Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Cod. 402

The so-called hilarodos is more solemn than the simodoi, for he does not resort to buffoonery. He wears white male clothing and is crowned with a gold crown; in ancient times, he wore slippers, as Aristocles says, but now he wears krepides leather sandals. The instruments used by the oidos singer and the aulodos flute-singer are the same. It is believed that the crown is for the hilarodos and the aulodos, but not for the lyre-player or the flute-player. The so-called magodos carries drums and cymbals, and all the garments around him are female; he acts in a dissolute manner and performs everything outside the bounds of propriety, portraying at one time women, adulterers, and procurers, and at another time a drunken man arriving at a revel at his lover's house. It is said that the simodos represents hilarodia comic performance as being solemn compared to tragedia tragedy, and magodia farcical performance compared to komodia comedy. Often, the magodoi, having taken comic subjects, perform them according to their own distinctive training and disposition. The magodia received its name because it seemed to present magical things and reveal the powers of drugs.

Circular library stamp of the Bibliotheca Bernensis featuring a bear (the heraldic animal of Bern) within a shield, surrounded by the text "BIBLIOTHECA BERNENSIS".

Certain Works of Theo-
phrastus, Aristotle and
Alexander of Aphrodisias
in Greek