Βάπται (Introduction)

239

test, vi
Themist. or. 8 (p. 110a-b Harduin)
οργήν άπεμνημόνευσας ούδενί... Αλκιβιάδης δέ ό Κλεινίου, καί ταϋτα στρα-
τηγός ών αιρετός, ούχ ούτως <άλλ’> (add. Kassel) άπεμνημόνευσεν Εύπόλιδι
τω κωμωδοδιδασκάλω τούς Βάπτας, καίτοι τής τέχνης αύτω διδούσης τού
σκώπτειν τήν άδειαν έκ των νόμων
You did not nurse a grudge against anyone ... But Alcibiades the son of
Kleinias, a man who had been elected general at that, did not (behave) thus,
but (“but” added by Kassel) held the comic poet Eupolis’ Baptai against
him, even though (Eupolis’) craft granted him legal permission to engage
in mockery
Context From a speech directed to the Eastern Roman emperor Valens
(reigned 364-78 CE).
Interpretation Another version—here moralizing—of the common tale about
Alcibiades’ reaction to Baptai (cf. test. 3 with n.; Baptai test. ii-v). Nothing
suggests that Themistius has read the comedy itself or has any independent
information regarding it.

Introduction
Discussion Buttmann 1829 11.159-67; Lobeck 1829. 1007-39; Fritzsche
1835. 196-238; Meineke 1839 1.119-26; Stievenant 1849. 126; Kock 1880 1.273;
Brandes 1886. 27-9; Rapp 1890-1897. 1401-2; Zelle 1892. 44-5; Kern 1896;
Kaibel 1907 p. 1233.44-60; Geissler 1925. 52; Norwood 1931. 188-90; Srebrny
1930-1931; Wüst 1933; Hatzfeld 1940. 179-80; Schiassi 1944. 99-107; Schmid
1946.123-4; Edmonds 1957. 330-1 n. c; Ginouves 1962. 398; Velardi 1982-1983;
Parker 1983. 306 n. 125; Long 1986. 34; Kopff 1990. 319-21; Storey 1990. 20-2;
Storey 1993. 75; Storey 1995-1996. 147-8; Furley 1996. 131-3; Lozanova 1996.
31-2; Bowie 2000. 328-9; Storey 2003. 94-111; Nesselrath 2005; Delneri 2006.
267-77; Rusten 2011. 227; Storey 2011. 78-81; Zimmermann 2011. 746; Telo
2014. 117
Title Baptai is presumably named after its chorus, although what the word
means in this context, and how it is to be connected with what little else