70

Timokles

Also, in a passage of Hermippus (fr. 47), Pericles is called βασιλεύς σατύρων
(sc. Dionysus); see on Timocles fr. 12, under “Interpretation”. In Eupolis Ταξίαρχοι,
Dionysus is trained in military life and practice by the general Phormion (Schol.
Ar. Pax 348e; see Storey 2003, 246-60; Olson, 2016, 367-70). In Aristophanes’
Babylonioi Dionysus is arrested and taken off for trial by the local authorities,
obviously in a context of bribery: (Ath. 9.494d = Ar. fr. 75) όταν Διόνυσος λέγη
περί των Άθήνησι δημαγωγών ώς αύτόν ήτουν έπι την δίκην άπελθόντα όξυβάφω
δύο “when Dionysus says of the demagogues at Athens that they asked him for ‘two
shallow saucers’, as he was going away to trial”. It is also possible that Dionysus int-
roduced himself in the very first scene of the play; cf. Orth 2017, 351-74,459-60,
who notes that Dionysus probably is the main character of the play; cf. E. Ba. 1-63;
Stratt. fr. 46 from Φοίνισσαι (cited above).
Date Dionysos has in common with Ikarioi Satyroi (fr. 18) and Lethe (fr. 23) the
orator Telemachus from Acharnae, who is satirized with reference to his pot of
beans. Telemachus’ career seems to be attested from 342 to 329 BC; cf. Schwigert
1938, 292. A certainly datable initiative in his career is the decree he proposed in
329/8 BC in honor of Heracleides of Salamis, who had donated 3,000 drachmas
to Athens to buy corn (see below, under “Commentary”). It has been suggested
(Coppola 1927, 456-7; cf. Webster 1952, 20) that this official proposal in honor of
Heracleides and his supposed initiatives concerning provisioning, which are allu-
ded to by the catchphrase ‘pot and beans’, are associated, and, therefore, Dionysos
(and Lethe and Ikarioi Satyroi as well) should probably be dated around 329/8.
This suggestion is unfounded, though the corn shortage period of 330-327 BC
and Telemachus’ attested activity in this period might be compatible with this sort
of satire. Cf. below, on the date of Ikarioi Satyroi and Lethe.

fr. 7 K.-A. (7 K.)
A. ό δ’ Άχαρνικός Τηλέμαχος έτι δημηγορεί;
Β. ούτος δ’ έοικε τοΐς νεωνήτοις Σύροις.
Α. πώς; ή τί πράττων; βούλομαι γάρ είδέναι.
Β. θάργηλον αγκάλη χύτραν φέρει
1-2 Τηλέμαχος; (Β.) έτι δημηγορεί · ούτος Herwerden 4 θάργηλον Meineke:
θανατηγόν Α αγκάλη Jacobs: έν ταϊς άγκάλαις Herwerden: καλήν Α <ούτος> άγκ.
Meineke, άγκ. <κυάμων> Kaibel
A. Is Telemachus the Acharnian still speaking in public?
B. This one is like newly bought Syrians.
A. In what way? What is he doing? I want to know.
B. He is carrying around his thargelos pot under his arm