Page:The Theatre of the Greeks, a Treatise on the History and Exhibition of the Greek Drama, with Various Supplements.djvu/299

 GREEK PLAYS IX GENERAL. 273 the highest consideration; the actor Aristodemus went on an em- bassy i, and many actors took a lead in the public assembly 2. Theodorus, who was a contemporary of Aristodemus, and to whose mastery over his art both Aristotle, who had seen him on the stage^, and later writers, to whom his fame had descended^, bear ample testimony, was honoured by a monument, which was a con- spicuous object on the sacred road to Eleusis even in the time of Pausanias^. It is true that Demosthenes, among the exaggerated contumelies which he heaps on his opponent ^Eschines, lays a particular stress on his connexion with the stage. But it must be remembered that in all this he does not attempt to depreciate the profession itself. He is at great pains to indicate not only that ^schines never rose beyond the rank of a Tpiraywyio-rr]';^, and that he was merely the subordinate partner of Theodorus and Aristode- mus'^, just as Ischander was the regular BevT€paycovicrTri<; of Xeo- ptolemus®, but that he utterly failed even in that humble capacity. On one occasion, when ^Eschines was performing at Collytus the part of (Enomaus in the play of Sophocles which bore that name, and was pursuing Ischander, who as deuteragonist took the part of Pelops, in the death-race for Hippodameia, which was probably represented in the orchestra, it is stated the future statesman fell in a very unseemly manner, had to be set on his feet again by Sannio, the teacher of the chorus, and was hissed off the stage by the offended spectators^ It is also intimated that at one time in his dramatic career, whether before or after this mishap does not appear, ^schines was content to be tritagonist to ranting actors named Simylus and Socrates, in whose company he was so pelted 1 ^scb. Trepl Tapairp. p, 347, Bekker. 2 Demosth. irepl Trapa-rrp. p. 377; Bekker, de Cwond, p. 281. 3 See, for example, Rhet. in. 2, § 4: olov -t] GeoSwpou (po}v^^ TreirovOe irpbs T-t]v tQsv dWuv vTOKpiTwV Tj ixkv yap Tov yoyTos ^oiKev ehaf al 5' dWoTpiai. Pherae; ^^an, V. H. xiv. 14; cf. Plut. Pdop. 29. ^ !• 37> § 3 • "'piJ' 5^ 77 Sia^TJuai tov Kr]<pLa6u, GeoSw/Jou p.vrjixd i<XTt rpaycfSiav viroKpi- vap.hov rOiv ko.Q'' ai'Tov dpiara. 6 De Corond, pp. 270, 11; 297, 25; 315, 9. ' De Pais. Legal, pp. 418, 420, 2. ^ De Fals. Legal, p. 344, 7 ; 1(rxa»'5pov rov "SeoirroXe/Jiov ^evrepaydjvia-TT^v. ^ De Corona, p. 288, 19: 6v iu KoWwrcj iroTe Olv6p.aov kukuis iTr^rpixpas. Anonym. Vit. ^sch. pp. T I sq. : Arjfxoxdprjs (priaiu 'laxo-v^pov tov Tpaytobov TpiTayojvKXTTjv yeveadai TOV Alaxl-vTjv Kal vTroKpivdfxevov Oiv6/j.aov diuKOVTa II^XoTra alaxp^^ Tre(Telv Kal avaaTrjvai. virbZavvLuvos tov xopodidaaKciXov. Apoll. Vit.jEsch. pp. 13 sq. : AiVxiV?;? TpirayuviaTT^s iyiv€To TpaycfStQv Kal iv KoWurtp ttot^ Olvofxaov vTroKpiv6/j.€vos KaTiirecrev. D. T. G. 18
 * It is said that he actually extorted tears from the savage tyrant, Alexander of