(Νικοχάρης), an Athenian poet of the Old Comedy, the son of Philonides, also a comic poet. He was contemporary with
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Aristophanes (Suidas, s. v. Νικοχάρης), and of the ward Κυδαθήναιον (Steph. Byz. s. v. Κυδαθήναιον). If the conjecture of Böckh be correct (Corp. Inscript. vol. i. p. 354), he was alive so far down as B. C. 354. The names of his plays, as enumerated by Suidas (l.c.), are, Ἀμυμώνη, Πέλοψ, Γαλάτεια, Ἡρακλῆς γαηῶν, Ἡρακλμ͂ς χορηγός, Κρῆτες. Λακωνες, Λήμνιαι, Κένταυποι, Χειπογάοτοπες. Meineke (Com. Graec. Frag. vol. i. p. 253) ingeniously conjectures that the two first are but different names for the same comedy, from the fact that Πέλοψ does not occur in its alphabetical place, like the rest, and from the name Oenomaus occurring in a quotation from the Ἀμυμώνη, given by Athenaeus (two lines, x. p. 426e.). Of the Galatea two small fragments are preserved. (Pollux, 10.93; Schol. in A ristoph. Plut. vv. 179, 303.) To "Heracles marrying," reference is made, Pollux 7.40, 10.135. In the former passage the play is spoken of ἐν Ἡπακλεῖ γαμουμένω; this use of the verb, perhaps, like the Latin nubo, indicating the hero's unhusbaind-like subjection to Omphale. And in the latter passage the poet is spoken of thus: κατἁ Νικόχαπιν. Of the Lacones, we learn from the Argument to the Plutus III. of Aristophanes, that it was represented B. C. 388, in competition with the Πλουτος Β́. of Aristophanes. Reference is made to it, Athen. 15.667e. Of the Lemniae, the subject of which seems to have been the loves of Jason and Hypsipyle, we have two lines preserved by Athenaeus (vii. p. 328e.). Other short fragments, but without the names of the plays, are preserved by Athenaeus (as i. p. 34d.), Pollux, and others. From these fragments we can only infer that he treated in the style of the Old Comedy-sometimes rising into tragic dignity-the legends and local traditions of his country, no doubt ridiculing the peculiarities of the neighbouring states. (Meineke, l.c. and vol. ii. p. 842; Athen. Suid. Steph. Byz. ll. cc.; Clinton, F. H. vol. ii. pp. 42, 101; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. 2.471.)
Aristotle mentions (Art. Poet. 2.7) one Nicochares as the author of a poem called the Δηλιάς, in which he represents men as worse than they are Whether the comic Nicochares be the author or not. as Aristotle mentions this poem in connection with the parody of Hegemon, and, immediately after, expressly distinguishes between the characters represented in tragedy and in comedy as a separate illustration, the Deliad cannot have been a comedy, as Fabricius (Bibl. Graec. vol. ii. p. 471) inadvertently states Δειλιἀς, " the Poltroniad," has beer. suggested as the probable name. But, looking at the practice of the comic poet to amuse himself with local peculiarities, it seems probable enough that he wrote a satirical extravaganza on the inhabitants of Delos. (Aristot. l.c.; Twining's transl. vol. i. p. 266, 2d ed.; Meineke, Com. Graec. Fr. vol. i. p. 256; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. l.c.)
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