Axones and kyrbeis

Kyrbeis and axones were objects on public display in Athens, inscribed with the text of the ancient laws of Draco and Solon. Eratosthenes discussed the exact meaning of the two words and said that kyrbeis were three-sided objects carrying laws; he probably also argued that the word kyrbis had a wider meaning and could be used in Athens to indicate an axon as well. A generation later, the antiquarian Polemon of Ilium polemicized with Eratosthenes on the appearance of these objects, probably misrepresenting his opponent’s position to make him appear at fault. The fragment in all likelihood belonged to the work On Old Comedy, as Eratosthenes’ arguments could be linked to a passage from a comedy of the Athenian playwright Cratinus.