232

Timokles

fr. 33 K.- A. (31 K.)

τοΐς μεν τεθνεώσιν έλεος έπιεικής θεός,
τοϊς ζώσι δ’t έτερον άνοσιώτατον φθόνος
1 τεθνεώσιν Stob. A, Theophilus: τεθνηκόσιν Stob. SM, Mac. 2 έτερον άνοσιώτατον
SM, Mac.: έτερον -ος A: τέρας -ον Emperius: έργων -ος Herwerden: ό θεών -ος Meineke:
έτερος -ος Haupt; έτέρων έτερος Richards: έφεδρος -ος Meineke: έχθρός -ος Kock: έχθρών
-ος Headlam
for the dead, pity is a gentle god,
whereas for the alive envy is the most unholy sentiment
Stob. 4.57.8
(ότι οϋ χρή παροινεΐν εις τούς τετελευτηκότας), vol. V ρ. 1138 Η. (codd. SMA, Mac.)
Τιμοκλέους συνεργικά (om. S, Mac., Συνερίθων Meineke, Συνεργάταις idem in ed. Stob.
IV [1857] p. xxv) ■ τοϊς - φθόνος.
(that we must speak no evil of the dead). Timocles’ Synergikat; ‘for the dead - sentiment’.
Theophil. In Autol. 2.38
(p. 96 Gr.; δτι φροντίζει ό θεός ... και τών τεθνεώτων) τούτοις ακόλουθα εϊρηκεν και
Τιμοκλής λέγων · τεθν. - θεός
(that God takes care even for dead men) Timocles also says in the following lines, ‘for the
dead - god’.
Metre lambic trimeter
Citation context The fragment is preserved in both Stobaeus and Theophilus.
Stobaeus includes it in a section where the idea de mortuis nil nisi bonum domi-
nates. In Athens, in particular, blaming the dead was considered a punishable
crime; cf. Lipsius 1905, 648. On the other hand, Theophilus accumulates a series
of passages in order to support his case for divine providence and punishment.
Apart from Timocles, he cites Malachi (3.19), Isaiah (30.30, 28) Solomon (Prov.
3.8), David (Ps. 50.10), Homer (Od. 11.222; 16.856=22.362; II. 23.71) and Hosea
(14.10); cf. Parsons 2015,103. The reason why Theophilus cites only the first line of
Timocles’ couplet is probably because the second line (God’s malevolence toward
the living) is not relevant to his argument; cf. Zeegers-Vorst 1972, 129-32.
Text The transmitted text in v. 2 is apparently corrupt. Haupt 1876,608 proposes
έτερος ανοσιότατος; Kassel and Austin (PCG VII [1989] ad loc.) wonder whether
in that case the verse should be understood like Pi. P 3.34 δαίμων δ’ έτερος I ές
κακόν τρέψαις έδαμάσσατό νιν or Call. fr. 191.63 Pfeiffer ού πάντες, άλλ’ οΰς έσχεν
οΰτερος (Brink: έτερος codd.) δαίμων; but none seems to be an exact parallel, since