Diobolon
Διώβολον
Diobolon (Διώβολον), a small coin of two obols [DRACHMA], which was given to each Athenian citizen during the festivals to pay for his seat in the theatre, whence the gift was called διωβελία. (Xen. Hell. 1.7, § 2; Aristot. Pol. 2.7.19.) In Plautus the adjective diobolaris signifies anything very cheap or mean (scorta, Plaut. Poen. 1.2, 61; Varr. L. L. 7.64; Fest. p. 74, 6, M.; anus, Plaut. Pseud. 2.2, 64, but in this passage others read doliaris). [W.S]
(Appendix). The evidence on which this payment is ascribed to Pericles is insufficient. Our author (100.28), who uses the form διωβολία (which is found also in the passage cited from the Politics of Aristotle), states definitely that it was first established by Cleophon. As regards the words which follow, speaking of an increase by Callicrates, see note on THEORICON
From William Smith (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. Text provided under a CC BY-SA license by Perseus Digital Library, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu, with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Tufts University. Data accessed from https://github.com/PerseusDL/canonical-pdlrefwk/ on 17 October 2026.