Anaxilas (Ἀναξίλας), also called Anaxilas Comicus, (fl. 340 BC)[1] was a Greek comic poet of the Middle Comedy period. Based on his name, he has been presumed of Doric origin.[2] He was, along with several other Middle Comedy poets (e.g. Antiphanes, Anaxandrides, Amphis, Alexis, Epicrates, Eubulides, Sophilus, and Dionysius of Sinope, all of apparently non-Attic origin) part of the increasing influence of non-Attic poets following the fifth century BC.[3]
He was one of several comic poets mentioned by Diogenes Laërtius, as having "ridiculed" Plato.[4]
Surviving Titles and Fragments
editTitles for twenty one of his plays are known, but only fragments of his works remain.[5]
- The Rustic Man
- Exchange
- The Pipe-Player
- Botrylion
- Glaucus
- Manliness
- Thrasyleon
- Calypso
- Circe
- Cyclops
- Lyremakers (or possibly Perfume-makers)
- Cooks
- The Recluse
- Neottis
- Nereus
- Bird-Keepers
- Wealthy Men (or possibly Wealthy Women)
- Hyacinthus, or Hyacinthus the Pimp
- Graces
- The Goldsmith
- Seasons
Notes
edit- ^ Arnold, p. 221.
- ^ Edmonds, pp. 332–333 n. b; Csapo, p. 218 n. 83.
- ^ Csapo, p. 218.
- ^ Diogenes Laërtius, 3.26, 28.
- ^ Edmonds, pp. 332–348.
References
edit- Arnold, Sir Edwin, The Poets of Greece, London: Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, 1869.
- Csapo, Eric, Hans Rupprecht Goette, J. Richard Green, Peter Wilson, Greek Theatre in the Fourth Century BC, Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, 2014.
- Edmonds, The Fragments of "Attic Comedy" After Meineke, Bergk, and Kock: Augm., Newly Ed. with Their Contexts, Annot., and Completely Transl. Into English Verse. Old comedy, Brill Archive, 1959.
- Smith, William; Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London (1873). "Anaxilas" .