194

Πρωτεσίλαος (Protesilaos)
(‘Protesilaos’)

Discussion Meineke 18391.373; 1840 III. 182; 1847. 584; Bothe 1855. 426; Kock
1884 11.150—1; Edmonds 1959 11.62—3; Webster 1970. 18 n. 1; Nesselrath 1990.
195, 212-15; Kassel-Austin 1991 11.259; Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 260
Title Kock suggested emending to Πρωτεσίλεως, the Attic form of the Epic/
Ionic Πρωτεσίλαος, but either form is acceptable in poetry (cf. Kannicht
1969 on E. Hel. 131, 564). Moreover, by the last quarter of the fourth century,
Athenian names in -λαός began to supplant those in -λεως; cf. Threatte 1996
II. 44-9.
There are no other comedies with this title, but it does occur as the title of
a tragedy by Euripides and a satyr play by the otherwise unknown Harmodius
(TrGF 156; first century BC?); Sophocles’ Ποιμένες (possibly satyric) also
concerns Protesilaos and seems to focus on his death.
Protesilaos figures in Greek literature primarily as the first of the invading
Greeks to disembark at Troy and thus, in accordance with an oracle, the first
to die (e.g. Η. II. 698-702; Cypr. arg. 53-4; fr. 26; Apollod. Epit. 3.29-30 with
Frazer 1921 ad loc.\, for a general account of his story, cf. Canciani in LIMC
VII.1.554-60;Turkin Roscher 1884-1937 ΙΠ.3155—71. Euripides’ tragedy seems
to have dwelt on the brief time Protesilaos had with his newly-wed wife before
he sailed to Troy and died; cf. E. Prot. test, ii with Kannicht 2004 ad loc. and
p. 635. That play could have ended by foretelling’ Protesilaos burial at Elaious
in the Thracian Chersonesus opposite Troy and his eventual heroization there
by the local population (cf. ETzet Lyc. 533); if so, that could provide a connection
with fr. 42 of Anaxandrides’ play (if it in fact was a parody of Euripides; see
below).
Content of the comedy Kock speculated that Anaxandrides ‘fortasse tra-
goediae Euripideae argumentuminridiculum deflexerat’; fr. 42 describes awed-
ding feast that might be interpreted as that of Protesilaos. But Anaxandrides’
play seems to revolve around contemporary Athenian society and to be popu-
lated by well-known contemporary figures. Unlike divinities such as Dionysus
in Aristophanes’ Frogs or Hermes in Peace, who despite their connection with
the heroic past were conceived of as living presences and thus could appear in
the contemporary world,79 Protesilaos is confined to the realm of the Trojan

79 Similar are characters such as Herakles, who achieved divine status, or evenTereus
who, while not divine, was transformed into a creature regularly encountered. But
interaction even with these figures tends not to occur in contemporary Athens,