Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1903 Excerpt:...discussion. The dialogue shows that eight characters are active on the stage, all of whom are pictured in the miniatures. The five speakers appear in the dialogue in the following order: Thraso, Gnatho, Sanga, Chremes, Thais. The first three come with the three mute characters to storm the house of Thais, who with Chremes awaits the attack. Thais is not the last figure on the right, but is between the attacking party and the young man. The artist's reason for giving this unusual order is found in the closing verses of the previous scene, where the timidity of Chremes is such as to cause Thais to exclaim that her defender was himself in need of a protector. As regards the identification of the first six figures, opinions have varied widely. Wieseler was the first scholar in modern times who seriously attempted the task.4 To the figures in the attacking party he assigned names in the following order: Syriscus, Sanga, Thraso, Donax, Simalio, Gnatho. The correctness of this assignment was challenged by Leo, who believed that the first two figures represent Simalio and Syriscus, the fifth, Sanga.6 The difference in Wieseler's and Leo's conclusions rests upon their disagreement in the identification of objects carried by the second and fifth figures. The first of these, with uplifted right arm, has in his hand an object somewhat oval in shape.6 The fifth carries in his left hand a light club, apparently, to the end of which some 1 Instead of the name of Dorus his role is given. 8 For the references to Wieseler (Taf. X, 5), and Schreiber (Taf. III, 5), see p. 73. 3 Denkvialer des Klassischen Alterthums, II, p. 831. Abb. 914. 4 Op. cit., p. 65 ff. Cocquelines, however, had changed, in part correctly, the assignment which he found for five figures in C. 6 Op. cit.,...