12

Timokles

in politics may have been encouraged by possible repeat performances of “old
comedies” in Attica since 339 BC. On the other hand, it is equally plausible that
this revival of personal and political satire was achieved through reading plays
of the Old Comedy, which apparently had survived in public archives or private
collections.15 It is unclear, however, whether scenes containing political satire are
central or peripheral to the plot.
Besides, the courtesans typical of Middle Comedy are represented in Timocles’
corpus by titles such as Neaera16 and references to Pythionice in frr. 15,16, Phryne
in fr. 25 and a group of eleven courtesans (including Pythionice and Phryne) who
surround, like a chorus of Erinyes, the pederast Autocleides in Orestautokleides
(fr. 27).17 It is in that context that the motif of the exluded lover (amator exclusus)
appears: frr. 25.4-5; 10.1 (possibly). The figure of the parasite also appears in fr. 9
(Chaerephon), fr. 11 (the “uninvited” Corydus) and frr. 10,20 (Tithymallus); and,
most importantly, a long eulogy of the parasitic art is the subject of fr. 6 (from
Drakontion). The poet shows considerable inventiveness and versatility in const-
ructing comparisons: e. g. parasites with athletes (fr. 6.16); parasites with boxers
(fr. 31); seagulls with Syrians (fr. 4.9); orators with Syrian slaves (the Acharnian
Telemachus in fr. 7.4); orators with farting donkeys (fr. 18.8 Cephisodorus); des-
perate lovers with starving parasites (fr. 10).
Other titles point to a parody of mythological themes and motifs typical of
Middle Comedy (e. g. Dionysos, Konisalos, Kentauros e Dexamenos). There are also
titles alluding to a recognition comedy (Daktylios, Epistolai),18 and titles promising
a comedy of characters (e. g. Epichairekakos, Polypragmon, Philodikastes). Timocles
also seems to have been attracted to “Dionysian” themes; cf. the titles Demosatyroi,
Dionysos, Dionysiazousai, Ikarioi Satyroi.19 Moreover, he has included in his satire
a parody of the supposed beneficial effects of attending a tragic performance (the
subject of fr. 6 of Dionysiazousai), and a paratragic scene in Orestautokleides, whe-
reas the titles Ikarioi Satyroi and Demosatyroi may indicate some kind of osmosis
with satyr drama, not unusual in the late fourth century.20 Metatheatrical language
also occasionally occurs in fr. 19, where a character asks the spectators not to hiss
at him for his frigid puns.

15 For this issue cf. Konstantakos 2011, 163-4; Apostolakis 2014, 121; Orth HGL (2014)
1045; Sommerstein 2016, 42.
16 And possibly Drakontion, Lethe, Sappho (and Porphyra, a title also attributed to
Xenarchus).
17 Cf. also the content of fr. 24 of Marathonioi, where a χαμαιτύπη, “a harlot”, is unfavorably
compared with a young girl.
18 And perhaps Drakontion; cf. the commentary of this play, under “Content”.
19 Also cf. the verse μά τον Διόνυσον, (δν> σύ λάπτεις ’ίσον ϊσω (Dionysus as a metonym
for wine), from the play Porphyra, which is doubtfully attributed by Athenaeus (10.431a)
to Xenarchus (fr. 9) or Timocles.
20 Cf. below the commentary on the Icarian Satyrs, esp. under “The genre debate”.