Όρεσταυτοκλείδης (Orestautokleides)
(“Orestautocleides”)

203

Discussion Meineke III (1840) 608-9; Kock II (1884) 462-3; Breitenbach 1908,
33-6; Bevilacqua 1939, 47; Schiassi 1951, 230-45; Webster 1970, 59, 63, 82; PCG
VII (1989) 774-5; Auhagen 2009, 71; Olson 2007,175-6; Orth HGLII (2014) 1046.
Title In Sud. τ 623 (cf. test. 1) the comedy is (apparently wrongly) referred to
as Όρέστης. The title denotes the name of a person consisting of two compo-
sites. For such ‘hybrid’ names as comedy titles cf. Polyzelus’ Δημοτυνδάρεως,
Strattis’ Άνθρωπορέστης (cf. Orth 2009, 43-54), Cratinus’ Διονυσαλέξανδρος
(cf. Bianchi 2015, 198-301), Aristophanes’ Αίολοσίκων (cf. Orth 2017, 90-93),
Alexis’ Άσκληπιοκλείδης (cf. Arnott 1996, 115-6), Eubulus’ Σφιγγοκαρίων (cf.
Hunter 1983,199-208), Menecrates’ Μανέκτωρ, Pherecrates’ Άνθρωφηρακλής and
Pacuvius’ tragedy Dulorestes (Orestes as slave’); cf. also Lucian’s Ίκαρομένιππος, Ar.
Ra. 499Ήρακλειοξανθίας and Cratin. fr. 502, where the comic poet Ekphantides is
called Χοιριλεκφαντίδης. For other composite titles cf. Alcaeus’ and Anaxandrides’
Κωμωδοτραγωδία; Metagenes’ Θουριοπέρσαι, perhaps a description of the
Thurians living the luxurious life of Persians; cf. Orth 2014, 410; the comic de-
scriptions of Bdelycleon as Δημολογοκλέων (Ar. V. 342b) and Κομηταμυνίας (Ar.
V. 466) by the Chorus; and the mysterious composite Κολακοφοροκλείδης in
Phrynich. Com. fr. 18, perhaps a construction alluding to a certain Athenian officer
(πάρεδροςΈλληνοταμιών) Pherecleides; cf. Chronopoulos 2006, 140-43; Stama
2014, 128-31. For plays with both composite titles and homoerotic subject in
comedy cf. Myrtilus’ Τιτανόπανες; cf. Meineke I (1839) 100-1: “argumentum fa-
bulae ad παιδεραστάς spectasse dicas”·, Bagordo 2014,131. In such composite titles
it is difficult to tell which part denotes the most significant character of the play.
It seems, however, that in Όρεσταυτοκλείδης (and probably in Αίολοσίκων and
Σφιγγοκαρίων, cf. Orth 2013, 88), the second part denotes the actual character of
the play, or, to put it another way, the first part denotes the person who is imitated,
while the second is the imitator.
Other comic titles which recall Aeschylus are Nicochares’ Αγαμέμνων, Cratinus’
Ευμενίδες, Aristophanes’ Δαναΐδες, Strattis’ Μυρμιδόνες, Theopompus’ Νεμέα,
Alcaeus’ Καλλιστώ, Amphis’ and Alexis’ Επτά έπ'ι Θήβας; see Orth 2015, 27. In
Aristophanes, Aeschylus is an example of old-fashioned poetry, cf. Ar. Ach. 10,
Nu. 1364-7, Lys. 188-9; Ra. passim, Ec. 391-3. For Aeschylus in fourth-century
comedy, cf. Anaxil. fr. 19.1-2; Olson 2007, 175. Otherwise, Orestes in fourth-
century comedy appears in parody scenes of Euripides’ homonymous play, the
most interesting being Alex. fr. 3 (cited below, “Interpretation”; see on Timocl. fr.
32.1); cf. Ale. Com. fr. 19 (from Komoidotragoidia)·, Men. Asp. 424, 432; and Sik.
176-7, 182; Arnott 1996, 62-3; Orth 2013, 14-5. For Orestes as a favourite hero
of comedy cf. Willink 1986, Ivi-lvii; Orth 2009, 45-6; Orth 2013, 87-8. It is also
worth noting that in comedy the name Orestes sometimes appears as a nickname
for muggers and criminals; cf. Ar. Ach. 1164-8; Av. 712; Dunbar 1996, 306-7;