Alcaeus of Mytilene ( / æ l ˈ s iː ə s / ; Ancient Greek : Ἀλκαῖος ὁ Μυτιληναῖος , Alkaios ho Mutilēnaios ; c. 625/620 – c. 580 BC) was a lyric poet from the Greek island of Lesbos who is credited with inventing the Alcaic stanza . He was included in the canonical list of nine lyric poets by the scholars of Hellenistic Alexandria . He was a contemporary of Sappho , with whom he may have exchanged poems. He was born into the aristocratic governing class of Mytilene , the main city of Lesbos, where he was involved in political disputes and feuds.
75-529: The broad outlines of the poet's life are well known. He was born into the aristocratic, warrior class that dominated Mytilene, the strongest city-state on the island of Lesbos and, by the end of the seventh century BC, the most influential of all the North Aegean Greek cities, with a strong navy and colonies securing its trade-routes in the Hellespont. The city had long been ruled by kings born to
150-461: A "brilliant supplement" by Maurice Bowra in fr. 34, a hymn to the Dioscuri that includes a description of St. Elmo's fire in the ship's rigging. Working with only eight letters ( πρό...τρ...ντες ; tr. pró...tr...ntes ), Bowra conjured up a phrase that develops the meaning and the euphony of the poem ( πρότον' ὀντρέχοντες ; tr. próton' ontréchontes ), describing luminescence "running along
225-404: A "brilliant supplement" by Maurice Bowra in fr. 34, a hymn to the Dioscuri that includes a description of St. Elmo's fire in the ship's rigging. Working with only eight letters ( πρό...τρ...ντες ; tr. pró...tr...ntes ), Bowra conjured up a phrase that develops the meaning and the euphony of the poem ( πρότον' ὀντρέχοντες ; tr. próton' ontréchontes ), describing luminescence "running along
300-478: A Greek and Latin edition of fragments collected from the canonic nine lyrical poets by Michael Neander , published at Basle in 1556. This was followed by another edition of the nine poets, collected by Henricus Stephanus and published in Paris in 1560. Fulvius Ursinus compiled a fuller collection of Alcaic fragments, including a commentary, which was published at Antwerp in 1568. The first separate edition of Alcaeus
375-623: A few lines, and it is thought that they constituted the major source of information about the conflict for writers in Classical Antiquity . The Athenians appealed to the Corinthian tyrant Periander to arbitrate between the two sides as to who should rightfully control Sigeion. Periander found in favour of Athens, accepting their argument that whereas they had taken part in the Trojan Wars and helped destroy nearby Ilion ,
450-577: A fuller collection of Alcaic fragments, including a commentary, which was published at Antwerp in 1568. The first separate edition of Alcaeus was by Christian David Jani and it was published at Halle in 1780. The next separate edition was by August Matthiae , Leipzig 1827. Some of the fragments quoted by ancient scholars were able to be integrated by scholars in the nineteenth century. Thus for example two separate quotes by Athenaeus were united by Theodor Bergk to form fr. 362. Three separate sources were combined to form fr. 350, as mentioned above, including
525-532: A land dispute with the nearby island of Tenedos to the south, although we know no further details. Damastes of Sigeum was a famous Greek geographer and historian of the 5th century BC. In 302 BC King Lysimachus took Sigeion by force when it refused to come over willingly from the side of Antigonus I Monophthalmus . In 168 BC Sigeion sheltered the Macedonian fleet of Antigonus' descendant Perseus of Macedon . At some point after this, Sigeion
600-403: A mercenary in the army of Nebuchadnezzar II and probably took part in the conquest of Askelon. Alcaeus wrote verses in celebration of Antimenides's return, including mention of his valour in slaying the larger opponent (frag. 350), and he proudly describes the military hardware that adorned their family home (frag. 357). Alcaeus was in some respects not unlike a Royalist soldier of the age of
675-402: A mercenary in the army of Nebuchadnezzar II and probably took part in the conquest of Askelon. Alcaeus wrote verses in celebration of Antimenides's return, including mention of his valour in slaying the larger opponent (frag. 350), and he proudly describes the military hardware that adorned their family home (frag. 357). Alcaeus was in some respects not unlike a Royalist soldier of the age of
750-407: A prayer for a safe voyage. Hither now to me from your isle of Pelops, You powerful children of Zeus and Leda, Showing yourselves kindly by nature, Castor And Polydeuces! Travelling abroad on swift-footed horses, Over the wide earth, over all the ocean, How easily you bring deliverance from Death's gelid rigor, Landing on tall ships with a sudden, great bound, A far-away light up
825-406: A prayer for a safe voyage. Hither now to me from your isle of Pelops, You powerful children of Zeus and Leda, Showing yourselves kindly by nature, Castor And Polydeuces! Travelling abroad on swift-footed horses, Over the wide earth, over all the ocean, How easily you bring deliverance from Death's gelid rigor, Landing on tall ships with a sudden, great bound, A far-away light up
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#1732765308841900-650: A prose paraphrase from Strabo that first needed to be restored to its original meter, a synthesis achieved by the united efforts of Otto Hoffmann, Karl Otfried Müller and Franz Heinrich Ludolf Ahrens . The discovery of the Oxyrhynchus papyri towards the end of the nineteenth century dramatically increased the scope of scholarly research. In fact, eight important fragments have now been compiled from papyri – frs. 9, 38A, 42, 45, 34, 129, 130 and most recently S262. These fragments typically feature lacunae or gaps that scholars fill with 'educated guesses', including for example
975-589: A prose paraphrase from Strabo that first needed to be restored to its original meter, a synthesis achieved by the united efforts of Otto Hoffmann, Karl Otfried Müller and Franz Heinrich Ludolf Ahrens . The discovery of the Oxyrhynchus papyri towards the end of the nineteenth century dramatically increased the scope of scholarly research. In fact, eight important fragments have now been compiled from papyri – frs. 9, 38A, 42, 45, 34, 129, 130 and most recently S262. These fragments typically feature lacunae or gaps that scholars fill with 'educated guesses', including for example
1050-463: A quite regular basis, such as at the Kallisteia , an annual festival celebrating the island's federation under Mytilene, held at the 'Messon' (referred to as temenos in frs. 129 and 130), where Sappho performed publicly with female choirs. Alcaeus's reference to Sappho in terms more typical of a divinity, as holy/pure, honey-smiling Sappho (fr. 384), may owe its inspiration to her performances at
1125-405: A quite regular basis, such as at the Kallisteia , an annual festival celebrating the island's federation under Mytilene, held at the 'Messon' (referred to as temenos in frs. 129 and 130), where Sappho performed publicly with female choirs. Alcaeus's reference to Sappho in terms more typical of a divinity, as holy/pure, honey-smiling Sappho (fr. 384), may owe its inspiration to her performances at
1200-597: A sense of action. He probably performed his verses at drinking parties for friends and political allies – men for whom loyalty was essential, particularly in such troubled times. The Roman poet Horace modelled his own lyrical compositions on those of Alcaeus, rendering the Lesbian poet's verse-forms, including 'Alcaic' and 'Sapphic' stanzas, into concise Latin – an achievement he celebrates in his third book of odes. In his second book, in an ode composed in Alcaic stanzas on
1275-487: A sense of action. He probably performed his verses at drinking parties for friends and political allies – men for whom loyalty was essential, particularly in such troubled times. The Roman poet Horace modelled his own lyrical compositions on those of Alcaeus, rendering the Lesbian poet's verse-forms, including 'Alcaic' and 'Sapphic' stanzas, into concise Latin – an achievement he celebrates in his third book of odes. In his second book, in an ode composed in Alcaic stanzas on
1350-406: A storm, in his study on Homer's use of allegory. The hymn to Hermes, fr308(b), was quoted by Hephaestion and both he and Libanius , the rhetorician, quoted the first two lines of fr. 350, celebrating the return from Babylon of Alcaeus's brother. The rest of fr. 350 was paraphrased in prose by the historian/geographer Strabo . Many fragments were supplied in quotes by Athenaeus , principally on
1425-490: A verb (in this case "Let's drink!") and it includes a proverbial expression ("Only an inch of daylight left") though it is possible that he coined it himself. Alcaeus rarely used metaphor or simile and yet he had a fondness for the allegory of the storm-tossed ship of state. The following fragment of a hymn to Castor and Polydeuces (the Dioscuri ) is possibly another example of this though some scholars interpret it instead as
1500-434: A verb (in this case "Let's drink!") and it includes a proverbial expression ("Only an inch of daylight left") though it is possible that he coined it himself. Alcaeus rarely used metaphor or simile and yet he had a fondness for the allegory of the storm-tossed ship of state. The following fragment of a hymn to Castor and Polydeuces (the Dioscuri ) is possibly another example of this though some scholars interpret it instead as
1575-423: Is a reference to St. Elmo's Fire , an electrical discharge supposed by ancient Greek mariners to be an epiphany of the Dioscuri, but the meaning of the line was obscured by gaps in the papyrus until reconstructed by a modern scholar; such reconstructions are typical of the extant poetry (see Scholars, fragments and sources below). This poem does not begin with a verb but with an adverb (Δευτέ) but still communicates
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#17327653088411650-423: Is a reference to St. Elmo's Fire , an electrical discharge supposed by ancient Greek mariners to be an epiphany of the Dioscuri, but the meaning of the line was obscured by gaps in the papyrus until reconstructed by a modern scholar; such reconstructions are typical of the extant poetry (see Scholars, fragments and sources below). This poem does not begin with a verb but with an adverb (Δευτέ) but still communicates
1725-420: Is considered by some modern scholars to be too simplistic and often it is practically impossible to know whether a lyric composition was sung or recited, or whether or not it was accompanied by musical instruments and dance. Even the private reflections of Alcaeus, ostensibly sung at dinner parties, still retain a public function. Critics often seek to understand Alcaeus in comparison with Sappho: If we compare
1800-419: Is considered by some modern scholars to be too simplistic and often it is practically impossible to know whether a lyric composition was sung or recited, or whether or not it was accompanied by musical instruments and dance. Even the private reflections of Alcaeus, ostensibly sung at dinner parties, still retain a public function. Critics often seek to understand Alcaeus in comparison with Sappho: If we compare
1875-400: Is partly the story of the scholars who rescued his work from oblivion. His verses have not come down to us through a manuscript tradition – generations of scribes copying an author's collected works, such as delivered intact into the modern age four entire books of Pindar 's odes – but haphazardly, in quotes from ancient scholars and commentators whose own works have chanced to survive, and in
1950-666: Is partly the story of the scholars who rescued his work from oblivion. His verses have not come down to us through a manuscript tradition – generations of scribes copying an author's collected works, such as delivered intact into the modern age four entire books of Pindar 's odes – but haphazardly, in quotes from ancient scholars and commentators whose own works have chanced to survive, and in the tattered remnants of papyri uncovered from an ancient rubbish pile at Oxyrhynchus and other locations in Egypt: sources that modern scholars have studied and correlated exhaustively, adding little by little to
2025-499: The Stuarts . He had the high spirit and reckless gaiety, the love of country bound up with belief in a caste, the licence tempered by generosity and sometimes by tenderness, of a cavalier who has seen good and evil days. — Richard Claverhouse Jebb Alcaeus was a contemporary and a countryman of Sappho and, since both poets composed for the entertainment of Mytilenean friends, they had many opportunities to associate with each other on
2100-444: The Stuarts . He had the high spirit and reckless gaiety, the love of country bound up with belief in a caste, the licence tempered by generosity and sometimes by tenderness, of a cavalier who has seen good and evil days. — Richard Claverhouse Jebb Alcaeus was a contemporary and a countryman of Sappho and, since both poets composed for the entertainment of Mytilenean friends, they had many opportunities to associate with each other on
2175-429: The Alcaic style (square brackets indicate uncertainties in the ancient text): πώνωμεν· τί τὰ λύχν' ὀμμένομεν; δάκτυλος ἀμέρα· κὰδ δ'ἄερρε κυλίχναις μεγάλαις [αιτα]ποικίλαισ· οἶνον γὰρ Σεμέλας καὶ Δίος υἶος λαθικάδεον ἀνθρώποισιν ἔδωκ'. ἔγχεε κέρναις ἔνα καὶ δύο πλήαις κὰκ κεφάλας, [ἀ] δ' ἀτέρα τὰν ἀτέραν κύλιξ ὠθήτω... Let's drink! Why are we waiting for the lamps? Only an inch of daylight left. Lift down
2250-428: The Alcaic style (square brackets indicate uncertainties in the ancient text): πώνωμεν· τί τὰ λύχν' ὀμμένομεν; δάκτυλος ἀμέρα· κὰδ δ'ἄερρε κυλίχναις μεγάλαις [αιτα]ποικίλαισ· οἶνον γὰρ Σεμέλας καὶ Δίος υἶος λαθικάδεον ἀνθρώποισιν ἔδωκ'. ἔγχεε κέρναις ἔνα καὶ δύο πλήαις κὰκ κεφάλας, [ἀ] δ' ἀτέρα τὰν ἀτέραν κύλιξ ὠθήτω... Let's drink! Why are we waiting for the lamps? Only an inch of daylight left. Lift down
2325-496: The Alexandrian scholars Aristophanes of Byzantium and Aristarchus of Samothrace sometime in the 3rd century BC, and yet his verses today exist only in fragmentary form, varying in size from mere phrases, such as wine, window into a man (fr. 333) to entire groups of verses and stanzas, such as those quoted below (fr. 346). Alexandrian scholars numbered him in their canonic nine (one lyric poet per Muse). Among these, Pindar
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2400-436: The Alexandrian scholars Aristophanes of Byzantium and Aristarchus of Samothrace sometime in the 3rd century BC, and yet his verses today exist only in fragmentary form, varying in size from mere phrases, such as wine, window into a man (fr. 333) to entire groups of verses and stanzas, such as those quoted below (fr. 346). Alexandrian scholars numbered him in their canonic nine (one lyric poet per Muse). Among these, Pindar
2475-577: The Athenian symbol of the owl and his own name as the legend. Sigeion maintained close relations with Athens throughout the Classical period. The Sigeans were loyal allies whom we find praised by the Athenians in an inscription from either 451/0 and 418/17 BC, and throughout the 5th century Sigeion was a member of the Athenian run Delian League . In the tribute assessments Sigeion belonged to
2550-510: The Hellespontine District, and in the tribute lists which survive Sigeion appears a total of 15 times between 450/49 and 418/17 BC; at the beginning of this period its tribute was a modest 1,000 drachmas , but by the end its tribute assessment had risen to 1 talent . According to the contemporary historian Theopompus of Chios , Sigeion was the favourite residence of the Athenian general Chares , who spent time there in
2625-480: The Mytilenaean aristocrat Pittacus fought a duel in which Pittacus won by outwitting his opponent by using a net. During this war the aristocrat and poet Alcaeus of Mytilene wrote several poems about the conflict in which he related how he had fled from battle, lost his shield, and endured the shame of the Athenians hanging it up as a trophy in their temple to Athena . Most of these poems are lost except for
2700-625: The Mytilenaeans maintained a hostile presence nearby, and in the 540s this resulted in Mytilene's recapture of Sigeion. The Athenian tyrant Peisistratus responded by recapturing Sigeion and making his illegitimate son Hegesistratus tyrant of the city. Sigeion remained important to the Peisistratids. After Peisistratos' son, Hippias , was banished from Athens in 510/9 BC, he spent his exile at Sigeion and minted coins which displayed
2775-511: The Mytilenaeans were Aeolians and so had only arrived in the region at a later date and therefore did not have the prior claim to the land. Two inscriptions written in Attic Greek , dating to c. 575-550 BC, and attributed to Sigeion indicate that Athenians continued to live at Sigeion for the next half century. Archaeological remains at the Mytilenaean fort of Achilleion 7–8 km south of Sigeion indicate that throughout this period
2850-584: The Penthilid clan but, during the poet's life, the Penthilids were a spent force and rival aristocrats and their factions contended with each other for supreme power. Alcaeus and his older brothers were passionately involved in the struggle but experienced little success. Their political adventures can be understood in terms of three tyrants who came and went in succession: Sometime before 600 BC, Mytilene fought Athens for control of Sigeion and Alcaeus
2925-544: The difference between his own 'down-to-earth' style and Sappho's more 'celestial' qualities when he describes her almost as a goddess (as cited above), and yet it has been argued that both poets were concerned with a balance between the divine and the profane, each emphasising different elements in that balance. Dionysius of Halicarnassus exhorts us to "Observe in Alcaeus the sublimity, brevity and sweetness coupled with stern power, his splendid figures, and his clearness which
3000-488: The difference between his own 'down-to-earth' style and Sappho's more 'celestial' qualities when he describes her almost as a goddess (as cited above), and yet it has been argued that both poets were concerned with a balance between the divine and the profane, each emphasising different elements in that balance. Dionysius of Halicarnassus exhorts us to "Observe in Alcaeus the sublimity, brevity and sweetness coupled with stern power, his splendid figures, and his clearness which
3075-792: The dire Judge of the dead, the blest in their divine Seclusion, Sappho on the Aeolian lyre, Mourning the cold girls of her native isle, And you, Alcaeus, more full-throatedly Singing with your gold quill of ships, exile And war, hardship on land, hardship at sea. Ovid compared Alcaeus to Sappho in Letters of the Heroines , where Sappho is imagined to speak as follows: nec plus Alcaeus consors patriaeque lyraeque laudis habet, quamvis grandius ille sonet. Nor does Alcaeus, my fellow-countryman and fellow-poet, receive more praise, although he resounds more grandly. The story of Alcaeus
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3150-625: The dire Judge of the dead, the blest in their divine Seclusion, Sappho on the Aeolian lyre, Mourning the cold girls of her native isle, And you, Alcaeus, more full-throatedly Singing with your gold quill of ships, exile And war, hardship on land, hardship at sea. Ovid compared Alcaeus to Sappho in Letters of the Heroines , where Sappho is imagined to speak as follows: nec plus Alcaeus consors patriaeque lyraeque laudis habet, quamvis grandius ille sonet. Nor does Alcaeus, my fellow-countryman and fellow-poet, receive more praise, although he resounds more grandly. The story of Alcaeus
3225-534: The festival. The Lesbian or Aeolic school of poetry "reached in the songs of Sappho and Alcaeus that high point of brilliancy to which it never after-wards approached" and it was assumed by later Greek critics and during the early centuries of the Christian era that the two poets were in fact lovers, a theme which became a favourite subject in art (as in the urn pictured above). The poetic works of Alcaeus were collected into ten books, with elaborate commentaries, by
3300-475: The festival. The Lesbian or Aeolic school of poetry "reached in the songs of Sappho and Alcaeus that high point of brilliancy to which it never after-wards approached" and it was assumed by later Greek critics and during the early centuries of the Christian era that the two poets were in fact lovers, a theme which became a favourite subject in art (as in the urn pictured above). The poetic works of Alcaeus were collected into ten books, with elaborate commentaries, by
3375-538: The forestays running, Bringing radiance to a ship in trouble, Sailed in the darkness! The poem was written in Sapphic stanzas , a verse form popularly associated with his compatriot, Sappho, but in which he too excelled, here paraphrased in English to suggest the same rhythms. There were probably another three stanzas in the original poem but only nine letters of them remain. The 'far-away light' ( Πήλοθεν λάμπροι )
3450-428: The forestays running, Bringing radiance to a ship in trouble, Sailed in the darkness! The poem was written in Sapphic stanzas , a verse form popularly associated with his compatriot, Sappho, but in which he too excelled, here paraphrased in English to suggest the same rhythms. There were probably another three stanzas in the original poem but only nine letters of them remain. The 'far-away light' ( Πήλοθεν λάμπροι )
3525-688: The forestays". Sigeion Sigeion ( Ancient Greek : Σίγειον , Sigeion ; Latin : Sigeum ) was an ancient Greek city in the north-west of the Troad region of Anatolia located at the mouth of the Scamander (the modern Karamenderes River ). Sigeion commanded a ridge between the Aegean Sea and the Scamander which is now known as Yenişehir and is a part of the Çanakkale district in Çanakkale province, Turkey . The surrounding region
3600-509: The large cups, my friends, the painted ones; for wine was given to men by the son of Semele and Zeus to help them forget their troubles. Mix one part of water to two of wine, pour it in up to the brim, and let one cup push the other along... The Greek meter here is relatively simple, comprising the Greater Asclepiad , adroitly used to convey, for example, the rhythm of jostling cups ( ἀ δ' ἀτέρα τὰν ἀτέραν ). The language of
3675-440: The large cups, my friends, the painted ones; for wine was given to men by the son of Semele and Zeus to help them forget their troubles. Mix one part of water to two of wine, pour it in up to the brim, and let one cup push the other along... The Greek meter here is relatively simple, comprising the Greater Asclepiad , adroitly used to convey, for example, the rhythm of jostling cups ( ἀ δ' ἀτέρα τὰν ἀτέραν ). The language of
3750-452: The late 340s and late 330s BC. The 4th century BC coinage of Sigeion may belong to the period of his rule (335-334 BC). Continuing links with Athens, indicated by Chares' relationship with Sigeion, are also evident from the iconography of this coinage, which displayed a head of Athena on the obverse and an owl on the reverse. At some point in the 4th century BC ( Aristotle simply says ἔναγχος , 'recently'), Sigeion became embroiled in
3825-585: The name was assumed to be antiphrastic , i.e. indicating a characteristic of the place contrary to reality, since the seas in this region are known for their fierce storms. Sigeion was founded by the Mytilenaeans from nearby Lesbos in the 8th or 7th century BC. Towards the end of the 7th century BC, the Athenians sent the Olympic victor Phrynon to conquer Sigeion. According to tradition, Phrynon and
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#17327653088413900-529: The poem is typically direct and concise and comprises short sentences — the first line is in fact a model of condensed meaning, comprising an exhortation ("Let's drink!"), a rhetorical question ("Why are we waiting for the lamps?") and a justifying statement ("Only an inch of daylight left"). The meaning is clear and uncomplicated, the subject is drawn from personal experience, and there is an absence of poetic ornament, such as simile or metaphor. Like many of his poems (e.g., frs. 38, 326, 338, 347, 350), it begins with
3975-528: The poem is typically direct and concise and comprises short sentences — the first line is in fact a model of condensed meaning, comprising an exhortation ("Let's drink!"), a rhetorical question ("Why are we waiting for the lamps?") and a justifying statement ("Only an inch of daylight left"). The meaning is clear and uncomplicated, the subject is drawn from personal experience, and there is an absence of poetic ornament, such as simile or metaphor. Like many of his poems (e.g., frs. 38, 326, 338, 347, 350), it begins with
4050-413: The poet's life are well known. He was born into the aristocratic, warrior class that dominated Mytilene, the strongest city-state on the island of Lesbos and, by the end of the seventh century BC, the most influential of all the North Aegean Greek cities, with a strong navy and colonies securing its trade-routes in the Hellespont. The city had long been ruled by kings born to the Penthilid clan but, during
4125-437: The poet's life, the Penthilids were a spent force and rival aristocrats and their factions contended with each other for supreme power. Alcaeus and his older brothers were passionately involved in the struggle but experienced little success. Their political adventures can be understood in terms of three tyrants who came and went in succession: Sometime before 600 BC, Mytilene fought Athens for control of Sigeion and Alcaeus
4200-470: The relics of Greek verse. In the variety of his subjects, in the exquisite rhythm of his meters, and in the faultless perfection of his style, all of which appear even in mutilated fragments, he excels all the poets, even his more intense, more delicate and more truly inspired contemporary Sappho. The Roman poet, Horace, also compared the two, describing Alcaeus as "more full-throatedly singing" – see Horace's tribute below. Alcaeus himself seems to underscore
4275-469: The relics of Greek verse. In the variety of his subjects, in the exquisite rhythm of his meters, and in the faultless perfection of his style, all of which appear even in mutilated fragments, he excels all the poets, even his more intense, more delicate and more truly inspired contemporary Sappho. The Roman poet, Horace, also compared the two, describing Alcaeus as "more full-throatedly singing" – see Horace's tribute below. Alcaeus himself seems to underscore
4350-457: The return from Babylon of Alcaeus's brother. The rest of fr. 350 was paraphrased in prose by the historian/geographer Strabo . Many fragments were supplied in quotes by Athenaeus , principally on the subject of wine-drinking, but fr. 333, "wine, window into a man", was quoted much later by the Byzantine grammarian, John Tzetzes . The first 'modern' publication of Alcaeus's verses appeared in
4425-513: The subject of an almost fatal accident he had on his farm, he imagines meeting Alcaeus and Sappho in Hades : quam paene furvae regna Proserpinae et iudicantem vidimus Aeacum sedesque descriptas piorum et Aeoliis fidibus querentem Sappho puellis de popularibus et te sonantem plenius aureo, Alcaee, plectro dura navis, dura fugae mala, dura belli! How close the realm of dusky Proserpine Yawned at that instant! I half glimpsed
4500-461: The subject of an almost fatal accident he had on his farm, he imagines meeting Alcaeus and Sappho in Hades : quam paene furvae regna Proserpinae et iudicantem vidimus Aeacum sedesque descriptas piorum et Aeoliis fidibus querentem Sappho puellis de popularibus et te sonantem plenius aureo, Alcaee, plectro dura navis, dura fugae mala, dura belli! How close the realm of dusky Proserpine Yawned at that instant! I half glimpsed
4575-486: The subject of wine-drinking, but fr. 333, "wine, window into a man", was quoted much later by the Byzantine grammarian, John Tzetzes . The first 'modern' publication of Alcaeus's verses appeared in a Greek and Latin edition of fragments collected from the canonic nine lyrical poets by Michael Neander , published at Basle in 1556. This was followed by another edition of the nine poets, collected by Henricus Stephanus and published in Paris in 1560. Fulvius Ursinus compiled
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#17327653088414650-416: The tattered remnants of papyri uncovered from an ancient rubbish pile at Oxyrhynchus and other locations in Egypt: sources that modern scholars have studied and correlated exhaustively, adding little by little to the world's store of poetic fragments. Ancient scholars quoted Alcaeus in support of various arguments. Thus for example Heraclitus "The Allegorist" quoted fr. 326 and part of fr. 6, about ships in
4725-435: The two, we find that Alcaeus is versatile, Sappho narrow in her range; that his verse is less polished and less melodious than hers; and that the emotions which he chooses to display are less intense. The Aeolian song is suddenly revealed, as a mature work of art, in the spirited stanzas of Alcaeus. It is raised to a supreme excellence by his younger contemporary, Sappho, whose melody is unsurpassed, perhaps unequalled, among all
4800-435: The two, we find that Alcaeus is versatile, Sappho narrow in her range; that his verse is less polished and less melodious than hers; and that the emotions which he chooses to display are less intense. The Aeolian song is suddenly revealed, as a mature work of art, in the spirited stanzas of Alcaeus. It is raised to a supreme excellence by his younger contemporary, Sappho, whose melody is unsurpassed, perhaps unequalled, among all
4875-403: The world's store of poetic fragments. Ancient scholars quoted Alcaeus in support of various arguments. Thus for example Heraclitus "The Allegorist" quoted fr. 326 and part of fr. 6, about ships in a storm, in his study on Homer's use of allegory. The hymn to Hermes, fr308(b), was quoted by Hephaestion and both he and Libanius , the rhetorician, quoted the first two lines of fr. 350, celebrating
4950-564: Was a lyric poet from the Greek island of Lesbos who is credited with inventing the Alcaic stanza . He was included in the canonical list of nine lyric poets by the scholars of Hellenistic Alexandria . He was a contemporary of Sappho , with whom he may have exchanged poems. He was born into the aristocratic governing class of Mytilene , the main city of Lesbos, where he was involved in political disputes and feuds. The broad outlines of
5025-667: Was abandoned: in the latter part of Augustus' reign, the geographer Strabo described Sigeion as κατεσπασμένη πόλις , 'a city which has been torn down', and in the mid 1st century AD both Pomponius Mela and Pliny the Elder likewise referred to Sigeion as abandoned. However, references in later sources indicate that the promontory continued to be known as 'Sigeion' for many centuries to come. Alcaeus of Mytilene#Horace Alcaeus of Mytilene ( / æ l ˈ s iː ə s / ; Ancient Greek : Ἀλκαῖος ὁ Μυτιληναῖος , Alkaios ho Mutilēnaios ; c. 625/620 – c. 580 BC)
5100-433: Was by Christian David Jani and it was published at Halle in 1780. The next separate edition was by August Matthiae , Leipzig 1827. Some of the fragments quoted by ancient scholars were able to be integrated by scholars in the nineteenth century. Thus for example two separate quotes by Athenaeus were united by Theodor Bergk to form fr. 362. Three separate sources were combined to form fr. 350, as mentioned above, including
5175-527: Was held by many ancient critics to be pre-eminent, but some gave precedence to Alcaeus instead. The canonic nine are traditionally divided into two groups, with Alcaeus, Sappho and Anacreon , being 'monodists' or 'solo-singers', with the following characteristics: The other six of the canonic nine composed verses for public occasions, performed by choruses and professional singers and typically featuring complex metrical arrangements that were never reproduced in other verses. However, this division into two groups
5250-524: Was held by many ancient critics to be pre-eminent, but some gave precedence to Alcaeus instead. The canonic nine are traditionally divided into two groups, with Alcaeus, Sappho and Anacreon , being 'monodists' or 'solo-singers', with the following characteristics: The other six of the canonic nine composed verses for public occasions, performed by choruses and professional singers and typically featuring complex metrical arrangements that were never reproduced in other verses. However, this division into two groups
5325-425: Was old enough to participate in the fighting. According to the historian Herodotus , the poet threw away his shield to make good his escape from the victorious Athenians then celebrated the occasion in a poem that he later sent to his friend, Melanippus. It is thought that Alcaeus travelled widely during his years in exile, including at least one visit to Egypt. His older brother, Antimenidas, appears to have served as
5400-424: Was old enough to participate in the fighting. According to the historian Herodotus , the poet threw away his shield to make good his escape from the victorious Athenians then celebrated the occasion in a poem that he later sent to his friend, Melanippus. It is thought that Alcaeus travelled widely during his years in exile, including at least one visit to Egypt. His older brother, Antimenidas, appears to have served as
5475-637: Was referred to as the Sigean Promonotory, which was frequently used as a point of reference by ancient geographers since it marked the mouth of the Hellespont . The outline of this promontory is no longer visible due to the alluvial activity of the Karamenderes which has filled in the embayment east of Yenişehir. The name 'Sigeion' means 'silent place' and is derived from Ancient Greek σιγή ( sigē ), 'silence'; in Classical Antiquity ,
5550-585: Was unimpaired by the dialect; and above all mark his manner of expressing his sentiments on public affairs", while Quintilian , after commending Alcaeus for his excellence "in that part of his works where he inveighs against tyrants and contributes to good morals; in his language he is concise, exalted, careful and often like an orator"; goes on to add: "but he descended into wantonness and amours, though better fitted for higher things". The works of Alcaeus are conventionally grouped according to five genres. The following verses demonstrate some key characteristics of
5625-583: Was unimpaired by the dialect; and above all mark his manner of expressing his sentiments on public affairs", while Quintilian , after commending Alcaeus for his excellence "in that part of his works where he inveighs against tyrants and contributes to good morals; in his language he is concise, exalted, careful and often like an orator"; goes on to add: "but he descended into wantonness and amours, though better fitted for higher things". The works of Alcaeus are conventionally grouped according to five genres. The following verses demonstrate some key characteristics of
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