Simylus
(Σίμυλος).
1. An Athenian comic poet of the middle comedy, who is known by an extant inscription to have exhibited a play in the archonship of Diotimus, Ol. 106. 2, B. C. 354. (Böckh, C. I. vol. i. p. 353). Of the title of the play in the inscription, only the last three letters, σιᾳ, remain; Böckh conjectures that it was Ἐφεσίᾳ. His Μεγαρική is cited by Pollux (10.42), and there are a few other references to him. (Meineke, Frag. Com. Graec. vol. i. pp. 424, 425 ; Editio Minor, Addenda ad p. 794, p. xviii.)
2. An inferior tragic actor in the time of Demosthenes, who charges Aeschines with having hired himself to Simylus and Socrates, as their tritagonist. (Demosth. de Coron. p. 314, comp. Anon. Vit. Aesch. ; Harpocrat. and Suid. s. v. The old editions of Demosthenes have Σιμμύκᾳ, but Maussacus (ad Harpoc. l.c.) has clearly shown that Σιμύλῳ is the true reading, and the editors, from Reiske downwards, have adopted it. Athenaeus (viii. p. 348)) quotes from Theophrastus a curious witticism aimed at Simylus by the musician Stratonicus, the point of which can hardly be given in English. (See Maussacus, l.c.). The tragic actor has been confounded with the comic poet ; but Meineke observes (l.c.) that such a combination of professions is very improbable both in itself, and on account of the express testimony of Plato, that the same persons were never both tragic and comic actors. [P.S]
- Paus. 7.22.2