Superior in every way to the Magodos and Lysiodos was the Hilarodos,[931] who, though a wandering singer like the Italians and Savoyards of modern Europe, affected no little state, and was evidently treated with some respect. His costume, in conformity with the popular taste, displayed considerable magnificence, consisting of a golden crown, white stole and costly sandals, though in earlier ages he appeared in shoes. He was usually accompanied by a youth or maiden who touched the lyre as he sung. The style of his performances was decorous and manly. When a crown was given him in token of approbation by the audience, it was bestowed on the Hilarodos himself, not on the musician. ----- Footnote 931: Cf. Athen. iv. 57. Salm. Exercit. Plin. p. 76. Voss. Institut. Poet. ii. 21. Rhinthon was the inventor of the Hilaro-tragœdi. i. e. Tragi-comedy. Suid. v. Ῥίνθων, t. ii. p. 685. b. ----- A class of actors existed, also from very remote times, among the Spartans. They were called Deikelistæ,[932] and their style of performing showed the little value set upon the drama at Sparta. The poetry of the piece, if poetry it could be called, was extempore and of the rudest description, and the characters were altogether conformable. Sometimes the interest of the play turned upon a man robbing an orchard, or on the broken Greek of an outlandish physician, whom people respected for his gibberish. This weakness, prevalent of course at Athens also, is wittily satirised by Alexis in his Female Opium Eater. “Now if a native Doctor prescribe, ‘Give him a porringer Of ptisan in the morning,’ we despise him. But in some _brogue_ disguised ’tis admirable. Thus he who speaks of _Beet_ is slighted, while We prick our ears if he but mention _Bate_, As if _Bate_ knew some virtue not in _Beet_.”[933] ----- Footnote 932: Schol. Apoll. Rhod. i. 746. Plut. Ages. 21. Athen. xiv. 15. Etym. Mag. 260. 42. Footnote 933: I have substituted this joke, à la Smollett, “for the miserable joke in the original.” Beet, Atticé σευτλίον, became τεύτλιον in the Doric brogue. Athen. xiv. 15. -----