Editing Polyphemus (section)

====Philoxenus of Cythera====
Writing more than three centuries after the [[Odyssey]] is thought to have been composed, [[Philoxenus of Cythera]] took up the myth of Polyphemus in his poem ''Cyclops'' or ''Galatea''. The poem was written to be performed as a [[dithyramb]], of which only fragments have survived, and was perhaps the first to provide a female love interest for the Cyclops.{{refn|group=nb|That Polyphemus' love for Galatea is "possibly" a Philoxenus innovation.{{sfn|Creese|2009|loc=563 with n.5}}}} The object of Polyphemus' romantic desire is a sea nymph named [[Galatea (mythology)|Galatea]].{{sfn|Brooks|1896|pp=163-164}} In the poem, Polyphemus is not a cave dwelling, monstrous brute, as in the ''Odyssey'', but instead he is rather like Odysseus himself in his vision of the world: He has weaknesses, he is adept at literary criticism, and he understands people.{{sfn|LeVen|2014|p=237}}

The date of composition for the ''Cyclops'' is not precisely known, but it must be prior to 388 BC, when [[Aristophanes]] parodied it in his comedy ''[[Plutus (play)|Plutus]]'' (''Wealth''); and probably after 406 BC, when [[Dionysius I of Syracuse|Dionysius I]] became tyrant of [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]].{{sfn|Rosen|2007|p=155}}{{sfn|Hordern|1999|p=445}} Philoxenus lived in that city and was the court poet of Dionysius I.{{sfn|Hordern|1999|p=446|ps=, with n. 4 giving numerous ancient sources}} According to ancient commentators, either because of his frankness regarding Dionysius' poetry, or because of a conflict with the tyrant over a female [[aulos]] player named Galatea, Philoxenus was imprisoned in the quarries and had there composed his ''Cyclops'' in the manner of a ''[[Roman à clef]]'', where the poem's characters, Polyphemus, Odysseus and Galatea, were meant to represent Dionysius, Philoxenus, and the aulos-player.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rocha |first1=Roosevelt |title=Review of: Philoxeni Cytherii Testimonia et Fragmenta. Dithyrambographi Graeci, 1 |url=http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2015/2015-05-32.html |journal=Bryn Mawr Classical Review |access-date=2 March 2020 |date=May 2015}}</ref>{{sfn|Hordern|1999|p=445–446}} Philoxenus had his Polyphemus perform on the [[cithara]], a professional [[lyre]] requiring great skill. The Cyclops playing such a sophisticated and fashionable instrument would have been quite a surprising juxtaposition for Philoxenus' audience.

Philoxenus' ''Cyclops'' is also referred to in [[Aristotle]]'s ''[[Poetics (Aristotle)|Poetics]]'' in a section that discusses representations of people in tragedy and comedy, citing as comedic examples the ''Cyclops'' of both [[Timotheus of Miletus|Timotheus]] and Philoxenus.{{sfn|LeVen|2014|p=235}}{{sfn|Hordern|1999|pp=448–450}}{{sfn|Farmer|2017|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=9Aw1DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA215 p. 215]}}