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EPICLEIDAS.
Persian war (B. C. 485–4). Thus it appears that, sententious wisdom of the Pythagorean philosopher
like Cratinus, he was an old man before he began His language was remarkably elegant: he was
to write comedy; and this agrecs well with the celebrated for his choice of cpithets: his plays
fact that his poetry was of a very philosophic abounded, as the extant fragnients prove, with
character. (Anon. de Com. I. c. ) The only one of qual, or philosophical and moral maxims, and
his plays, the date of which is certainly known, is long speculative discourses, on the instinct of ani-
the Nãooi, B. C. 477. (Schol. Pind. Pyth. i. 98 ; mals for example. Müller observes that " iſ the
Clinton, sub unn. ) We have also express testimony elements of his drama, which we have discovered
of the fact that Elothales, the father of Epicharmus, singly, were in his plays combined, he must hare
formed an acquaintance with Pythagoras, and set out with an elevated and pliilosophical view,
that Epicharmus himself was a pupil of that great which enabled him to satirize mankind without dis-
philosopher. (Diog. Laërt. l. c. ; Suid. &. ". ; Plut. turbing the calmness and tranquillity of his thoughits;
Numa, 8. ) We may therefore consider the life of while at the same time his scenes of common life
Epichannus as divisible into two parts, namely, his were marked with the acute and penetrating genius
life at Negara up to B. C. 484, during which he which characterized the Sicilians. " In proof of
was engaged in the study of philosophy, both the high estimate in which he was held by the an-
physical and metaphysical, and the remainder of cients, it may be enough to refer to the notices of
his life, which he spent at Syracuse, as a comic him by Plato (Theact. p. 152, e. ) and Cicero.
poet. The question respecting the identity of Epi- (Tresc. i. 8, ad Aut. i. 19. ) It is singular, how-
charmus the comedian and Epicharmus the Pytha- ever, that Epicharmus had no successor in his
gorean philosopher, about which some writers, both peculiar style of comedy, except his son or disciple
ancient and modern, have been in doubt, may now Deinolochus. He had, however, distinguished
be considered as settled in the affirmative. (Menag. | imitators in other times and countries. Some
ad Laërt. l. c. ; Perizon. ad Aclian. V. H. i. 34 ; writers, making too much of a few words of Aris-
Clinton, Fast. llell. vol. ii. Introd. p. xxxvi. ) totle, would trace the origin of the Attic comedy
The number of the comedies of Epicharmus is to Epicharmus ; but it can hardly be doubted that
differently stated at 52 or at 35. There are still Crates, at least, was his imitator. That Plautus
extant 35 titles, of which 26 are preserved by imitated him is expressly stated by Horace (Epist.
Athenaeus. The majority of them are on mytho- ii. 1. 58),-
logical subjects, that is, travesties of the heroic “ Plautus ad exemplar Siculi properare Epicharmi. "
myths, and these plays no doubt very much resem- The parasite, who forms so conspicuous a charac-
bled the satyric drama of the Athenians. The ter in the plays of the new comedy, is first found
following are their titles :-'Anków," Auvkos, Bár. in Epicharmus.
χαι, Βούσιρις, Δευκαλίων, Διόνυσοι, “Hβης γάμος, The formal peculiarities of the dramas of Epi-
"Ηφαιστος ή Κωμασται, Κύκλωψ, Λόγος και Λο- charιus cannot be noticed here at any length.
γείνα, Οδυσσεύς αυτόμoλος, Οδυσσεύς ναυαγός, | His ordinary metre was the lively Trochaic Tetra-
Σειρήνες, Σκίρων, Σφίγξ, Τρώες, Φιλοκτήτης. But | meter, but he also used the Iambic and Anapaestic
besides mythology, Epicharmus wrote on other metres. The questions respecting his scenes, num-
subjects, political, moral, relating to manners and ber of actors, and chorus, are fully treated in the
customs, and, it would seem, even to personal work of Grysar.
character ; those, howerer, of his comedies which Some writers attribute to Epicharmus separate
belong to the last head are rather general than philosophical poems; but there is little doubt that
individual, and resembled the subjects treated by the passages referred to are extracts from his
the writers of the new comedy, so that when the comedies. Some of the ancient writers ascribed to
ancient writers enumerated him among the poets Epicharmus the invention of some or all of those
of the old comedy, they must be understood as re- letters of the Greek alphabet, which were usually
ferring rather to his antiquity in point of time attributed to Palamedes and Simonides.
than to any close resemblance between his works The fragments of Epicharmus are printed in the
and those of the old Attic comedians. In fact, we collections of Morellius (Sententiae vet, Comic. ,
have a proof in the case of Crates that even Paris, 1553, 8vo. ), Hertelius (Collect. Fragm.
among the Athenians, after the establishment of Comic. , Basil. 1560, 8vo. ), H. Stephanus (Pocsis
the genuine old comedy by Cratinus, the mytholo Philosophica, 1573, 8vo. ), and Hugo Grotius (Er-
gical comedy still maintained its ground. The cerpt. er Trag. et Comoed. , Paris, 1626, 4to. ), and
plays of Epicharmus, which were not on mytholo- separately by H. P. Kruseman, Harlem. 1834.
gical subjects, were the following :-'Aypwotivos Additions have been made by Welcker (Zeitschrift
(Sicilian Greek for 'Aypoikos), 'Apmayal, râ kal für die Alterthumswissenschaft, 1835, p. 1123), and
Θάλασσα, Δίφιλος, Ελπίς ή Πλούτος, Εορτα και | others. The most important modern work on Epi-
Νάσοι, Επινίκιος, Ηράκλειτος, Θεάροι, Μεγαρίς, | charmus is that of Grysar, de Doriensium Comoedia,
Μήνες, Ορύα, Περίαλλος, Πέρσαι, Πίθων, Τριακάδες, | Colon. 1828 ; the second volume, containing the
Xopeúovtes, Xútpat. A considerable number of fragments, has not yet appeared. (See also Fabric.
fragments of the above plays are preserved, but Bill. Graec. vol. ii. p. 298; Harless, de Epicharmo,
those of which we can form the clearest notion Essen, 1822; Müller, Dorians, bk. iv. c. 7; Bode,
from the extant fragments are the Marriage of Geschichte d. Hellen. Dichtkunst, vol. iii. part i.
Hebe, and Hephaestus or the Revellers. Müller has p. 36. )
(P. S. ]
observed that the painted vases of lower Italy often EPÍCLEIDAS ('EtiKleiðas), brother of Cleo-
enable us to gain a complete and vivid idea of those menes III. , king of Sparta. According to Pausa-
theatrical representations of which the plays of nias (ii. 9. $ 1. 3), Cleomenes poisoned Eurydami-
Epicharmus are the type.
das, his colleague of the house of Proclus, and
The style of his plays appears to have been a shared the ropal power with his brother Epicleidas.
curious mixture of the broad buffoonery which dis-The latter afterwards fell in the battle of Sellasia,
tinguished the old Megarian comedy, and of the B. c. 222.
[C. P. M. )


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:PICLEIDAS.
31
EPICRATES.
EPICTETUS.
of the Pythagorean philosoplet
remarkably elegant: he ra
choice of cpithets: bis plats
extant fragments prove, with
hical and moral marins, and
ourses, on the instinct of an-
Müller observes that " if the
in, which we have discovered
plays combined, he must bare
ated and philosophical vier,
satirize mankind without di
ad tranquillity of his thoughts;
ne his scenes of common lite
acute and penetrating genius
ne Sicilians. " In proof of
bich he was held by the 13-
sh to refer to the notices of
. P- 152, e. ) and Cicero
9. 1 It is singular, how
had no successor in his
except his son or disciple
, however, distinguished
8 and countries. Sorte
h of a few words of Art
igin of the Attic comedy
n hardly be doubted that
imitator. That Plautas
stated by Horace (Epist
.
li properare Epicharni"
so conspicuous a charac
v comedy, is first found
of the dramas of Epi-
3 here at any length
lively Troebaie Teira
Lambic and Anapastic
cting his scenes, nun-
e fully treated in the
Epicharmus separate
e is little doubt that
extracts from his
- writers ascribed to
ome or all of those
vhich were usually
nonides.
are printed in the
ntiae cet. Coming
(Collect. Frage.
tephanus (Poona
zigo Grotius (Es
1626, 4to. ), and
Harlem. 1834.
Icker (Zeitschrift
5, p. 1123), and
work on Epi
sium Coszoda,
containing the
Fee also Fabric
de Epicheresa,
v. c. 7; Bode,
ol. iii. part i.
[P. S]
ther of Cles
ing to Paus -
d'Eurydami-
Proclus, and
er Epicleidas
of Sellasiz,
C. P. M. ]
EPICLES ('Etikañs), a medical writer quoted | an Athenian comic poet of the middle comedy, nc-
by Erotianus (Gloss. Hippocr. p. 16), who wrote cording to the testimony of Athenaeus (x. p. 422, f. ),
a commentary on the obsolete words found in the confirmed by extant fragments of his plays, in
writings of Hippocrates, which he arranged in which he ridicules Plato and bis disciples, Speu-
alphabetical order. He lived after Baccheius, sippus and Menedemus, and in which he refers to
and therefore probably in the second or first cen- the courtezan Laïs, as being now for advanced in
tury B. C.
(W. A. G. ] years. (Athen. ii. p. 59, d. , xiii. p. 570, b. ) From
ÉPI'CRATES ('Etikpárns), an Athenian, who these indications Meineke infers that he flourished
took a prominent part in public affairs after the end between the 101st and 108th Olympiads (1. C.
of the Peloponnesian war. He was a zealous mem- 376—348). Two plays of Epicrates, "Europos and
ber of the democratical party, and had a share in 'Artilats are mentioned by Suidas (s. v. ), and are
the overthrow of the Thirty Tyrants (Dem. de quoted by Athenaeus (xiv. p. 655, f. , xiii. pp. 570,
Fals. Legat. p. 430); but afterwards, when sent on b. , 605, e. ), who also quotes his ’Auasoves (x. p.
an embassy to the Persian king Artaxerxes, he 422, f.
) and Avonpatos (vi. p. 262, d. ), and in-
was accused not only of corruption, in receiving forms us that in the latter play Epicrates copied
money from Artaxerxes, but also of peculation. (Lys. some things from the Avo patos of Antiphanes.
Or. 27, c. Epicralem, p. 806, &c. ) Hegesan- Aelian (N. A. xii. 10) quotes the Xopós of Epi-
der (up. Athen. vi. p. 251, a. ) and Plutarch (Pc crates. We have also one long fragment (Athen. ii.
lop. 30) say, that he so grossly flattered Arta- p. 59, c. ) and two shorter ones (Athen. xi. p. 782,
xerxes as to propose that instead of nine archons, 1,; Pollux, iv. 121) from his unknown plays.
nine ambassadors to the Persian king should be (Meineke, Frag. Com. Graec. vol. i. pp. 414, 415,
annually chosen by the Athenians. Plutarch also vol. iii. pp. 365—373; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol.
says that he did not deny the charge of corruption. ii. pp. 440, 441. )
[P. S. )
He seems, however, to have been acquitted (Plut. EPICTETUŚ ("ERÍKTYTOS), of Hierapolis in
and Ath. Il. cc. ) probably through the powerful in- Phrygia, a freedman of Epaphroditus, who was
terest possessed by himself and by his fellow cri- himself a freedman and a servile favourite of Nero,
minal, Phormisius. (Dionys. Vit. Lys. 32. ) He had lived and taught first at Rome, and, after the ex-
been guilty of corruption on a former occasion also, pulsion of the philosophers by Domitian, at Nico-
but had been equally fortunate in escaping punish- polis, a town in Epeirus, founded by Augustus in
ment. (Lys. l. c. ) This first offence of his was commemoration of his victory at Actium. Although
probably on the occasion when Timocrates the he was favoured by Hadrian (Spartian, Hadr. 16)
Rhodian was sent by Tithraustes to bribe the ---which gave occasion to a work which was un-
Greek states to attack Sparta (B. c. 395); for doubtedly written at a much later time, the “ Al-
though Xenophon (Hell. jii
. 5. & i. ) asserts, that tercatio Hadriani cum Epicteto” (see especially
the Athenians did not receive any money from Ti- Heumann, Acta Philos. i. 734)—yet he does not
mocrates (a statement suspicious on the face of it), appear to have returned to Rome; for the dis-
Pausanias (iii. 9. § 4) has preserved an account courses which Arrian took down in writing were
that at Athens bribes were taken by Cephalus and delivered by Epictetus when an old man at Nicopolis.
Epicrates.
(Dissert. i. 25, 19, with Schweighauser's note. ) The
The above statement of the acquittal of Epi- statement of Themistius (Orat. v. p. 63, ed. Harduin)
crates on the charge of corruption in his embassy to that Epictetus was still alive in the reign of the
Artaxerxes, seems at first sight opposed to the two Antonines, which is repeated by Suidas (s. v. ),
statement of Demosthenes (de Fals. Legat. pp. 430, seems to rest upon a confusion of names, since M.
431), that he was condemned to death, and that he Aurelius Antoninus, who was an enthusiastic ad-
was actually banished. But, in fact, Demosthenes mirer of Epictetus, does not mention him, but
seems to be referring to a distinct and third occa- Junius Rusticus, a disciple of Epictetus, among his
sion on which Epicrates was charged with corrup- teachers; in like manner, A. Gellius, who lived in
tion ; for in his repetition of the charge there is the the time of the Antonines, speaks of Epictetus as
important head, katavevåóuevo! TW ouuuáxwv, of belonging to the period which had just passed
which we find nothing in the oration of Lysias, away. (M. Antonin. i. 7, vii. 29, with Gataker's
but which is just the charge we should expect to note; Gellius, vii. 19. ) Besides what is here
be made against the Athenian envoy who took mentioned, only a few circumstances of the life
part in accepting the peace of Antalcidas (B. c. of Epictetus are recorded, such as his lameness,
387); and that Épicrates was really that envoy is which is spoken of in very different ways, his
the more probable from the fact, which is expressly poverty, and his few wants. The detailed biogra-
stated, that it was Epicrates who recommended phy written by Arrian has not come down to us.
that peace to the Athenians. (Schol. Aristeid. i. (Simplic. Prooem. Comments in Epictet. Enchirid.
p. 283, ed. Dindorf. )
iv. p. 5, ed. Schweigh. )
Epicrates and Phormisius were attacked by It is probable that he was still a slave (Arrian,
Aristophanes (Eccles. 68—72, Ran. v. 965, and Dissert. i. 9, 29) when C. Musonius Rufus gained
Schol) and by Plato, the comic poet, who made him for the philosophy of the Porch, of which he
their embassy the subject of a whole play, the remained a faithful follower throughout life. In
11péo Beus. Both are ridiculed for their large what manner he conceived and taught it, we see
beards, and for this reason Epicrates was called with satisfactory completeness from the notes which
cakepopós. (Comp. Etym. Mag. s. v. ; Suid. s. v. , we owe to his faithful pupil, Arrian ; although of
and s. v. Túywv; Harpocrat. s. v. p. 162, cum not. Arrian's eight books of commentaries four are lost,
Maussac. ct Vales. ; Epist. Socrat. 13. p. 29 ; Plat. with the exception of a few fragments. Epictetus
Phaedr. p. 227, b. ; Meineke, Hist. Crit. Com. Graec. himself did not leave anything written behind him,
pp. 182, 183 ; Bergk, de Reliqu. Com. Att. Ant. pp. and the short manual or collection of the most es-
389—394. )
[P. S) sential doctrines of Epictetus, was compiled from
EPI'CRATES ('Etikpátns), of Ambracia, was his discourses by Arrian. (Simplic. in Enchirida


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32
EPICTETUS.
EPICTETUS.
.
P. 4. )
Prooem. ) The manual (Enchiridion) and com- our opinion upon is, are in our power (i. 12. 37).
mentaries of Arrian, together with the explanations in our choice we are free (i. 12. 9, 17. 28, 19. 9);
of Simplicius to the former, and some later para- nothing that is external of us, not even Zeus, can
phrases, have been edited by Schweighauser, who overcome our choice : it alone can control itself
.
has added the notes of Upton, his own, and those (i. 29. 12, ii. I. 22, iv. 1, ii. 2. 3, iï. 3. 10, i. 1.
of some other commentators. (Epicteteae Philoso-23, iv. 1. 69. ) Our choice, however, is determined
phiae Monumenta, post J. Uptoni aliorumque curas, by our reason, which of all our faculties sees and
edidit et illustravit J. Schweighauser, Lipsiae, 1799, tests itself and everything else. (i.