Parassiti difilei e ridicoli filosofi. Il tipo comico del filosofo dal parassita di Difilo di Sinope alla satira di Timone di Fliunte

Abstract

This article investigates the relationship between the comic parasite and the philosopher in Greek comedy, taking the fragments of Diphilus of Sinope as its main point of departure. Diphilus’ engagement with Euripidean beggar figures (πτωχοί) is central to this argument: by recalling tragic models of poverty, eloquence, and disruptive speech, his comedy contributes to a hybrid figure in which the parasite begins to resemble the philosopher of comic invective. The final section follows the afterlife of this model in Greek satire, especially in Timon of Phlius. The study thus shows that Diphilus’ parasite helps clarify the formation and transmission of a durable comic-philosophical type across comedy and satire.