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Eupolis

Interpretation Kassel-Austin compare Ath. 4.169a οΐδα δέ καί άλλους ασώ-
τους πολλούς, περί ών ύμΐν καταλείπω ζητεΐν, πλήν Καλλίου τού Ίππονίκου,
δν καί οί των παίδων ο’ίδασι παιδαγωγοί (“I also know of many other spend-
thrifts, but I leave it up to you to pose questions about them, except about
Callias son of Hipponicus, with whom even the slaves who educate our sons
are familiar”), which Wilamowitz 1900. 86 n. 1 in a passing comment identi-
fied as a reference to Kolakes (better put, to the tradition of vague “learned”
references to the tradition of knowledge about Kolakes also represented by
test, iv-viii). Despite Storey 2003. 180, the testimonium tells us nothing about
the specific treatment of Callias in Eupolis’ play.
test, iv
Max. Tyr. 14.7 (14.156-60, p. 124.1-5 Trapp)
Καλλίαν μέν έν Διονυσίοις έκωμώδει Εϋπολις, ιδιώτην άνδρα έν συμποσίοις
κολακευόμενον, όπου τής κολακείας τό άθλον ήν κύλικες καί έταΐραι καί
άλλαι ταπειναί καί άνδραποδώδεις ήδοναί- τον δέ δήμον αυτόν, τον τής
Εϋπόλιδος στωμυλίας θεατήν, πού τις έλθών κωμωδήσει;
At the Dionysia, Eupolis used to make fun of Callias, a private person sur-
rounded by toadies at drinking parties, where the prize was drinking cups
and courtesans and other base and slavish pleasures. But as for the people
themselves, who watched Eupolis’ babble—where will someone go and make
fun of them?
Context From a moralizing essay treating the distinction between a friend
and a flatterer (κόλαξ).
Interpretation The author does not obviously have any specific knowledge
of Eupolis’ play, reference to which appears instead to function as a learned
commonplace, as in test, v, vii-viii (although cf. fr. 174 for the details of Callias’
parties).
test. *v
Philostr. VS 2.25.3 (p. 110.26-32 Kayser)
τον γάρ πατρωον οίκον βαθύν αύτω παραδοθέντα κατεδαπάνησεν ούκ ές
ίπποτροφίας ουδέ ές λειτουργίας, ... άλλ’ ές άκρατον καί έταίρους οϊους
παρασχεϊν καί κωμωδία λόγον, οίον παρέσχον λόγον οί Καλλίαν ποτέ τον
Ίππονίκου κολακεύσαντες