2. One of the principal Athenian comic poets of the new comedy, and a contemporary of
Menander and Philemon, was a native of Sinope. (de Com. pp. xxx. xxxi.) He was a lover of the
courtezan Gnatbaena, and seems sometimes to have attacked her in his comedies, when under the
influence of jealousy. (Machon and Lynceus Samius, apud Athen. xiii. pp.
579, f., 580, a., 583, f.) He was not, however, perfectly constant. (Alciph. Ep. 1.37.) He is said to have exhibited a hundred plays (Anon. l.c.), and sometimes to have acted himself. (
Though, in point of time, Diphilus belonged to the new comedy, his poetry seems to have had
more of the character of the middle. This is shewn, among other indications, by the frequency
with which he chooses mythological subjects for his plays, and by his bringing on the stage
the poets Archilochus, Hipponax, and Sappho. (Ath. xi. p. 487a., xiii. p. 599d.) His language
is simple and elegant, but it contains many departures from Attic purity. Respecting his
metres, see Meineke. (Hist. Crit. pp. 443, 444, 448.)
The following are the plays of Diphilus, of which we have fragments or titles
(Ath. ix. p. 401a., xv. p. 700d.), which was also ascribed to CALLIADES
(Ath. xi. p. 499d. e.; Poll. 10.72; Stob. Flor. 108.9)
(Etym. Mag. p. 61, 10), which was also the title of a play of Antiphanes, by others ascribed to Alexis
(Suid. s. v.
of which there was a second edition by Callimachus under the title of
(Schol. Ven. ad Il.
(Ath. xi. p. 499c.; Antiatt. p. 84. 25)
(Ath. ix. p. 370e.)
(Harpocrat. p. 41. 3; Antiatt. p. 101. 10)
also ascribed to Sosippus, whose name is otherwise unknown (Ath. iv. pp. 132, e., 133, f. ; Poll. 10.12)
(Ath. x. p. 446d.; Antiatt. p. 108. 32);
(Ath. vi. p. 254e.; and perhaps in ; see Menagius, ad loc. and
Meineke, Hist. Grit. pp. 425, 426)
(Erot. gloss. Harpoc. p. 116)
(Ath. iii. p. 111e.)
(Antiatt. p. 110. 18)
(Ath. xiv. p. 645a.; and perhaps Poll. 10.72; see Meineke, p. 453)
(Ath. vi. p. 223a.).
(Ath. vi. pp. 226, e., 227, e., vii. p. 316f.; Etym. Mag. p. 490. 40, a gap being supplied
from the Cod. Barocc. ap. Bekker, Anecd. p. 1445; Harpocrat. p. 130.
22)
(Ath. iv. p. 165f.) or s.
v.
(Poll. 10.137)
or more correctly
(Poll. 10.99)
(Ath. vi. p. 230f., vii. p. 291f.; Stob. Flor. 105.5)
(Ath. x. p. 421e.)
(Ath. ix. p. 371a.)
(Stob. Flor. 12.12)
(Ath. vi. p. 262a., x. p. 451b.)
(Poll. 10.38, 62)
of which the
(Ath. vi. p. 307f., comp. iv. p. 168b.);
(Ath. iii. p. 124d.)
(Ath. x. p. 423e.)
(Etym. Mag. p. 206, 16)
(Ath. vi. pp. 236, b., 238, f, 247, d, x. p. 422b.)
(Ath. iv. p. 156f.)
probably for
(Antiatt. p. 101. 4; and perhaps Eustath. ad Horn. p. 1479. 46)
(Ath. vi. p. 225a.; Phot. s. v.
(Ammon. Diff. Verb. p. 61)
(Ath. xi. p. 487a., xiii. p. 599d.)
(Poll. 9.81), which, however, belongs perhaps to Philemon
(Etym. Mag. p. 683, 24, corrected by Gaisford)
which was translated by Plautus under the title of
(Harpoc. p. 55. 8)
of which there were two editions (Ath. vi. p. 247a. c., xiv. p. 657e.; Phot. s. v.
(Ath. xiv. p. 640d.)
(Stob. Flor. 116.32)
or
(Phot. s. v.
There are other fragments, which cannot be assigned to their proper places.
The
Frag. Com. Graec. i. pp. 445-457, iv. pp.
375-430.)