100

Έπιχαιρέκακος (Epichairekakos)
(“The Spiteful Man”)94

Discussion Meineke III (1840) 507-8; Kock II (1884) 456; Bevilacqua 1939, 43;
Edmonds II (1959) 608-10; PCG VII (1989) 763-4.
Title The title is unique in Attic drama. In Timocles there are also other tit-
les presumably pointing to a defining characteristic of a major figure, such as
Πολυπράγμων “Busybody” and Φιλοδικαστής “The Man Who Loved Jury-
Duty”. For other titles denoting a ruling sentiment cf. Μισοπόνηρος “Hater of
Wickedness” (Antiphanes); Περιάλγης “Man in Great Pain” (Plato); Ήδυχάρης
“Sweetly Joyous”, probably an invented name formed from the adjective ήδυχαρής
(Theopompus); Φιλέταιρος “Loyal Comrade” (Alexis, Amphis, Antiphanes);
Φιλομήτωρ “Mother’s Boy” and Φιλοπάτωρ “Father’s Boy” (Antiphanes). There
are also titles which refer to the major character’s way of life or idiosyncrasy,
such as Μονότροπος “Solitary Man” (Phrynichus), Μεμψίμοιρος “Fault-Finding
Fellow” (Antidotus), Δύσκολος “Bad Tempered” (Mnesimachus and Menander),
Άπληστος “The Insatiable Fellow” (Diphilus).95
έπιχαιρέκακος is a compound adjective accepted both by Atticists (e. g. Poll.
3.101 Bethe δ γε έπιχαιρέκακος ανεκτόν; Phryn. PS 71.1 de Borries; έπιχαιρέκα-
κος άνθρωπος: ό έπιχαίρων τοΐς κακώς πράττουσιν) and by the Anonymous
Antiatticist: Lex. Seguer. 91.21 Bekker έπιχαιρέκακος εΐ και φθονείς τοΐς πλησίον
(= Alex. fr. 62); see Arnott 1996, 172-3. On the other hand, the simple adjective
χαιρέκακος (also χαιρεκακώ, χαιρεκακία) is mainly attested in post-classical texts.
According to Eratosthenes (op. Str. 1.3.22), the opposite would be έπιχαιράγαθος,
but it was never used. On the other hand, έπιχαίρειν is mostly used of malignant
joy, e.g. S. Aj. 961-2 οί δ’ ούν γελώντων κάπιχαιρόντων κακοΐς τοΐς τοΰδ’ “well,
let them laugh and mock at his misfortunes”; Ar. Pax 1015; Men. fr. 860 ταΐς
άτυχίαισι μη ’πίχαιρε τών πέλας “do not rejoice at others’ misfortunes”; Ar. Rh.
1379b 17; D. 9.61; 21.134; (but also rarely in a good sense, “rejoice at another’s joy”,
e.g. Ar. Th. 314; S. Aj. 136). The use of έφήδεσθαι is similar; cf. D. 15.21; 18.18;
X. HG 4.5.18 έφήδεσθαι τώ δυστυχήματι; cf. (συν)ήδεσθαι ταΐς συμφοραΐς: Isoc.
8.87 ού συμπενθήσοντες τούς τεθνεώτας, άλλα συνησθησόμενοι ταΐς ήμετέραις
συμφοραΐς (for certain neighbours of Athens and other Greeks, who attended
public funerals at Athens every year not to grieve but to rejoice at the Athenians’
misfortunes).96

94 Cf. Rosen in Rusten 2011, 520: “Mr. Schadenfreude”.
95 Arnott 2010, 317.
96 A possible passive of έπιχαιρέκακος is έπίχαρτος (disapproved of by Poll. 3.101 Bethe);
cf. Th. 3.67.4 οίκτου τε άξιώτεροι τυγχάνειν οί απρεπές τι πάσχοντες τών ανθρώπων,
οί δέ δικαίως, ώσπερ οϊδε, τά έναντία έπίχαρτοι είναι; “for those who suffer undeserved
misfortune pity is the proper response: but when men like these suffer their just deserts,
that on the contrary is cause for rejoicing.” But cf. Philonid. fr. 13 τον έπιχαίροντα