[Meaning] third taulistes, and [= or] a man in waiting.[1]
Aristophanes in Frogs [writes]: "Cleidemides [says that Sophocles] intends to sit out in reserve. And if Aeschylus should win, he will stay where he is. But if not, he will fight for his art."[2]
A 'reserve' is the one in the contests not being drawn into comptetion with the victors. Sophocles calls Ajax a 'reserve', because, the uttermost person and like a reservist, Ajax had been left [sc. to stray] into evil. As if to say, in addition to the first evils like a second evil for me is what happened to Ajax. For this is what the [term] 'reserve' indicates. For [the chorus] says, "And Ajax [who is] hard to cure awaits me as [an opponent in] reserve."[3]