78

Δίδυμοι (Didymoi)
(‘Twins’)

Discussion Meineke 18391.370; 1840 III. 166; 1847. 576; Bothe 1855. 420; Kock
1884 11.139; Edmonds 1959 11.50-51; Webster 1970. 72; Kassel-Austin 1991
11.243; Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 244
Title A Δίδυμοι or Δίδυμαι was written also by Aristopho, Antiphanes,
Xenarchus, Alexis, Menander, Euphro, and possibly Antiphanes II (cf. Naevius
Gemini·, Laberius Gemelli·, Antiphanes, Ephippus, Posidippus, Metrodorus
"Ομοιοι or Όμοιαι; Alexis, Antidotus Ομοια; Afranius Aequales).
Content of the comedy Perhaps a play resembling, at least in its basic
concept, Plautus Menaechmi (cf. Usener 1912-1914 III.24-6; Webster 1970. 68).
Who first used a plot revolving around twins, and thus presumably mistaken
identity, is unknown, but this play must belong to the first generation of what
became a very popular subject (cf. Katsouris 1976. 34); see Introduction.

fr. 11 K.-A. (11 K.)
Antiatt. p. 85.19
β p έ τ a ς · ό αναίσθητος. Άναξανδρίδης Διδύμοις
Wooden statue: an oblivous person. Anaxandrides in Didymoi
Metre Unknown.
Discussion Meineke 1840 III.166; 1847. 576; Bothe 1855. 420; Kock 188411.139;
Herwerden 1903. 97; Edmonds 1959 11.50—1; Killeen 1973. 60; Kassel-Austin
1991 11.243; Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 244
βρέτας Properly signifying a cult-image of a god, the word is fairly
common in tragedy (e. g. A. Pers. 809; Eu. 80 (olive wood Athena Polias); E.
El. 1254; IT 1040; not in Sophocles (unless restored at fr. 10c.8 βρε[ ]) or
tragici minores) but rare in comedy, attested elsewhere only at Ar. Eq. 31,
j"32; Lys. 262. On this basis, van Leeuwen 1900 suggested that the occurrence
at Eq. 31 was paratragic (cf. Rau 1967. 187); his further claim (1902a on Av.
1128) that, unless accompanied by further qualification, βρέτας means the
image of Athena Polias, overstates the evidence. Pollux 1.7 disallows this word
and δείκηλον (‘in Attic prose presumably’, Neil 1901 on Ar. Eq. 31, following
Kuhn; contrast Et. Gen. quoted by Wendel 1935 on Σ A.R. 4.1672) in favor of