Thallus
(Θαλλός), of Miletus, an epigrammatic poet, five of whose epigrams are preserved in the Greek Anthology. Of these the first is in honour of the birthday of a Roman emperor, or one of the imperial family (Καῖσαρ), on which account Bovinus supposes the poet to be the same person who is mentioned in an extant inscription as a freedman of Germanicus (Mém. de l'Acad. des Inscr. vol. iii. p. 361). The name is given in various forms in the titles to the epigrams; the first is inscribed simply Θάλλου, the second and fourth Θαλοῦ Μιλησίου, the fifth Θαλλοῦ Μιλησίου, and the third Θυηλάου, which is perhaps a corruption of Θυΐλλου. The form Θαλοῦ may be explained by considering Θαλλός and Θαλῆς as mere variations of the same word, as in many similar double forms; or perhaps it may have arisen from a confusion between the poet and the celebrated philosopher, Thales of Miletus; but there is no ground whatever for supposing that the two epigrams are to be ascribed to the philosopher. The name Θαλλός occurs in Athenian inscriptions. (Pape, Wörterbuc/h d. Griech. Eigennamen ; Brunck. Anal. vol. ii. p. 164; Jacobs, Anth. Graec vol. ii. p. 150, vol. xiii. p. 956; Fabric. Bibl. Graec. vol. iv. p. 496.) [P.S]
son of an architect of the same name, is designated Mag. Quinq. i. e. Magister Quinquennalis, on a Latin inscription. Hence the father, and perhaps the son too, must be added to the lists of ancient artists. (Gruter, p. 99.9; Bracci, Memor. de Incisor. vol. ii. p. 265; R. Rochette, Lettre à M. Schorn. p. 415, 2d ed.) [P.S]