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    Delphi Complete Works of Bacchylides (Illustrated)
    Delphi Complete Works of Bacchylides (Illustrated)
    Delphi Complete Works of Bacchylides (Illustrated)
    Ebook231 pages1 hour

    Delphi Complete Works of Bacchylides (Illustrated)

    By Bacchylides of Ceos

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    About this ebook

    The fifth century Greek lyric poet Bacchylides was the nephew of Simonides of Ceos and the rival of Pindar. He was included by later Greeks in the canonical list of nine lyric poets, due to his ‘elegance’ and ‘polished’ style. The most notable features of his poetry are clarity in expression and simplicity of thought, making his verses an ideal introduction to the study of Greek lyric poetry. Delphi’s Ancient Classics series provides eReaders with the wisdom of the Classical world, with both English translations and the original Greek texts. This eBook presents Bacchylides’ complete extant works, with illustrations, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)


    * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Bacchylides’ life and works
    * Features the extant works of Bacchylides, in both English translation and the original Greek
    * Concise introduction to the poetry
    * Includes Richard Claverhouse Jebb’s 1905 translation, previously appearing in the Cambridge University Press edition of Bacchylides
    * Excellent formatting of the texts
    * Includes Bacchylides’ rare fragments
    * Features a bonus biography — discover Bacchylides’ ancient world


    Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to explore our range of Ancient Classics titles or buy the entire series as a Super Set


    CONTENTS:


    The Translation
    The Poems and Fragments


    The Greek Text
    Contents of the Greek Text


    The Biography
    The Life of Bacchylides by Richard Claverhouse Jebb


    Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDelphi Classics Ltd
    Release dateMar 3, 2020
    ISBN9781913487126
    Delphi Complete Works of Bacchylides (Illustrated)

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      Book preview

      Delphi Complete Works of Bacchylides (Illustrated) - Bacchylides of Ceos

      The Complete Works of

      BACCHYLIDES

      (c. 518–c. 451 BC)

      Contents

      The Translation

      The Poems and Fragments

      The Greek Text

      Contents of the Greek Text

      The Biography

      The Life of Bacchylides by Richard Claverhouse Jebb

      The Delphi Classics Catalogue

      © Delphi Classics 2020

      Version 1

      Browse Ancient Classics

      The Complete Works of

      BACCHYLIDES

      By Delphi Classics, 2020

      COPYRIGHT

      Complete Works of Bacchylides

      First published in the United Kingdom in 2020 by Delphi Classics.

      © Delphi Classics, 2020.

      All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published.

      ISBN: 9781913487126

      Delphi Classics

      is an imprint of

      Delphi Publishing Ltd

      Hastings, East Sussex

      United Kingdom

      Contact: sales@delphiclassics.com

      www.delphiclassics.com

      The Translation

      Ceos, modern day Kea, a Greek island in the Cyclades archipelago in the Aegean Sea — Bacchylides’ birthplace

      Ioulis, present-day capital of Kea (Ceos), including remnants of the ancient acropolis. Like most Cycladic settlements, it was built inland on a readily defensible hill as protection against pirates.

      Temple of Athena — ancient ruins of Ceos

      The Poems and Fragments

      Translated by Richard Claverhouse Jebb

      The Greek lyric poet Bacchylides (c. 518-c. 451 BC) was the nephew of Simonides of Ceos (c. 556-468 BC) and the rival of Pindar. He was included by later Greeks in the canonical list of nine lyric poets, due to his ‘elegance’ and ‘polished’ style. His career coincided with the ascendency of dramatic styles of poetry, as embodied in the works of Aeschylus and Sophocles, and he is often considered one of the last poets of major significance within the ancient tradition of purely lyric poetry. The most notable features of his poetry are clarity in expression and simplicity of thought, making his verses an ideal introduction to the study of Greek lyric poetry and good practice for the more complex workings of Pindar’s verse.

      Bacchylides’ poetry was not popular in his own lifetime. Whereas lyrics by his uncle Simonides and Pindar were popular in Athens, often being sung at parties, while parodied by Aristophanes and quoted by Plato, there is no trace of Bacchylides’ verse in the works of Hellenistic writers.  Like Simonides and Pindar, Bacchylides composed lyrics to appeal to the sophisticated tastes of a social elite and his patrons, though relatively few in number, covered a wide geographical area around the Mediterranean, including Delos in the Aegean Sea, Thessaly to the north of mainland Greece and Magna Graecia in the west. It has been inferred from the elegance and quiet charm of his lyrics that he only gradually acquired fame in the later years of his career.

      The details of his life are sketchy and often contradictory. According to Strabo, he was born in Ioulis, on the island of Ceos, and his mother was the sister of Simonides. According to Suda, his father’s name was Meidon and his grandfather, also named Bacchylides, was a famous athlete; yet another source claims that his father’s name was Meidylus. There is an ancient tradition that he was younger than Pindar and several modern scholars assign his birth to c. 507 BC, though others suggest a much earlier date, c. 524-1 BC. According to Plutarch, Bacchylides was banished for a time from his native Ceos and spent this period as an exile in Peloponnesus, where his genius ripened as he produced the lyrics that would establish his fame.

      Ceos had long enjoyed a history of poetical and musical culture, especially in its association with Delos, the focal point of the Cyclades and the principal sanctuary of the Ionian race, where the local people annually sent choirs to celebrate festivals of Apollo. There was also a thriving cult of Apollo on Ceos, including a temple at Carthaea, a training ground for choruses where, according to Athenaeus, Bacchylides’ uncle had been a teacher in his early years. Ceans had a strong sense of their national identity, represented in exotic legends, national folklore and a successful tradition of athletic competition. The people of Ceos had bravely taken part in defeating the Persians at the Battle of Salamis and so they were proud of their achievements.

      Bacchylides’ career as a poet was likely aided by the high reputation of his uncle, whose patrons included Hipparchus (son of Peisistratos), brother of Hippias the tyrant of Athens (527–14 BC) and cultural coordinator of the city at that time. Simonides later introduced his nephew to the ruling families in Thessaly and to the Sicilian tyrant, Hieron of Syracuse, whose wealthy court attracted celebrities of the calibre of Pindar and Aeschylus. Bacchylides’ first notable success came soon after 500 BC, winning commissions from Athens for the great Delian festival and from Macedonia for a song to be sung at a symposium for the young prince, Alexander I.

      He was soon competing against Pindar for commissions from the leading families of Aegina and in 476 BC their rivalry reached its highest point when Bacchylides composed an ode celebrating Hieron’s first victory at the Olympian Games. Pindar celebrated the same victory, though he used the occasion to advise the tyrant of the need for moderation in one’s personal conduct (Olympian Ode 1), whereas Bacchylides’ ode was more complimentary, no doubt hoping to court future commissions. In 470 BC, Bacchylides was commissioned by Hieron to celebrate his triumph in the chariot race at the Pythian Games. Once again, Pindar composed a celebratory ode for this victory (Pythian Ode 1), offering stern, moral advice for the tyrant to rule wisely. Pindar was not commissioned to celebrate Hieron’s subsequent victory in the chariot race at the Olympic Games in 468 BC — the most prestigious of Hieron’s victories — yet it was celebrated by Bacchylides. Perhaps the tyrant preferred Bacchylides’ simpler language and less didactic approach.  Also, it is likely that Bacchylides and his uncle were better suited to palace politics and shrewd panegyrical practice, compared to their higher-minded rival. Alexandrian scholars have interpreted a number of passages in Pindar that may be construed as hostile allusions to Bacchylides and his uncle.

      As a composer of choral lyrics, Bacchylides was most likely responsible for their performance and he would have had to travel to numerous venues where musicians and choirs awaited instruction. Ancient authorities testify to his visit to the court of Hieron in 478-467.

      Sadly, much of his poetry today is lost. Thirteen odes celebrating victories in athletic contests are extant, though some have large caesura, while six dithyrambs — the genre of a wild choral hymn usually dedicated to Dionysus — also survive, as well as fragments of several other hymns.

      Bacchylides, Encomia fr. 5, preserved by a first century BC

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