Διώνυμοι

famous, renowned

Translated by Antonella Ippolito24 Feb 2005Vetting: high8 revisions

6 notes · 34 words

"Flatterers, famous among the Greeks, have been summoned and are surrounding us: Kleisophos's¹ and Strouthias's² and Therons³ and the ones buzzing⁴ around Dionysius’ table⁵ and the ones in frenzy around the banquet of Alexander".⁶

Notes (6)

The adjective, nominative plural, is evidently extracted from the quotation given. For this adjective, in this sense, see already delta 1243 (LSJ entry at web address 1).
The quotation is Aelian fr. 110a Domingo-Forasté (107 Hercher), describing the Roman parasite -- hanger-on, sponger -- Albius (alpha 1091; see also beta 374). The names mentioned are those of well-known Greek parasite figures, mostly drawn from comedy (cf. Aelian fr. 111a D-F, 108 Hercher). See further in the notes below.

1Kleisophos was a parasite of Philip II of Macedon, mentioned by Athenaeus, Deipnosophists 6.248D (6.53 Kaibel), and in the Gnomologium Vaticanum. (For the pluralisation of the name, here and in what follows, signifying 'the likes of x', cf. e.g. Plutarch, Pericles 16.2: P. 'stood first for 40 years amidst Ephialtes's and Leokrates's etc.'.) ↩

2Parasite of the soldier Bias in Menander’s play Kolax. See also the commentary in POxy, L 3534: "Bias and Strouthias ... are the names of the soldier and his attendant who appeared together in a scene [sc. from Kolax] which Plutarch recalled as a classic in his essay How to distinguish a flatterer from a friend" (cf. Plutarch, De adulatore et amico 57A). ↩

3In Menander’s fragmentary play Sikyonios. Theron is another instance of a soldier’s parasite, whose important role required a large stage presence. ↩

4These unnamed parasites are collectively compared to wasps or other insects; cf. beta 374. For an analogous comparison, see Basil, Epistles 272.1 ei)/ tines w(/sper oi( khfh=nes ta\ smh/nh, ou(/tws au)toi\ th\n lampra/n sou kai\ qaumasth\n e(sti/an peribombou=sin, "if some of them, like drones around the beehive, buzz around your splendid, wonderful home". *bombw= is also referred to a noisy crowd by Lucian, Bis accusatus 13.3; to heretics, by Athanasius, de decretis Nicaeni Synodi 13.5; de sententia Dionysii 19, 2; contra Arianos 26 Migne, p. 445. 39; ad Afros episcopos, PG 26.1037.1; to soldiers, by Anna Comnena 12.2.5. ↩

5This 'Dionysius' will be either delta 1178 or his son delta 1179. ↩

6Alexander the Great, presumably (alpha 1121).

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