At the time of the Persian wars, when the whole of Greece was in a state of fear, the
festival
of Artemis Caryatis was due to be celebrated.
Suda - Lives of the Hellenistic Poets
21 The king entrusted Eratosthenes, a contemporary of Callimachus, with the management of this library. The books which were collected there came not only from the Greeks, but from all other nations, including the Hebrews. The king appointed wise men from each of the other nations, who had a good knowledge both of their own language and of the Greek language, for the purpose of translating their books into Greek. It was at his command that the seventy [wise men] translated the Hebrew scriptures [into Greek].
As I said previously, Alexander and Lycophron corrected the texts of the dramatists; the texts of the poets were corrected first by Zenodotus, and later by Aristarchus. 22 The text of the Homeric poems, which previously had existed in various different forms, was established by 72 grammarians when Peisistratus was tyrant of Athens; but later the text was revised by Aristarchus and Zenodotus, who were two of the other scholars who corrected texts at the time of Ptolemy. Some writers ascribe the edition which was made under Peisistratus to just four scholars: Orpheus of Croton, Zopyrus of Heracleia, Onomacritus of Athens, and Epiconcylus.
23 Later many scholars wrote commentaries on all the dramatists and the poets. Didymus, Tryphon, Apollonius, Herodianus, and Ptolemaeus of Ascalon wrote commentaries, along with the philosophers Porphyrius, Plutarchus and Proclus - just as, before any of them, Aristotle had done.
MENANDER
We do not have any Byzantine manuscripts of Menander's plays, and therefore even though Menander was widely read in ancient times, for details of his life we have to rely on the brief entry in the Suda, and scattered references in other authors. As well as the passages translated here, references to the life of Menander can be found in Alciphron (2'3-4), Apollodorus (Fr_43), Athenaeus (13. 585'C , 13. 594'D), Diogenes Laertius (5'79) , St. Jerome (Chron_1696 , Chron_1725), and Phaedrus (5'1).
The original Greek and Latin texts of most of the passages can be found in the Teubner edition of Menander by A. Koerte & A. Thierfelder (volume 2).
1. A Short History of Comedy (Prolegomena de Comoedia, 3)
Because this list of famous writers of comedy is of general interest, it is translated here in its entirety. The Greek text is in "Scholia in Aristophanem", edited by W. Koster.
They say that comedy was invented by Susarion. Some writers say that it derived its name from the villages [κώμαι]; because they used to go round the villages, singing and presenting shows, when people were living in villages, before cities came into existence. Other writers deny this; they say that the Athenians used to call their villages demes, not κώμαι, and comedy was so named because they held a festival [ἐκώμαζον] in the streets. Another name for it was τρυγωδία, either because the victors at the Lenaea were given new wine, which they called τρύξ, or because before masks were invented the actors used to smear their faces with the lees from new wine. There were three styles of comedy: Old Comedy, New Comedy and Middle Comedy. The poets of the Old Comedy did not have a serious purpose, but held their contests in pursuit of simple amusement. In total, 365 plays are attributed to these poets, including some plays that are spurious. The most illustrious of these poets were Epicharmus, Magnes, Cratinus, Crates, Pherecrates, Phrynichus, Eupolis and Aristophanes.
{Epicharmus of Syracuse} was the first to revive comedy, when it had fallen into disarray, and he made many improvments. He lived about the 73rd Olympiad [488-485 B. C. ]; and in his poetry he was fond of maxims, inventive and artistic. 40 of his plays have survived, of which 4 are disputed.
Magnes of Athens won 11 victories at Athens. None of his plays has survived. Nine [plays] are attributed to him.
Cratinus of Athens won victories after the 85th Olympiad [440-437 B. C. ]. He died while the Lacedaemonians were invading Attica for the first time, as Aristophanes says [ Pax_702 ]:
He swooned away; he could not bear to see
A flask full of wine, smashed and broken.
He was very poetic, and aspired to the character of Aeschylus. 21 plays are attributed to him.
Crates of Athens was an actor at first, so they say, and attached himself to Cratinus. He was very funny and cheerful, and was the first to portray drunks in comedy. There are seven plays by him.
Pherecrates of Athens won victories (? ) in the theatre. He {also} was an actor, and was a rival of Crates, but withheld from abusing him. He was clever at inventing stories, and won a good reputation by introducing new material.
Phrynichus the son of Polyphradmon died in Sicily. [This is apparently a confusion with Phrynichus the tragedian. ]
Eupolis of Athens produced a play when Apollodorus was archon [430 B. C. ], at the same time as Phrynichus. He was powerful in his diction, and a rival of Cratinus, [except] that some of his writing was abusive and spiteful. 14 plays are attributed to him.
Aristophanes of Athens, the son of Philippus, was by far the most eloquent of the Athenians, and more naturally gifted than any of the others. He rivalled Euripides, (? ) and outdid him in the elegance of his lyric poetry. He presented his first play when Diotimus was archon [428 B. C. ], with Callistratus as the producer; they say that his political plays were produced by Callistratus, and the plays about Euripides and Socrates were produced by Philonides. As a result of these, he gained a reputation as a good poet, and won other prizes in his own name. Then he handed over his plays to his son; the plays are 54 in number, of which 4 are spurious.
The poets of the Middle Comedy did not adopt a poetical style, but they achieved virtue in speech through colloquial language, so that poetical expression is only rarely found in them. They all spend a lot of effort on their plots. There are 57 poets of Middle Comedy, and the total number of their plays is 617. The most illustrious of them are Antiphanes and {? Alexis}.
Antiphanes of Athens, the son of Stephanus, began to produce plays after the 98th Olympiad [388-385 B. C. ]. They say that he was born at Larissa in Thessaly, but was admitted into Athenian citizenship by Demosthenes. They say that he was very skilful at writing and producing plays. He died at Chios, and his bones were brought back from there to Athens. Some of his comedies were also presented by Stephanus. The number of his plays is 260.
There were 64 poets of the New Comedy, but the most illustrious of them were Philemon, Menander, Diphilus, Philippides, Poseidippus and Apollodorus.
Philemon was the son of Damon, from Syracuse, but he was awarded Athenian citizenship. He started producing plays before the 113th Olympiad [328-325 B. C. ]. 97 of his plays have survived.
Menander of Athens, the son of Diopeithes, was distinguished for both his character and his family background. He stayed for a long time with Alexis, and seems to have been instructed by him. He produced his first play as an ephebe, when Philocles was archon [322 B. C. ]. He was extremely talented, and wrote a total of 108 plays. He died at Athens, when he was 52 years old.
Diphilus of Sinope was producing plays at the same time as Menander. He died at Smyrna. There are 100 plays by him.
2. A Synopsis of two of Menander's plays (POxy_1235)
Translated by B. P. Grenfell and A. S. Hunt.
{The Priestess . . . } The former husband of the priestess . . . having recovered tried to seek out the son whom he loved. His servant was persuaded to be brought to the priestess under pretence of being possessed, in order that he might be accorded treatment; and he secretly obtained information and discovered the truth. The true son of the mother of the supposititious child desiring to marry the daughter of the priestess sent his mother to speak with the priestess about him. While the women were talking {the old man, who} had become suspicious, and especially in consequence of the information of his servant that there was a difference in personal appearance, addresses the younger of his neighbour's sons as his own. The youth discerning his mistake intimidates his brother in advance by saying that the old man was mad and was declaring every young man to be his son. Accordingly when the old man subsequently learned the truth and addressed the elder as his son the latter sends him away as being mad. At the same time . . . the old man having recovered his son marries the priestess, and the son receives the daughter of his foster-parents and the younger and true son of the neighbours receives the daughter of the priestess whom he had loved, and the marriages of all three pairs are celebrated . . .
Such are the incidents of the plot. The play is one of the best and . . .
The Imbrians, commencing "For how long a time, Demeas, I . . . ". "My good man, I . . . " This he wrote when Nicocles was archon [302/1 B. C. ], being his 7{. }th play, and issued it for production at the Dionysia; but it did not take place on account of the tyrant Lachares. The play was subsequently acted by the Athenian Callippus.
The plot is as follows : Two poor men who were friends lived in close association at Imbros and married twin sisters; and sharing all their possessions too they worked industriously both on land and sea . . .
3. Production Note of Menander's Dyskolos (PBodmer_4)
Translated by W. G. Arnott.
[Menander] produced [this play] at the Lenaea festival, when Demogenes was archon [January 316 B. C. ], and won first prize. Aristodemus of Scarphe was his principal actor. It has an alternative title, "The Misanthrope".
4. A Greek inscription, found at Rome (IG_14. 1184)
Menander the son of Diopeithes, from Cephisia, was born when Sosigenes was archon [342/1 B. C. ]. He died at the age of 52 years, when Philippus was archon [? 292/1 B. C. ], in the 32nd year of the reign of Ptolemy Soter.
5. Scholia on Ovid (Ovid, Ibis_591)
Translated by Alan H. Sommerstein.
" As the comic poet perished while swimming in the wet waves,
So may the waters of Styx suffocate your mouth! "
Comment: Menander, the Athenian comic poet, was drowned while swimming in the harbour of Peiraeus; about this there have been handed down some very famous elegiac verses of the Greek authorship, and an epigram by Callimachus.
NICANDER
The two surviving poems by Nicander are both about natural remedies: Alexipharmaca (cures for various kinds of poisons ) and Theriaca ( cures for the bite of poisonous creatures )
The life is translated from the Greek text in the edition of Nicander by A. S. F. Gow and A. F. Scholfield.
1. The life of Nicander
Dionysius of Phaselis, in his book "About the poetry of Antimachus", says that the poet Nicander came from an Aetolian family; but in his book "On poets" he say that Nicander was a priest of Apollo of Clarus, having inherited the priesthood from his ancestors. And Nicander says of himself at the end of the Theriaca:
. . . bred by the snowy town of Clarus
Clarus is a place which is sacred to Apollo.
Nicander calls himself the son of Damaeus, in these words:
You will praise the son of much-remembered Damaeus
He lived in the reign of Attalus, the last king of Pergamum [139-133 B. C. ], who was deposed by the Romans. He addressed Attalus in these words:
Descendant of Teuthras, who for ever holds the heritage of your fathers,
Hear my hymn, and do not thrust it disregarded away from your ear;
For I have heard, Attalus, that your lineage reaches back
To Heracles and wise Lysidice, whom Pelops' wife
Hippodame bore, when he had seized power over the Apian land.
Nicander lived in Aetolia for a long time, as is clear from his writings about Aetolia and his other poems, and from his descriptions of rivers, places and other features in Aetolia; he also mentions plants which are local to there.
2. An inscription found at Delphi ( Syll_452 )
With good fortune. The Delphians granted to Nicander of Colophon, the son of Anaxagoras, the epic poet, and to his descendants: the rights of proxeny, of priority in consulting the oracle, of refuge, of priority in trial, of freedom from all taxes, of a seat of honour at all the games which the city presents, and of all the other privileges which are given to the foreign friends and benefactors of the city of Delphi. Nicodamus was archon, and the members of the council were Ariston, Nicodamus, Pleiston, Xenon and Epicharidas.
[ This inscription is dated to the third century B. C. ; because the date and the name of Nicander's father are different from what is stated in the Life, it has been suggested that there were two different epic poets who were both called Nicander. ]
THEOCRITUS
Theocritus became famous as a writer of bucolic poems
The lives are translated from the Greek text in C. Wendel's edition of the Scholia.
1 A. The family of Theocritus
The family of Theocritus, the bucolic poet, lived in Syracuse. His father was Simichus, as he himself says:
Son of Simichus, where are you treading in the middle of the day?
But some say that "Simichidas" was a nickname for Theocritus - because he seems to have been snub-nosed (simos) - and that his father was really Praxagoras and his mother was Philina.
Theocritus was a pupil of Philetas and Asclepiades, both of whom he mentions. He lived at the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus [282-246 B. C. ], the son of Ptolemy son of Lagus. He became extremely famous for his skill in composing bucolic poetry. According to some, he was originally called Moschus, but was later given the name Theocritus.
Note that this Theocritus was a contemporary of Aratus, Callimachus and Nicander. He lived at the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus.
1 B. The invention of bucolic poetry
They say that bucolic poetry was invented at Sparta, and was held in great esteem, for the following reason.
At the time of the Persian wars, when the whole of Greece was in a state of fear, the festival of Artemis Caryatis was due to be celebrated. The maidens hid themselves away, because of the alarm caused by the war, but some men from the countryside entered the temple and sang their own songs in honour of Artemis. The goddess was pleased by their unusual music, and so the tradition was established and preserved.
Others says that bucolic poetry was first performed at Tyndaris in Sicily. When Orestes took the image of Artemis away from Tauris in Scythia, he received an oracle, that he should wash himself in seven rivers flowing from one source. Therefore Orestes went to Rhegium in Italy, and washed away the curse in the so-called "separated" rivers. Then he crossed over to Tyndaris in Sicily, where the inhabitants sang their local songs in honour of the goddess, and this was the origin of the tradition.
But the truth is as follows. Once there was political discord at Syracuse, and many of the citizens were killed. When the people came back into harmony, it seemed that Artemis had been the cause of their reconciliation. The countrymen brought gifts to the goddess, and in their celebrations they sang songs to her. Afterwards the songs of the countrymen became an established tradition.
They say that when the men sang, they prepared a loaf with many images of wild animals on it, a pouch full of all kinds of seeds, and wine in a goatskin, to pour out as an offering for those they met. They wore a garland, with the antlers of a deer [on their head], and a staff in their hands. The victor in the contest received the loaf of the man he had vanquished; and the victor remained in the city of Syracuse, while the losers went out to the surrounding villages to collect food for themselves. They sang songs full of fun and laughter, and added the following propitious words:
Receive good fortune,
Receive good health,
Which we bring from the goddess,
Which she (? ) has commanded.
2. "Anecdoton Estense"
The family of Theocritus, the bucolic poet, lived in Syracuse. His father was Praxagoras, and his mother was Philina. For the same "Simichidas" is said not to be derived from his father, but to be a nickname, because he was snub-nosed (simos). Theocritus was a pupil of Philetas and Asclepiades, both of whom he mentions. He lived at the time of Ptolemy son of Lagus. He became extremely famous for his skill in composing bucolic poetry.
Others say that he lived at the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus, who was the son of Ptolemy son of Lagus and of Berenice the daughter of Antigonus. They say that there were seven outstanding poets at the time, who were called the Pleias because they were seven in number. Their names were as follows:
This Theocritus
Aratus, who wrote the Phaenomena and other poems
Nicander, who wrote the Theriaca
Aeantides - some put in his place Apollonius, who wrote the Argonautica
Philicus
Homerus the younger, son of Andromachus, from Byzantium, a tragedian who wrote seven plays (there was another Homerus, who they say lived at the same time as Hesiodus, though he was not the same man as the ancient Homerus)
Lycophron, who wrote the Alexandra
There is an epigram attributed to Theocritus, as follows:
The Chian is a different man; I, Theocritus, who wrote this,
Am one of the many Syracusans,
The son of Praxagoras and famous Philina,
And I have not assumed a foreign muse. "
[This manuscript also contains an account of the invention of bucolic poetry, very similar to the one above. ]
Selected prefaces to Theocritus' poems from the Scholia:
Idyll 6
Theocritus addresses his friend Aratus, whom he also mentions in the "Harvest Festival", where he says
Aratus, dearest in every way
and
Let us not keep watch in the porch, Aratus
This may be the Aratus who wrote the Phaenomena. He lived at the same time as Theocritus, and it is likely that they were friends.
Idyll 7
a When he was staying on Cos, Theocritus became friendly with Phrasidamus and Antigenes, the sons of Lycopeus. They invited him to the harvest festival of Demeter, and he set out with Eucritus and Amyntas. He did not, as Munatius says, set out with Phrasidamus and Antigenes, who had invited him; for Theocritus says, "the third one of us was Amyntas".
b The title of this idyll is "The Harvest Festival", and the action takes place on Cos. Theocritus was staying on the island, during his journey to visit Ptolemy at Alexandria. While he was there, he became friendly with Phrasidamus and Antigenes, the sons of Lycopeus . . .
7. 40
a "Sicelidas": He means Asclepiades the writer of epigrams, who was Samian by birth. He was called Sicelidas as a patronymic; for he was the son of a Sicilian who had that name.
d "Sicelidas": Just as Theocritus calls himself Simichidas {line 21} as a patronymic, because he was the son of Simichidas, and he calls Eumedes Cratidas {Idyll 5. 90} because he was the son of Cratidas, so also he now calls [Asclepiades] of Samos Sicelidas, because he was the son of Sicelidas; and Theocritus seems to have been a pupil of Asclepiades.
Idyll 15
The title of this idyll is "Syracusan women" or "Women at the festival of Adonis". The subject is some women from Syracuse who are staying at Alexandria; they arrange to go to watch the procession of Adonis, which has been furnished by Arsinoe, the wife of [Ptolemy] Philadelphus. Gorgo visits Praxinoa, and together they go out to watch. Theocritus modelled the poem on the "Spectators at the Isthmia" by Sophron, and it is different from his usual style of poetry.
At the festival of Adonis, the inhabitants of Alexandria used to adorn the statues of Adonis and escort them in traditional fashion down to the sea. When the Syracusan women leave their house, they are astonished by the crowd and by what is happening in the crowd.
Theocritus wrote this poem while he was staying at Alexandria, to please the queen. He describes the violent commotion of the men, and the singer who in her song extols the lavishness of Arsinoe.
Idyll 16
This idyll is addressed to Hieron son of Hierocles, the last tyrant of Syracuse. Hieron came to power after he was appointed general by the citizens, and he destroyed the forces [of their enemies]; as a result, he was proclaimed tyrant. [After him, Hieronymus the son of Gelon was ruler of Sicily. ]
Because Theocritus received nothing from Hieron, he composed this idyll, which has as its title "The Graces" [or "The Favours"]. It tells the story of Simonides' boxes. It is said that Simonides had two boxes, one of favours, and one of sponsors. When someone came to ask him for a favour, Simonides told him to bring the boxes and open them up for inspection. The box of favours was found to be empty, and the box of sponsors was full; and in this way he rebuffed the man who asked for a favour.
Idyll 17
This idyll is addressed to Ptolemy Philadelphus, who was the son of Ptolemy, son of Lagus, and of Berenice. Therefore Munatius is wrong to make [Ptolemy] Philopator a contemporary of Theocritus, when there is such a difference in time between them.
There were three kings called Ptolemy:
Ptolemy [son of] Lagus
Ptolemy Soter
Ptolemy Philadelphus
The poem is about the third of these kings.
17. 128
"himself and his excellent wife" : Ptolemy Philadelphus was married first to Arsinoē daughter of Lysimachus, who bore his children, Ptolemy and Lysimachus and Berenicē. He discovered that she was plotting against him, along with with Amyntas and Chrysippus the Rhodian doctor. He put the men to death, and sent her away to Coptus in the Thebaid. Then he married his own sister Arsinoē, and let her adopt the children who he had by the previous Arsinoē; for Arsinoē Philadelpus died childless.
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