"Simonides" redirects here. For other uses, see Simonides (disambiguation).
Imaginary portrait of Simonides from the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493)Corinthian vase depicting Perseus, Andromeda and Ketos; the names are written in the archaic Greek alphabet.
Simonides of Ceos (/saɪˈmɒnɪˌdiːz/; Greek: Σιμωνίδης ὁ Κεῖος; c. 556 – 468 BC) was a Greek lyric poet, born in Ioulis on Ceos. The scholars of Hellenistic Alexandria included him in the canonical list of the nine lyric poets esteemed by them as worthy of critical study. Included on this list were Bacchylides, his nephew, and Pindar, reputedly a bitter rival, both of whom benefited from his innovative approach to lyric poetry. Simonides, however, was more involved than either in the major events and with the personalities of their times.[1]
Lessing, writing in the Enlightenment era, referred to him as "the Greek Voltaire."[2] His general renown owes much to traditional accounts of his colourful life, as one of the wisest of men; as a greedy miser; as an inventor of a system of mnemonics; and the inventor of some letters of the Greek alphabet (ω, η, ξ, ψ).[3] Such accounts include fanciful elements, yet he had a real influence on the sophistic enlightenment of the Classical era.[4] His fame as a poet rests largely on his ability to present basic human situations with affecting simplicity.[5] In the words of the Roman rhetorician Quintilian (35–100 AD):
Simonides has a simple style, but he can be commended for the aptness of his language and for a certain charm; his chief merit, however, lies in the power to excite pity, so much so that some prefer him in this respect to all other writers of the genre.[6]
He is popularly associated with epitaphs commemorating fallen warriors, as for example the Lacedaemonians at the Battle of Thermopylae:
Tell them in Lacedaemon, passer-by
That here, obedient to their word, we lie,
—Translated by F. L. Lucas as an English heroic couplet
Today only glimpses of his poetry remain, either in the form of papyrus fragments or quotations by ancient literary figures, yet new fragments continue to be unearthed by archaeologists at Oxyrhynchus, a city and archaeological site in Egypt that has yielded papyrus fragments from over a century of excavations. He is included in narratives as diverse as Mary Renault's modern historical novel The Praise Singer (where he is the narrator and main character), Plato's Protagoras (where he is a topic of conversation), and some verses in Callimachus' Aetia (where he is portrayed as a ghost complaining about the desecration of his own tomb in Acragas).[8]
^John H. Molyneux, Simonides: A Historical Study, Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers (1992), page 3
^G. E. Lessing (1836). Laocoon; Or The Limits of Poetry and Painting. J. Ridgway & Sons. pp. xvi – via Google books.
^Charles Segal, Choral lyric in the fifth century, 'The Cambridge History of Classical Literature: Greek Literature' (1985), P. Easterling & B. Knox (eds), pages 223, 226
^Cite error: The named reference Charles Segal 1985 page 225 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Quintilian, Inst. 10.1.64, translated by David A. Campbell, Greek Lyric III, Loeb Classical Library (1991), page 359
^Herodotus, Book VII, 228
^Callimachus fr. 64. 1-14, cited by D. A. Campbell, Greek Lyric III, Loeb Classical Library, pages 344-6
SimonidesofCeos (/saɪˈmɒnɪˌdiːz/; Greek: Σιμωνίδης ὁ Κεῖος; c. 556 – 468 BC) was a Greek lyric poet, born in Ioulis on Ceos. The scholars of Hellenistic...
which was developed by Simonides, a Greek poet of the fifth and sixth centuries BC." Loftus cites the foundation story ofSimonides (more or less taken from...
Thebans and Thespians) and the invading Persian forces, commemorated by SimonidesofCeos in the epitaph, "Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, That here...
journey to them. Other 5th-century BC Greek authors, like SimonidesofCeos and Hellanicus of Lesbos, described or referenced the Hyperboreans in their...
century BC) Stesichorus of Metauros (choral lyric, 7th century BC) Ibycus of Rhegium (choral lyric, 6th century BC) SimonidesofCeos (choral lyric, 6th century...
1978. Its narrator and main character is the real-life lyric poet SimonidesofCeos, whose life (ca. 556 BC-469 BCE) spanned the transition from an oral...
period ofSimonidesofCeos in Ancient Greece to the Renaissance era of Giordano Bruno, ending with Gottfried Leibniz and the early emergence of the scientific...
was, in Horace's day, reserved for painting. Some centuries before, SimonidesofCeos (c. 556 – 468 BC) had stated, "Poema pictura loquens, pictura poema...
earliest known appearance in culture is a series of epigrams commemorating the dead written by SimonidesofCeos in the battle's aftermath. In Europe, interest...
of elegiac poetry in writing come from classical Greece. The form dates back nearly as early as epic, with such authors as Archilocus and Simonides of...
oldest of the seven Pleiades. They were born on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia, and are sometimes called mountain nymphs, oreads; SimonidesofCeos sang of "mountain...
statesman, poet. c. 556 BC—Birth ofSimonidesofCeos. 555 BC—Death of Stesichorus, Greek lyric poet. September 28, 551 BC—Birth of Confucius, Chinese philosopher...
Persians during the Battle of Ephesus. He competed in the Olympics. The poet SimonidesofCeos composed an ode in celebration of his successes. Molyneux...
earliest known appearance in culture is a series of epigrams commemorating the dead written by SimonidesofCeos in the battle's aftermath. Already by the fourth...
Nabonidus succeeds Labashi-Marduk as king of Babylon. SimonidesofCeos, approximate date Labashi-Marduk, king of Babylon Neriglissar, king of Babylon v t e...
revival of the art among medieval Scholastics. The most common account of the creation of the art of memory centers around the story ofSimonidesofCeos, a...
the tyranny of Xerxes at Thermopylae. One of the final images of the film is the stone memorial bearing the epigram ofSimonidesofCeos, which the narrator...
victory in the chariot race at the Olympic Games of 476 B.C. The poet SimonidesofCeos was also active at Theron's court. Polyaenus. "Stratagems in War."...
across the whole of Greece. According to traditional accounts, the new vowel, Ēta, was originally the innovation of the poet SimonidesofCeos (556-468 BC)...
greatest of all poets and musicians; it was said that while Hermes had invented the lyre, Orpheus perfected it. Poets such as SimonidesofCeos said that...
the kithara. Prosodia were composed by Alcman, Pindar, SimonidesofCeos, Bacchylides, Eumelus of Corinth, and Limenius (whose prosodion follows its paean...
source: The lyric poet mentioned herein is SimonidesofCeos (6th–5th centuries BC). Despite the testimony of the etymologica, every source that quotes...
epitaph was inspired by an epigram of the Greek poet SimonidesofCeos to the fallen at the Battle of Thermopylae, and was later used (with a misquote) for...
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