When Palaestrio delivers the "Athens" line, he has not yet revealed or executed the twin sister trick to Sceledrus.

Here is how the chronological sequence works, and why your observation actually unlocks the true irony of the remark:

The Real Timeline of the Scene

1. The Crisis: Sceledrus enters, panicked because he just looked through the neighbor's roof and saw Philocomasium kissing another man.
2. The Encounter: Palaestrio meets him. Sceledrus insists, "I saw her with my own eyes right here in the neighbor's house!"
3. The "Athens" Mockery: Palaestrio immediately attacks Sceledrus's credibility with the line: “Your eyes, Sceledrus, if they have brought Athens here, deserve a greater reward than your feet.”
4. The Twin Trick Formulation: Only after softening Sceledrus up with insults does Palaestrio pull him aside to fully weave the fake narrative about the identical twin sister ("Justina") who just arrived from Athens.

Why This Timing Makes the Irony Even Better

Because the twin trick hasn't started yet, the irony works on two distinct levels:

• Palaestrio's Immediate Sarcasm: At this exact moment, Palaestrio is using hyperbole to mock Sceledrus. He is essentially saying: "Oh, really? You saw a girl from Athens next door? What's next, Sceledrus? Did your amazing eyes magically teleport the entire city of Athens to Ephesus too?" He is trying to make Sceledrus feel like he is speaking utter, impossible nonsense.
• The Metatheatrical Plotting: Palaestrio is a master improviser. By bringing up "Athens" in his initial insult, he is actually priming the audience (and his own brain) for the lie he is about to tell. He uses the absurd premise of "bringing Athens here" as the structural seed for the twin sister lie he introduces minutes later.

So, you hit the nail on the head. The line isn't a reaction to the twin trick; it is the sarcastic catalyst that gives Palaestrio the idea for the twin trick in the first place!

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If you'd like, we can look at the exact Latin dialogue right after this line to see how Palaestrio smoothly shifts from this sarcastic insult directly into spinning the twin sister web. Would you find that helpful?