Hegelochus (actor)
Hegelochus was an Ancient Greek actor active in Athens in the 5th century BC, best remembered for a slight pronunciation mistake that derailed his career.
''Orestes''
Hegelochus acted in the play by Euripides when it was performed in the City Dionysia dramatic festival in 408 BC. He was playing the title role of Orestes. In line 279 of the play, instead of "after the storm I see again a calm sea", Hegelochus recited "after the storm I see again a weasel".In the nominative, the adjective forms that give "calm sea" are γαληνός, γαληνόν, and "weasel" is either γαλῆ or γαλέη. The accusative plural of γαληνόν is γαληνά, which, after apocope, results in "γαλήν' ὁρῶ"; the accusative of γαλῆ is γαλῆν." This can be explained by his running out of breath and failing to make the elision. Moreover, the weasel was an unlucky animal, contrasting with the optimistic intent of the line.
This error was widely mocked, including by Aristophanes in The Frogs. Hegelochus was ruined, and he never acted again.