Dyskolos
Encyclopedia
Dyskolos is an Ancient Greek comedy
by Menander
, the only one of his plays, or of the whole New Comedy, that has survived in all but complete form. It was first presented at the Lenaia
n festival in 317-16 BC, where it won Menander first prize. Long known through fragmentary quotations, a papyrus
manuscript of the complete Dyskolos dating to the third century was recovered and published in 1957. The papyrus had been purchased by the Swiss bibliophile Martin Bodmer
, and studied by Professor Victor Martin
of the University of Geneva
.
, who speaks the prologue
and whose personality dominates the play. Pan makes young Sostratos fall in love with a peasant girl he has glimpsed. Sostratos sends his servant to see the girl's father. This ends in violence, as the father is Knemon, a misanthropic farmer who becomes enraged at anyone who ventures onto his land or tries to converse with him. His wife and stepson have left him; only his daughter (who has no name) and an old servant woman live with him.
Sostratos meets Knemon’s stepson, Gorgias, and enlists his assistance in getting Knemon to allow Sostratos to wed his daughter. According to Gorgias, Knemon has vowed that he will permit only a man like himself to marry his daughter. Therefore, Sostratos dons a rough sheepskin coat so as not to appear a gentleman of leisure, and sets to work nearby as a laborer.
A cry goes up that Knemon has accidentally fallen down his own well. Gorgias jumps in to rescue him. Sostratos, although entirely preoccupied with admiring the beautiful daughter, pulls the rope to haul the misanthrope out, nearly killing the old man by his inattention. Having nearly drowned and believing himself about to die, Knemon sees the error of his ways and grants all his property to Gorgias, telling him also to take his daughter and find a husband for her. Gorgias introduces Sostratos to Knemon, who gives his indifferent approval.
The jubilant Sostratos tells his own father, Kallippides, of the wedding plan and suggests a second marriage between Gorgias and Sostratos' sister. Kallippides balks for a moment at taking two paupers into the family. Sostratos scolds his father, pointing out that wealth is inherently unstable, "and everything you have is not yours but luck's." Therefore, Kallippides should not bedgrudge sharing wealth with others; money can't be held forever, and luck will simply assign that wealth to someone else someday, perhaps to someone less deserving. Sostratos argues out that wealth imposes upon its owner a responsibility to act nobly
, and to "make rich as many people as you can by your own efforts. For this act never dies." Summarizing the play's key theme, Sostratos explains that what goes around comes around: By acting nobly now, Kallippides may himself—in a future moment of need—benefit from someone else's kindness. (The implicit argument is grounded earlier in the story, when Sostratos had benefitted from Gorgias' kindness, and Knemon had benefitted from Sostratos' kindness). Sostratos finally persuades Kallippides that it is far better to have "a visible friend than invisible wealth which you keep buried away."
At the celebration that follows, the recovering Knemon awakes from his sleep as cantankerous as ever, but is crowned with a wreath of flowers and admonished as the play ends in dancing and song.
Ancient Greek comedy
Ancient Greek comedy was one of the final three principal dramatic forms in the theatre of classical Greece . Athenian comedy is conventionally divided into three periods, Old Comedy, Middle Comedy, and New Comedy...
by Menander
Menander
Menander , Greek dramatist, the best-known representative of Athenian New Comedy, was the son of well-to-do parents; his father Diopeithes is identified by some with the Athenian general and governor of the Thracian Chersonese known from the speech of Demosthenes De Chersoneso...
, the only one of his plays, or of the whole New Comedy, that has survived in all but complete form. It was first presented at the Lenaia
Lenaia
The Lenaia was an annual festival with a dramatic competition. It was one of the lesser festivals of Athens and Ionia in ancient Greece. The Lenaia took place in Athens in the month of Gamelion, roughly corresponding to January. The festival was in honour of Dionysos Lenaios...
n festival in 317-16 BC, where it won Menander first prize. Long known through fragmentary quotations, a papyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
manuscript of the complete Dyskolos dating to the third century was recovered and published in 1957. The papyrus had been purchased by the Swiss bibliophile Martin Bodmer
Martin Bodmer
Martin Bodmer was a Swiss bibliophile, scholar and collector.- Biography :Martin Bodmer was the son of wealthy parents born in Zurich, Switzerland, where he lived until 1948. His father died in 1916 leaving a very large fortune. In 1918, Bodmer began studying German language, then gave up and took...
, and studied by Professor Victor Martin
Victor Martin
Victor Martin was a Belgian sociologist, alumnus of Louvain Catholic University. During World War II he embarked on a spying mission in Germany for the Front de l'Indépendance Belgian communist resistance organization, bringing back the first reliable information about the fate of Jews deported to...
of the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
.
Plot
The play is set in motion by the mischievous PanPan (mythology)
Pan , in Greek religion and mythology, is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. His name originates within the Greek language, from the word paein , meaning "to pasture." He has the hindquarters, legs,...
, who speaks the prologue
Prologue
A prologue is an opening to a story that establishes the setting and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one, and other miscellaneous information. The Greek prologos included the modern meaning of prologue, but was of wider significance...
and whose personality dominates the play. Pan makes young Sostratos fall in love with a peasant girl he has glimpsed. Sostratos sends his servant to see the girl's father. This ends in violence, as the father is Knemon, a misanthropic farmer who becomes enraged at anyone who ventures onto his land or tries to converse with him. His wife and stepson have left him; only his daughter (who has no name) and an old servant woman live with him.
Sostratos meets Knemon’s stepson, Gorgias, and enlists his assistance in getting Knemon to allow Sostratos to wed his daughter. According to Gorgias, Knemon has vowed that he will permit only a man like himself to marry his daughter. Therefore, Sostratos dons a rough sheepskin coat so as not to appear a gentleman of leisure, and sets to work nearby as a laborer.
A cry goes up that Knemon has accidentally fallen down his own well. Gorgias jumps in to rescue him. Sostratos, although entirely preoccupied with admiring the beautiful daughter, pulls the rope to haul the misanthrope out, nearly killing the old man by his inattention. Having nearly drowned and believing himself about to die, Knemon sees the error of his ways and grants all his property to Gorgias, telling him also to take his daughter and find a husband for her. Gorgias introduces Sostratos to Knemon, who gives his indifferent approval.
The jubilant Sostratos tells his own father, Kallippides, of the wedding plan and suggests a second marriage between Gorgias and Sostratos' sister. Kallippides balks for a moment at taking two paupers into the family. Sostratos scolds his father, pointing out that wealth is inherently unstable, "and everything you have is not yours but luck's." Therefore, Kallippides should not bedgrudge sharing wealth with others; money can't be held forever, and luck will simply assign that wealth to someone else someday, perhaps to someone less deserving. Sostratos argues out that wealth imposes upon its owner a responsibility to act nobly
Pay it forward
The expression "pay it forward" is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead. In contract law, typically there are two parties but there is the concept of third party beneficiaries. Pay it forward merely applies this contract law concept...
, and to "make rich as many people as you can by your own efforts. For this act never dies." Summarizing the play's key theme, Sostratos explains that what goes around comes around: By acting nobly now, Kallippides may himself—in a future moment of need—benefit from someone else's kindness. (The implicit argument is grounded earlier in the story, when Sostratos had benefitted from Gorgias' kindness, and Knemon had benefitted from Sostratos' kindness). Sostratos finally persuades Kallippides that it is far better to have "a visible friend than invisible wealth which you keep buried away."
At the celebration that follows, the recovering Knemon awakes from his sleep as cantankerous as ever, but is crowned with a wreath of flowers and admonished as the play ends in dancing and song.
External links
- Menander's Dyskolos (Grouch), translated by Vincent J. Rosivach
- Menander's Dyskolos (Grouch), in Greek