A Commentary on the Fragments of Fourth-century Tragedy Thomas Sims Thesis submitted to the University of Nottingham for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 2018 Abstract Except for the pseudo-Euripidean Rhesus, fourth-century tragedy has almost entirely been lost to the ravages of time, known only through the quotation of a few isolated lines by later writers or preservation on some sand-worn scraps of papyrus. The poor survival of fourth- century tragedy has inevitably led to suggestions of low quality. Recent scholarship, however, has begun to revise these conclusions, recognising a remarkable inventiveness prevalent in the surviving fragments. This thesis aims to continue the rehabilitation of fourth-century tragedy and takes the form of a commentary on the fragments of Astydamas II, Carcinus II, Chaeremon, and Theodectas, the ‘leading lights’ of this period whose verses comprise over half of what remains. In the introduction, I focus on fourth-century tragedy in general and all its surviving fragments, even those not treated in the commentary. I begin by exploring the internationalisation of this genre and its spread to the Greek-speaking West and East. I then consider the prevalent themes and stylistic features of the fragments and examine fourth- century reaction to fourth-century tragedy, particularly in comedy, oratory, and philosophy. I also discuss fourth-century satyr drama and some of its best surviving examples, including Python’s Agen. In the commentary, I provide a biography for each poet and explore their reception and that of their work. I then discuss each of their plays in turn, reconstructing plots where possible and providing information about other treatments of a myth in fifth- and fourth- century drama. Finally, I analyse each fragment, focusing on any textual issues, their literary, stylistic, and dramaturgical qualities, and on their relationship within the dramatic tradition and Greco-Roman literature. 2 Through analysing the fragments in the form of a commentary, I hope to show that far from representing a ‘terminal decline’ as Edna Hooker once lamented, they instead display many remarkable qualities which make them worthy of study in their own right. 3 Acknowledgements In many ways studying for a PhD is like hiking through the countryside, at times arduous, but nonetheless fun, full of self-discovery, and hopefully enlightening. Along this journey I have been fortunate enough to meet, work, and become friends with many amazing people, some of whom I would like to take this opportunity to thank. Firstly, my supervisors: Patrick Finglass, for his pivotal role in the formative stages of this work and for his willingness to comment on my many drafts; Alan Sommerstein, for his unbridled enthusiasm, inspiration, and incisive feedback; and Oliver Thomas, whose support and encouragement have meant more to me than I can put into words. It has been a pleasure to have had the opportunity to work with all three of them. I would like to thank my examiners Edmund Stewart and Matthew Wright for an enjoyable afternoon spent discussing fourth-century tragedy and for their thoughts and feedback on this work. I wish to thank Nick Wilshere for proofreading my thesis, and the members, both staff and students, of the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Nottingham for their encouragement and interest in my research. I am grateful to Vincent Rondot, head of the Department of Egyptian Antiquities at the Louvre, for kindly making available the papyrus containing verses from Carcinus’ Medea. I must also thank the Midlands3Cities Doctoral Training Partnership for awarding me a studentship; without this funding, I would not have been able to undertake this research. There are other people who have made a different, but no less profound and significant contribution to the person and scholar I am today. Firstly, Amanda Leatherland, Jill Osgood, Jane Siveyer, and Dora Wood who have offered me many years of support and guidance and who have helped me to realise what a boy from Bilborough can achieve. Secondly, Robert Grant, Ben Harrison, and Andy Swithinbank who first taught me Latin and Greek and showed me the relevance that ancient literature still has in our modern society. I wish to thank Lindsey Annable, Stefanos Apostolou, Carl Dixon, Aaron Duncan, and Andrew 4 Fox for their friendship, advice, and for always being happy to have a chat, and Adam Dakin and Crystal Johnson for the laughs, the trips, and for listening, without complaint, to the same anecdotes about the ancient world on many separate occasions! Lastly, and most importantly, I would like to thank my mum Catherine, my brother Josh, and my sister Rachel for their encouragement, guidance, support, and above all their love. I dedicate this thesis to the memory of my grandma Irene. I hope this work is testament to her belief in the importance of perseverance and hard work. 5 Contents Introduction................................................................................................................................8 Internationalisation of tragedy and satyr drama...........................................................17 Sicily and southern Italy...................................................................................18 The east............................................................................................................24 Some recurring themes of fourth-century tragedy.......................................................27 Familial bonds..................................................................................................27 Women.............................................................................................................33 The natural world.............................................................................................34 Some stylistic features of fourth-century tragedy........................................................37 Mythological changes......................................................................................37 Philosophers as tragedians...............................................................................43 Oratorical features of fourth-century tragedy...................................................46 The chorus……………....................................................................................49 Fourth-century tragedy in context................................................................................50 Comedy and tragedy.........................................................................................50 Philosophy and tragedy....................................................................................54 Tragedy in the orators.......................................................................................58 Satyr drama..................................................................................................................62 Notes on the text and commentary...............................................................................66 Commentary.............................................................................................................................69 Astydamas II................................................................................................................70 Introduction......................................................................................................70 Life and career......................................................................................70 Reaction and reception.........................................................................74 6 Commentary.....................................................................................................79 Carcinus II..................................................................................................................133 Introduction....................................................................................................133 Life and career....................................................................................133 Reaction and reception....................................................................... 137 Commentary...................................................................................................141 Chaeremon.................................................................................................................178 Introduction....................................................................................................178 Life and career....................................................................................178 Reaction and reception....................................................................... 180 Commentary...................................................................................................184 Theodectas..................................................................................................................243 Introduction....................................................................................................243 Life and career....................................................................................243 Reaction and reception....................................................................... 249 Commentary...................................................................................................254 Appendices.............................................................................................................................308