DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.800#0361
340 ANCIENT ATHENS.
the archonship of Neaechmus and that of Pytharatus. Thrasycles,
instead of being choragus like his father or grandfather Thrasyllns,
was merely agonothete, or president. The right hand inscription
records the victory of a chorus of men of the tribe Pandionis; on which
occasion Nicocles, an Ambracian, played the flute, and Lysippus, an
Arcadian, composed the piece. The left hand inscription1 purported
that the boys of the tribe Hippothoontis obtained the victory; that the
flute was played by Theon, a Theban, and that Pronomos, also a Theban,
composed the piece. It will be observed that the musicians mentioned
in all these inscriptions were foreigners, and it has been sometimes said
that the Athenians, like their patron goddess, disdained to play upon
the flute. This, however, does not seem to hold universally good, at all
events in the later times; for a choragic inscription found at Athens
records that on that occasion the flute was played by an Athenian.2
The Thebans were distinguished as flute players. Pronomos, a Theban,
had been the music-master of Alcibiades;3 and an inscription of the
time of the archonship of Diotrephes, b.c. 384, records that his son
CEniades played the flute in a choral victory.4 The Pronomos mentioned
in the third inscription over the grotto may not improbably have been
a descendant of the same family.
Pausanias, as we have already said, mentions that within the cavern
was a group of statues representing Apollo and Artemis slaying the
children of Niobe. It is difficult to trace any connection between this
story and a choragic victory; yet we may probably assume that this
group was an anathema not of Thrasyllus, but of his predecessor Nicias
in commemoration of the many victories which he had gained. Pausanias
takes no notice of the two Ionic columns with tripods, which stand
above the cavern. Yet they must have been there in his time; for
Plutarch, who flourished about a century earlier than he, alludes to
1 This inscription, beautifully cut on a '* 6 Sijiios e'xop(ijyei) . . ayavoBirris . .
block of grey marble, still lies with the n)al8a>v ivUa . . ,A)6r)vaios rjSXei. See
wrong side upwards before the cavern, Rangabe', Ant. Hell. t. ii. p. 703 (No. 983).
where the writer saw it. Cf. Boeckh, ('. 3 A then. iv. 84.
Ins. Gr. Nos. 224-22G. 4 Hangahe, ibid. p. 700 (No. 972).
the archonship of Neaechmus and that of Pytharatus. Thrasycles,
instead of being choragus like his father or grandfather Thrasyllns,
was merely agonothete, or president. The right hand inscription
records the victory of a chorus of men of the tribe Pandionis; on which
occasion Nicocles, an Ambracian, played the flute, and Lysippus, an
Arcadian, composed the piece. The left hand inscription1 purported
that the boys of the tribe Hippothoontis obtained the victory; that the
flute was played by Theon, a Theban, and that Pronomos, also a Theban,
composed the piece. It will be observed that the musicians mentioned
in all these inscriptions were foreigners, and it has been sometimes said
that the Athenians, like their patron goddess, disdained to play upon
the flute. This, however, does not seem to hold universally good, at all
events in the later times; for a choragic inscription found at Athens
records that on that occasion the flute was played by an Athenian.2
The Thebans were distinguished as flute players. Pronomos, a Theban,
had been the music-master of Alcibiades;3 and an inscription of the
time of the archonship of Diotrephes, b.c. 384, records that his son
CEniades played the flute in a choral victory.4 The Pronomos mentioned
in the third inscription over the grotto may not improbably have been
a descendant of the same family.
Pausanias, as we have already said, mentions that within the cavern
was a group of statues representing Apollo and Artemis slaying the
children of Niobe. It is difficult to trace any connection between this
story and a choragic victory; yet we may probably assume that this
group was an anathema not of Thrasyllus, but of his predecessor Nicias
in commemoration of the many victories which he had gained. Pausanias
takes no notice of the two Ionic columns with tripods, which stand
above the cavern. Yet they must have been there in his time; for
Plutarch, who flourished about a century earlier than he, alludes to
1 This inscription, beautifully cut on a '* 6 Sijiios e'xop(ijyei) . . ayavoBirris . .
block of grey marble, still lies with the n)al8a>v ivUa . . ,A)6r)vaios rjSXei. See
wrong side upwards before the cavern, Rangabe', Ant. Hell. t. ii. p. 703 (No. 983).
where the writer saw it. Cf. Boeckh, ('. 3 A then. iv. 84.
Ins. Gr. Nos. 224-22G. 4 Hangahe, ibid. p. 700 (No. 972).