Philyllius

(Φιλύλλιος), an Athenian comic poet, contemporary with Diocles and Sannyrio (Suid. s. v. Διοκλῆς). He belongs to the latter part of the Old Comedy, and the beginning of the Middle; for, on the one hand, he seems to have attained to some distinction before the time when the Ecclesiazusae of Aristophanes was acted, B. C. 392 (Schol. ad Aristoph. Plut. 1195), and, on the other, nearly all the titles of his plays belong evidently to the Middle Comedy. He is said to have introduced some scenic innovations, such as bringing lighted torches on the stage (Schol. Plut. l.c. Ath. 15.700, e.). With regard to his language, Meineke mentions a few words and phrases, which are not pure Attic. His name is corrupted by the Greek lexicographers and others into Φιλλύλιος, Φιλαῖος, Φιλόλαος, Φιλλύδεος. and other forms. The following titles of his plays are given by Suidas and Eudocia, and in the following order:--Αἰγεύς, Αὔγη, Ἄντεια (ἑταίρας ὄνομα), Δωδεκάτη, Ἡρακλῆς, Πλύντρια ἢ Ναυσικάα, Πόλις (better Πόλεισ̓. Φρεωρύχυς, Ἀταλάντη, Ἑλένη, where the last two titles look suspicious, as being out of the alphabetical order. (Meineke, Frag. Com Graec vol. i. pp . 258-261 ii. pp. 857-866; Beak, Comment. de Reliq. Com Att. Ant p. 428.) [P.S]