[Greek: GRIPHOI. ]
much the same way as Theodectes, according to the statement of Clearchus: and so did Aristonymus, the player on the harp, without any vocal accompaniment: and so did that Cleon who was surnamed Mimaulus, who was the best actor of Italian mimes that ever appeared on the stage without a mask. For in the style of play which I have mentioned already, he was superior even to Nymphodorus. And Ischomachus the herald was an imitator of his, who used to give his representations in the middle of a crowd, and after he had become celebrated, he altered his style and used to act mimes at the jugglers' shows. And the riddles which these men used to propose were of the following kind:—A clown once had eaten too much, and was very unwell, and when the physician asked him whether he had eaten to vomit, No, said he, but I ate to my stomach. And another was,—A poor woman had a pain in her stomach, and when the physician asked her whether she had anything[1] in her stomach, How should I, said she, when I have eaten nothing for three days?
And the writings of Aristonymus were full of pompous expressions: and Sosiphanes the poet said to Cephisocles the actor, reproaching him as a man fond of long words, "I would throw a stone at your loins, if I were not afraid of wetting the bystanders." But the logical griphus is the oldest kind, and the one most suited to the natural character of such enigmatical language. "What do we all teach when we do not know it ourselves?" and, "What is the same nowhere and everywhere?" and also, "What is the same in the heavens and on the earth and in the sea?" But this is a riddle arising from an identity of name; for there is a bear, and a serpent, and an eagle, and a dog, both in the heavens and on the earth and in the sea. And the other riddle means Time; for that is the same to all people and everywhere, because it has not its nature depending on one place. And the first riddle means "How to live:" for though no one knows this himself, he teaches his neighbour.
79. And Callias the Athenian, whom we were discussing just now, and who was a little before Strattis in point of time, wrote a play which he called Grammatical Science; and the plot of it was as follows. The prologue consists of the, which also signifies to be pregnant.]
- ↑ The Greek is [Greek: en gastri echei
