Book 6
40
But Philoxenus, who was surnamed Pternocopis, when it happened to be mentioned that thrushes were very dear, and that too while Corydus was present, who was said formerly to have prostituted himself—I, said he, can recollect when a lark (κόρυδος) only cost an obol. (And Philoxenus too was a parasite, as Axionicus has stated in his Chalcidian. But the statement is thoroughly proved.) Menander too mentions him in his Cecryphalus, calling him Pternocopis only. And Machon the comic writer mentions him.—But Machon was either a Corinthian or Sicyonian by birth, living, however, in my own city of Alexandria; and he was the tutor of Aristophanes the grammarian, as far as comedy went. And he died in Alexandria, and an inscription to the following effect is placed upon his tomb— Bring, O light dust, the conqueror's ivy wreath To Machon, who shall live beyond the tomb, Machon the comic poet; for you hold No dirty drone, but you embrace at last A worthy relic of antique renown These words from the old bard himself might flow, City of Cecrops; even by the Nile Is found at times a plant to all the Muses dear. And surely this is equivalent to a statement that he was an Alexandrian by birth. However that may be, Machon mentions Corydus in these terms— A messmate once ask'd Eucrates (Corydus) On what terms he and Ptolemy did stand. I'm sure, said he, I cannot tell myself: For oft he drenches me like any doctor; But never gives me solid food to eat. And Lynceus, in the second book of his treatise on Menander, says the men who got a reputation for saying witty things were Euclides the son of Smicrinus, and Philoxenus called Pternocopis. And of them Euclides did at times say apophthegms not unworthy of being written down and recollected but in all other matters he was cold and disagreeable. Bt Philoxenus did not particularly excel in short curt sayings, but still whatever he said, whether in the way of gossip, or of a bitter attack on any of his companions, or of relation of occurrences, was full of pleasant and witty conversation. And yet it happened that Euclides was not very popular, but that Philoxenus was loved and respected by every one.
