A.1. Die stromnai des Polykrates von Samos

Abstract

Athenaios retails a story, little heeded, but variously understood when not misunderstood, according to which Polykrates of Samos was a purveyor of stromnai while still a private citizen. This paper offers two new explanations of the word stromnai, gives some reasons for attaching credence to the report, and surmises that the original version of the story preserved by Athenaios made Polykrates responsible locally for innovations also seen elsewhere.