Χρυσοΰν γένος (Introduction)

461

that there must have been some pointed contrast between the perfect, lost
world to which the title alludes and contemporary times.
A rhapsode (fr. 309) and a citharode (fr. 311; cf. fr. 303) took part in the
action; someone realized that he was in trouble and was likely to be beaten (fr.
304); and someone was waiting for another character, but ultimately decided
to enter a house regardless of whether the other individual did as well. Beyond
that, the action is opaque.277
The following have also been assigned to Chrysoun genos: frr. 331 (Bergk);
361 (Meineke).
Date The reference to Cleon in power in fr. 316.1 dates the play to before his
death in late 422 BCE. Geissler thought the characterization could only have
been offered after the victory at Pylos in 425 BCE, putting the play in 424-422
BCE, and fr. 316.1 might then reasonably be understood, like Ar. Eq. 313, to
refer to the reassessment of the tribute in 425/4 BCE (Meritt, Wade-Gery and
McGregor 1950. 70-89), in which Cleon likely played a leading role. But Cleon
had taken a leading role in the Mytilenean Debate already in 427 BCE, and
Aristophanes seems to have mounted a vigorous attack on him in Babylonians
a year later (cf. Ar. Ach. 6 with Olson 2002 ad loc.; Bab. test, iv.3), so this may be
over-fine. Storey 1990. 18 argues for assigning the play specifically to Eenaea
426 BCE on the ground that ψαμμοκοσιογάργαρα (the number of Dicaeopolis’
woes) at Ar. Ach. 3 is an attempt to one-up ψαμμακοσίους (referring to the
number of people in the audience) in fr. 308. But this is very weak evidence,
particularly given the lack of any obvious thematic connection between the
two passages. For discussion, see also Neri 1994/5.
The mentions of other komoidoumenoi at frr. 298.4 (the ugly Arche stratus);
303 (the citharode Alcaeus); 306 (the small and nasty Didymias); 318 (the
clumsy Pantacles); 319 (the sacred exegete Lampon) do not allow for a more
precise dating of the play.

277 Frr. 301 (the speaker or an unidentified group of persons were performing a sac-
rifice inside) and 307 (the speaker reports a failure to find certain equipment in a
house) may or may not be describing action that actually went on in the course of
the play.