Iambic Poetry
Diphilus
Testimonium
1 Schol. ad Arist. Nubes 96d (p. 31 Holwerda)
πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ Δίφιλος εἰς Βοίδαν τὸν φιλόσοφον ὁλόκληρον συνέταξε ποίημα, δι᾿ οὗ †οὐκ† εἰς δουλείαν ἐρυπαίνετο <ὁ> φιλόσοφος· οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ ἐχθρὸς ἦν. ἔπειτα Εὔπολις, εἰ καὶ δι᾿ ὀλίγων ἐμνήσθη Σωκράτους, μᾶλλον ἢ Ἀριστοφάνης ἐν ὅλαις ταῖς Νεφέλαις αὐτοῦ καθήψατο.
Diphilus
Diphilus
Test. 1 suggests that Diphilus is older than, or at least contemporary with, the 5th-century comic poet Eupolis, but, as West ad loc. remarks, a Theseis in choliambics (fr. 1) is unlikely before the Hellenistic period unless it is “ludicra.” Either then the Diphilus of test. 1 is different from the Diphilus of fr. 1 or fr. 1 is from a poem that might be similar to the Margites attributed to Homer. G. A. Gerhard, Phoenix von Kolophon (Leipzig 1909) 215, tentatively identifies this Diphilus as the Diphilus named by Diogenes Laertius 7.161 as a pupil of the philosopher Ariston (3rd c. b.c.). Testimonium1 Scholiast on Aristophanes, Clouds
For first Diphilus composed an entire poem against the philosopher Boidas,1 in the course of which the philosopher was abused as a slave, though he was not for this reason an enemy. And second Eupolis, even if he mentioned Socrates in (only) a few places, attacked him more than Aristophanes did in the whole of the Clouds.
- 1Identity and date unknown.
DOI: 10.4159/DLCL.diphilus_iambic_poet-testimonium.1999