Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §130.1

Stratonicus Mocking an Actor by Dividing a Proverb

Passage 135 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus in his "On the Ludicrous" cites an anecdote in which Stratonicus used a divided proverb to mock the actor Simmycas.

§130.1Fr. 130 Θ. ἐν τῷ περὶ γελοίου λεχθῆναι μέν φησι τὴν παροιμίαν ὑπὸ τοῦ Στρατονίκου ἀλλʼ εἰς Σιμμύκαν τὸν ὑποκριτὴν, διελόντος τὴν παροιμίαν, μέγας οὐδεὶς σαπρὸς ἰχθύς.
Fr. 130 Theophrastus in his On the Ludicrous says that the proverb was indeed spoken by Stratonicus, who divided the proverb, but against the actor Simmycas: "No large fish is rotten."

Notes

  1. §130.1διελόντος — Genitive singular masculine aorist active participle, agreeing with Στρατονίκου in the preceding phrase ὑπὸ τοῦ Στρατονίκου. It means "having divided" or "by dividing", referring to how Stratonicus altered the phrasing or punctuation of the proverb to produce a double meaning mocking Simmycas.
  2. §130.1εἰς Σιμμύκαν τὸν ὑποκριτὴν — The preposition εἰς with the accusative is used here to indicate the target of the verbal attack or jest, meaning "against" or "at" the actor Simmycas.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §130.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:130.1

Please note the AI-draft status of the translation and the date accessed.

Translation, notes and summary are AI-generated drafts, revised through reader feedback.