AND BYZANTINE GREEK. 



and a taste for fantastic versification were taking its place.^' The language of the early 

 poets was obsolescent, and in part entirely obsolete.-^ It was natural, therefore, that some 

 of the best scholars of the age should devote their time and learning to the explanation 

 of such words and passages as were no longer understood by ordinary readers. But 

 Ave are not to suppose that these critics were grammarians, in the usual sense of the 

 term ; for the first attempt at systematic grammar was made by Dionysius of Thrace, 

 who died in the early part of the first century before Christ. They Avere annotators 

 rather than grammarians, and their scholia may be compared to the explanatory notes of 

 modern commentators. It must be added here, that, Avhile Zeupdotus, Aristophanes of 

 Byzantium, Aristarchus, and others, Avere industriously commenting upon the produc- 

 tions of the golden age of Greek literature, Aratus, Caliimachus, Apollonius of Rhodes, 

 and Nicander were endeavoring to revive the old Ionic, that is, the dialect of Homer 

 and Hesiod, but of course Avithout success. These versifiers may be said to affbrd the 

 earliest example of learned men making use of an obsolete language. 



The majority of authors of the Alexandrian period Avrote in the common dialect 

 (Koivrj 8odXeKTo<;y Here folloAvs a list of them, preceded by the names of authors 

 Avho flourished before, but died Avithin, this period. 



Demosthenes 



riT,q)ori(]es, orator 



Aristoteles 



Dipliilus, comedian 



Demades, orator 



Aeschines 



Inscription 105 



Inscriptions (Tonic) 2117. 2118. 2119 348-308 



Marsyap, liistorian 



Lycurgus, orator 



Philocliorus, ListoiMan 



30G 



30.5 



303— 



302 



301— 



301— 



299 



292 



291 



289— 



287 



-' Compai-e Anthol. I, p. 202 Awo-mSa Bwfio's, the Altar of Dosiadas, a sonnet in which the verses are 

 disposed in the form of an cilfar. 139 Sijxixiov Urepvyes, tlie Wings of Simmias. 140 Stfi/ilov 'Q6r, the Egg of 



Simmias. 142 Si/i/m'oi; IlfXeKUf, tlie Axe of Simmias. LuCIAX. Lexiph. 2.5 'H^itis fie ovhe noirjras iirmvoiiiKV 

 Tovs Kara yXaiTTav ypdipovTas TTOirjixaTa. Ta hi (ra, ws TTffa jxirpois TTapajBdWeiv, Ka6dw(p 6 tov Aoia-iddov Bapus av eXr], 

 Koi 1] TOV AvKoijipovos AXe^dvSpa, Km I'i tis 'dri tovtwv rrfv <pu>vfjv KaKoSaipovecrT£pos. 



'' Homer's poems were enjoyed by the common people of Athens as late as tlie time of Xenophon. Com- 

 pare Xen. Conv. 3, 5 O narfip 6 enipeXovpevos ottcoj dvfjp dyados yevolpr]v r/vdyKaae pe iravra ra 'Oprjpov (irq paStlv. 

 Kai vvv Svvalprju av 'iXiafin oXrji» Kal 'OBva-(Tfiav djro o-Toparos elne'iv. 'Ekeii/o 8', e(j)'] 6 'AvTtaSivrjs, Xe'Xi/^e ere on Kai ol 

 pax/'uSoi jrdi/Tcf iivlcTTavTai raZra ra ettij ; Kai ttSis av, ?(pr], XfXij^ot aKpoapfvov ye airav oXi'yoii dv eKduTrju tjpepav ; 



°" See above, § 7. 



