XXXVII. THEODECTES

1. Ex Andronici Rhodii indice Aristotelis: τέχνης τῆς Θεοδέκτου συναγωγὴ α.

Ex Hesychii indice: τέχνης τῆς Θεοδέκτου συναγωγὴ ἐν γ.

Ex indice librorum Rhodi repertο (Gnomon II 195): Θεοδέκτου τέχνης δ.

 

2. Sud. lex. s. v.: Θεοδέκτης Ἀριστάνδρου, Φασηλίτης ἐκ Λυκίας, ῥήτωρ, τραπεὶς δὲ ἐπὶ τραγῳδίας, μαθητὴς Πλάτωνος καὶ Ἰσοκράτους καὶ Ἀριστοτέλους. οὗτος καὶ ὁ Ἑρυθραῖος Ναυκράτης καὶ Ἰσοκράτης ὁ ῥήτωρ ὁ Ἀπολλωνιάτης καὶ Θεόπομπος ἐπὶ τῆς ρζ’ ὀλυμπιάδος εἶπον ἐπιτάφιον ἐπὶ Μαυσωλῷ, Ἀρτεμισίας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ προτρεψαμένης. καὶ ἐνίκησε, μάλιστα εὐδοκιμήσας ἐν ᾗ εἶπε τραγῳδίᾳ, ἄλλοι δέ φασι Θεόπομπον σχεῖν τὰ πρωτεῖα. δράματα δὲ ἐδίδαξε νʼ. τελευτᾷ δὲ ἐν Ἀθήναις ἐτῶν αʼ καὶ μ, ἔτι τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ περιόντος. ἔγραψε δὲ καὶ τέχνην ῥητορικὴν ἐν μέτρῳ καὶ ἄλλα τινὰ καταλογάδην.                                                                                 Θεοδέκτης Φασηλίτης, ῥήτωρ, υἱὸς τοῦ προτέρου. ἔγραψεν ἐγκώμιον Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ Ἠπειρώτου, ἱστορικὰ ὑπομνήματα, νόμιμα βαρβαρικά, τέχνην ῥητορικὴν ἐν βιβλίοις ἐπτὰ καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ ὑπομνήματα.

 

 

Verba τελευτᾷ δὲ... αὐτοῦ περιόντος ita transponenda videntur in alterius Theodectae vitam, ut post verba υἱὸς τοῦ προτέρου sequantur. Hunc alterum Theodecten Aristotelis disciplina coniunctum fuisse cum Alexandro Magno, eiusdem fuisse illa Theodectia ab Aristotele edita aliquo modo confirmari potest, cf. Anzeiger der Wiener Akademie der Wiss. 1939 Nr. XVII–XIX 62 sq. Fragmenta post Sauppium (Or. Att. II p. 247) collegit V. Rose, Aristotelis fragmenta 114 sq., consulto, ut videtur, omittens, quae exstant apud Georgium Plethonem VW VI 585 (Sauppe fr. 3, 2), de fragmento 130 R. autem iure dubitat Lehnert, p. 80.

De patre Stephanus Byz. s. v. Φάσηλις, qui λόγους ῥητορικοὺς ἐπῶν καʼ (? traditur καὶ) testatur. Orationis demonstrativae, cui Νόμος titulus fuit, et apologiae Socratis perpauca fragmenta Sauppe l. l. composuit. De tragoediarum eius tenore rhetorico v. infra Anonym. 51 adn.

 

XXXVII. Theodectes

1. From Andronicus of Rhodes’ index to Aristotle: Collection from Theodectes’ treatise in book 1.

From Hesychius’ index: Collection from Theodectes’ treatise in book 3.

From an index of books found in Rodes: Book 4 contains excerpts from Theodektes’ treatise.

 

2. Suda s.v.: Theodectes son of Aristander, from Phaselis in Lycia, a rhetorician who later turned to tragedy, pupil of Platon, Isocrates and Aristotle. During the 107th Olympiad [1] he, Naucrates of Erythrae, the orator Isocrates of Apollonia and Theopompos gave a funeral speech for Mausolus on invitation of his wife Artemisia. And he won, having gained the most admiration through the tragedy he recited; according to others, however, it was Theopompus who received the first prize. He directed 50 theater pieces. He dies in Athens at the age of 41, when his father was still alive. He also wrote a treatise on rhetoric in verses and some other works in prose.                                                                                                                     Theodectes of Phaselis, rhetorician, son of the earler. He wrote a praise of Alexander of Epirus, a historical dissertation, non-Greek customs, a rhetorical treatise in seven books and many other dissertations.

[1] Precisely, in 353 BC.

 

The words ‘He dies in Athens at the age of 41, when his father was still alive’ should likely be moved into the Vita of the other Theodectes in such a way as to come right after the words ‘son of the former.’ It can be proven in some way that this second Theodectes was connected through Aristotle’s instruction with Alexander the Great and that he was the author of those Theodectian works that were edited by Aristotle: cf.  Anzeiger der Wiener Akademie der Wiss. 1939 Nr. XVII–XIX 62 f. After Sauppe (Or. Att. II p. 247) his fragments were gathered by V. Rose Aristotelis fragmenta 114 f. The latter omits – intentionally, it seems – those we find in Georgius Pletho VW VI 585 (Sauppe fr. 3.2); about fragment 130 R. Lehnert p. 80 has some legitimate doubts.

 

On the father see Stephanus Byz. s. v. Phaselis, who testifies to ‘rhetorical speeches with 21 [the mss. read ‘and’] hexameter verses.’ Sauppe ibid. puts together a very few fragments of a demonstrative speech titled Law and of an apology of Socrates. On the rhetorical style of his tragedies see below, Anonym. 51 n.