona and the oblique meanings of an ainos. It frames in this context the central event that motivates the murderous verse attacks launched by Archilochus against Lycambes and his daughters: the breaking of an oath. By investigating the theme of perjury in this poem, this paper proposes to cast new light on the imagery and the structure of the text, as well as on its performative and social significance.