Όδυσσεύς (Odysseus)
(Odysseus’)

155

Discussion Meineke 18391.372; 1840 III. 175; 1847. 581; Bothe 1855. 424; Kock
1884 11.146; Edmonds 1959 11.58—9; Kassel-Austin 1991 11.253 (cf. 1986 V.231);
Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 253-4
Title A popular figure in both comedy and tragedy, Odysseus was the title-
character of comedies by Epicharmus (two plays), Dinolochus, Cratinus (in
plural), Theopompus (possibly plural), Amphis, Eubulus, and Alexis (two
plays), and of tragedies by Sophocles (two plays), Sophocles II (TrGF 62),
Apollodorus (TrGF64), Chaeremon (TrGF71), and adesp. trag. TGrFF 7a and
7b. In addition, he played a major role in numerous other plays.
For a useful study of the character of Odysseus throughout European lit-
erature, although dwelling little on comedy, see Stanford 1963a; for Odysseus
in comedy, Schmidt 1888; Phillips 1959. See in general LIMC VI. 1.943-7.
Content of the comedy Odysseus’ adventures are too varied and numerous
for speculation on the plot of the play to be profitable, although tentative
suggestions can be made on the basis of the fragments. Fr. 34 may be part of a
comic treatment of his death (see introduction to fr. 34). Fr. 35.1, on the other
hand, may refer to the Athenians, in which case the play is probably not strict-
ly a mythological parody but an amalgam of legend and reality similar to the
fantasy world often found in fifth-century comedy; perhaps Odysseus came
to Athens or met Athenians on his fantastic adventures (see Introduction).
Date The play took fourth at the City Dionysia between 374 and either 365
BC or 357 BC (although not in 368 or 364 BC, and almost certainly not in 373
BC); see on test. 5.7.

fr. 34 K.-A. (33 K.)
των ζωγράφων μέν ή καλή χειρουργία
έν τοϊς πίναξιν κρεμαμένη θαυμάζεται·
αϋτη δε σεμνώς έκ λοπάδος άρπάζεται
άπό τού ταγήνου τ’ ευθέως άφανίζεται.
5 επί τίνα j" δ’ άλλην τέχνην j", ώ χρηστέ σύ,
τά στόματα των νεωτέρων κατακάετ’ ή
ώθισμός έστι δακτύλων τοιουτοσί
ή πνιγμός, αν μή ταχύ δύνηται καταπιεϊν;