11-03-2010, 03:08 AM
Philoi,
For about six months I have eagerly awaited my copy of Ian Storey's "Eupolis, Poet of Old Comedy" a nearly encyclopedic work on this little known playwright. Worth noting that Eupolis won the comedy prize seven times--only Kratinos (the Master of Old Comedy) won more often, at ten times. Aristophanes, whose work we actually have a fair amount of, won perhaps as few as three times, and was no where near as highly regarded in his day as Eupolis.
What does a Comedian have to do with Hoplite Warfare?
Eupolis wrote a play, called Taxiarchoi (the officers) in which Dionysus, in his saffron robed guise as an effeminate incompetent (this was a recurring image in Old Comedy--don't worry about it) shows up to receive hoplite training from Phormio (this play is dated between 428BC and 415BC.) Exciting stuff. The problem is that we have about 87 fragmentary lines. And few of them have anything to do with hoplite training.
Worth noting, though--and remember, I'm one of those people who is hesitant about hoplite training--that at least Athenians thought it was possible for a weak, effeminate man to have to be trained... that does suggest a citizen training program as early as 415. No Ephebe program then--or at least, no records attesting to such.
Here are the lines that do seem to me significant
276. No, not if you protect yourself by holding your shield in this way. (Apparently Phormio to Dionysus. Indicates that the god is being trained in shield use)
280. Wearing a chiton instead of a robe, and my hair filthy from lack of washing (apparently Dionysus on being a soldier)
281. For in battles, those in the front rank die--just like that.
340. It is necessary for the scouts to depart to their watch posts
352. the shield throwing hand
In the ancient world, everyone knew this play--apparently it was mentioned widely, in Roman literature as well as Greek, and there's every chance that we'll get a complete copy out of Herculaneum or the Egyptian desert. And we should hope so... the scholiast says it featured "Dionysus learning from great Phormio the laws of being a general and how to fight wars."
There's more good stuff in his other plays, but all fragments and much of it I have to translate myself...
Have fun!
Christian
For about six months I have eagerly awaited my copy of Ian Storey's "Eupolis, Poet of Old Comedy" a nearly encyclopedic work on this little known playwright. Worth noting that Eupolis won the comedy prize seven times--only Kratinos (the Master of Old Comedy) won more often, at ten times. Aristophanes, whose work we actually have a fair amount of, won perhaps as few as three times, and was no where near as highly regarded in his day as Eupolis.
What does a Comedian have to do with Hoplite Warfare?
Eupolis wrote a play, called Taxiarchoi (the officers) in which Dionysus, in his saffron robed guise as an effeminate incompetent (this was a recurring image in Old Comedy--don't worry about it) shows up to receive hoplite training from Phormio (this play is dated between 428BC and 415BC.) Exciting stuff. The problem is that we have about 87 fragmentary lines. And few of them have anything to do with hoplite training.
Worth noting, though--and remember, I'm one of those people who is hesitant about hoplite training--that at least Athenians thought it was possible for a weak, effeminate man to have to be trained... that does suggest a citizen training program as early as 415. No Ephebe program then--or at least, no records attesting to such.
Here are the lines that do seem to me significant
276. No, not if you protect yourself by holding your shield in this way. (Apparently Phormio to Dionysus. Indicates that the god is being trained in shield use)
280. Wearing a chiton instead of a robe, and my hair filthy from lack of washing (apparently Dionysus on being a soldier)
281. For in battles, those in the front rank die--just like that.
340. It is necessary for the scouts to depart to their watch posts
352. the shield throwing hand
In the ancient world, everyone knew this play--apparently it was mentioned widely, in Roman literature as well as Greek, and there's every chance that we'll get a complete copy out of Herculaneum or the Egyptian desert. And we should hope so... the scholiast says it featured "Dionysus learning from great Phormio the laws of being a general and how to fight wars."
There's more good stuff in his other plays, but all fragments and much of it I have to translate myself...
Have fun!
Christian
Qui plus fait, miex vault.
