258

Φαρμακόμαντις (Pharmakomantis)
(‘Soothsaying Druggist’)

Discussion Meineke 1839 1.373; 1840 III.193; 1847. 588; Bothe 1855. 430;
Kock 1884 11.157; Blaydes 1896. 125; Edmonds 1959 11.72—3; Kassel-Austin
1991 11.267; Sanchis Llopis et al. 2007. 268; Holford-Strevens 2009. 626 n. 16
Title The word φαρμακόμαντις occurs only as the title of this play, but pre-
sumably implies a person concerned with both medicine and soothsaying
(Kock 188411.157: ‘homo medici simul et arioli partes agens’). The first element
of the word likely refers to the so-called ριζοτόμοι, who combined medicine
and magic; see below. A μάντις is a seer who practices divination through
the interpretation of signs and is distinguished from one who gives oracles
(cf. Th. 8.1.1; Paus. 1.34.1; Argyle 1970); cf. Ziehen 1930; Casevitz 1992 (with
further bibliography).
Both prior to the rise of ‘scientific’ medicine and contemporaneous with it,
the collection and distribution of medicinal plants (not just the roots; cf. Thphr.
HP 9.8.1) was carried out by ριζοτόμοι, whose reputation varied (negative: e. g.
h.Cer. 229; S. Ριζοτόμοι [frr. 534-6 Radt; cf. Pearson 1917 ad loc.], apparently
about Medea; positive: e. g. Diodes of Carystus, ‘qui secundus [to Hippocrates]
aetate famaque extitit’ [fr. 5 = Plin. NH 26.10]); cf. A. Ag. 17 with Fraenkel
1950 ad loc.·, Lloyd-Jones 1978. 48-50 (= 1990. 321-3); Scarborough 1991.
Theophrastus provides a brief discussion of them (HP 9.8), as well as of the
uses, both medicinal and toxic, of various plants (HP 9.9-20). The knowledge
gathered by the profession was the basis for later work; thus Crateuas (second/
first century BC) was the major source for Dioscorides’ Materia Medica (cf.
Delatte 1938, esp. 14-23).
Content of the comedy Fr. 50 could plausibly be taken as the title character
speaking about himself (thus already Meineke 1840 III. 193), suggesting that he
was portrayed as a fast-talker if not also a quack. Perhaps the play involved
him besting a doctor and/or soothsayer by taking on the role of both; see
Holford-Strevens 2009. 625-6 for doctors in comedy, conflict between doctors
and soothsayers, and the suggestion that the title character here might have
combined both roles. Fr. 51 apparently refers to culinary, not medicinal, uses
for various herbs; a conflation or confrontation could have occurred between
the φαρμακόμαντις and a cook; for a possible ‘medical cook’, cf. Arnott
1996 Introduction to Alexis Asklepiokleides. Less likely is the view of Lobeck
1829. 628-9, who compared titles such as Phrynichus Mystai, Antiphanes
Metragyrtes and Mystis, Alexis Theophoretos, and Nicostratus Hierophantes and
suggested that the play was a parody or satire of mystery religions.