A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

Smith, William

A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. William Smith, LLD, ed. 1890

3. A native probably of Egypt, is recorded by Athenaeus, from whom alone our knowledge of him is derived, as a musician, a wit, a bon vivant, and the author of a treatise on his favourite delicacy-fish. His profession and his propensity are together marked by the name λοπαδοφσητής, applied to him by the comic poet Mnesimachus, in his play of" Philip." (Ap. Athen. viii. p. 338b.; Meineke, Fragm. Com. vol. iii. p. 578.) He is mentioned too in a fragment of Machon, also preserved by Athenaeus (viii. p. 337c.; Casaub. ad loc.); and there is an anecdote of him at the court of Nicocreon of Salamis (Athen. 8.337f.), which shews that he did not lose anything for want of asking. He was in favour also with Philip of Macedon, who had him in his retinue at Chaeroneia, in B. C. 338. (Athen. 3.118b., vii. pp. 282, d., 287, c., 297, c., 300, f., 304, f., 306, f., 309, f., 312, d., 315, b., 319, d., 320, d., 322, f., 327, f, x. p. 435c.) There was a Dorion too, probably a different person, from whose work, called Πεωπυλκόν, a mythological account of the origin of the word (σνκή is quoted by Athenaeus (iii. p. 78a.).

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