Polus of Aegina

This article is about the ancient Greek actor. For the ancient Greek philosopher, see Polus.
Polus of Aegina
Πῶλος
Born
Aegina, Ancient Greece
OccupationTragic actor
Known forActing in eight tragedies at age 70, performing in Electra holding the ashes of his own son
ParentCharicles of Sunium

Polus (Ancient Greek: Πῶλος) of Aegina was a celebrated tragic actor, the son of Charicles of Sunium, and a disciple of Archias of Thurii.

It is related of him that at the age of 70, shortly before his death, he acted in eight tragedies on four successive days.[1][2]

The Roman author Aulus Gellius also mentions the actor, describing how during a performance of Electra, in the scene where Orestes is mourned with his ashes, Polus starred while holding an urn containing the ashes of his own son. [3]

Notes

  1. ^ Plutarch, Dem. p. 859, An seni ger. sit Resp. 3. p. 785b
  2. ^ Lucian. Necyom. vol. i. p. 479, ed. Hemst.
  3. ^ Lauriola, 2017. P. 56

References

  • Rosanna Lauriola and Kyriakos N. Demetriou (3 April 2017), BRILL (ed.), Brill's Companion to the Reception of Sophocles, BRILL, ISBN 9789004300941


 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Mason, Charles Peter (1870). "Polus". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. p. 441.

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