Cercidas
Encyclopedia
Cercidas was a poet
, Cynic philosopher, and legislator
for his native city Megalopolis
. A papyrus roll containing fragments from seven of his Cynic poems was discovered at Oxyrhynchus
in 1906.
, whose death he recorded in some Meliambic
lines. He is mentioned and cited by Athenaeus
(who cites him as a source for the cult of Venus Kallipygos) and Stobaeus
. At his death he ordered the first and second books of the Iliad
to be buried with him. Aelian
relates that Cercidas died expressing his hope of being with Pythagoras
of the philosophers, Hecataeus
of the historians, Olympus
of the musicians, and Homer
of the poets, which clearly implies his esteem for these four disciplines.
He commanded his city's infantry contingent at the battle of Sellasia in 222 BC
. He appears to be a descendant of Cercidas the Arcadian, who is mentioned by Demosthenes
among those Greeks, who, by their cowardice and corruption, enslaved their states to Philip II of Macedon
.
papyrus
with the title "the meliambic poems of Cercidas the Cynic" was discovered in 1906. Meliambic poetry, which is a style peculiar to Cercidas, is a combination of the iambic and hexameter
meters
. His poems are filled with moralistic themes such as the uneven distribution of wealth and the unfortunate results of luxurious living. There are seven poem fragments attributable to Cercidas. The longest fragment contains a discussion of the nature of the gods and of divine providence
, in which Cercidas declares that the current beliefs do not square with the facts of life:
Cercidas goes on to explain that he would rather leave the fictitious gods to the astrologers, and worship the tried Paean, Giving, and Retribution, that is, beneficence for those afflicted in body or spirit and punishment for wrongdoers. Another poem is erotic, teaching the cheap and easy way of love. Another fragment, apparently biographical, expressing the poet's satisfaction that he has devoted himself to the service of the Muses all his life.
In addition to these poems, there are also some papyrus fragments of a moral anthology with an introduction in choliamb
ics, which can be dated to the 3rd century BCE. It is possible that the anthology was compiled by Cercidas, but this is doubtful because the quality of the choliambic poetry in the introduction is much inferior to his meliambic poetry.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, Cynic philosopher, and legislator
Legislator
A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...
for his native city Megalopolis
Megalopolis, Greece
Megalópoli is a town in the western part of the peripheral unit of Arcadia, southern Greece. It is located in the same site as ancient Megalopolis . "Megalopolis" is a Greek word for Great city. When it was founded, in 371 BC, it was the first urbanization in rustic and primitive Arcadia. In...
. A papyrus roll containing fragments from seven of his Cynic poems was discovered at Oxyrhynchus
Oxyrhynchus
Oxyrhynchus is a city in Upper Egypt, located about 160 km south-southwest of Cairo, in the governorate of Al Minya. It is also an archaeological site, considered one of the most important ever discovered...
in 1906.
Life
Cercidas was an admirer of DiogenesDiogenes of Sinope
Diogenes the Cynic was a Greek philosopher and one of the founders of Cynic philosophy. Also known as Diogenes of Sinope , he was born in Sinope , an Ionian colony on the Black Sea , in 412 or 404 BCE and died at Corinth in 323 BCE.Diogenes of Sinope was a controversial figure...
, whose death he recorded in some Meliambic
Iambus (genre)
Iambus was a genre of ancient Greek poetry that included but was not restricted to the iambic meter and whose origins modern scholars have traced to the cults of Demeter and Dionysus. The genre featured insulting and obscene language...
lines. He is mentioned and cited by Athenaeus
Athenaeus
Athenaeus , of Naucratis in Egypt, Greek rhetorician and grammarian, flourished about the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd century AD...
(who cites him as a source for the cult of Venus Kallipygos) and Stobaeus
Stobaeus
Joannes Stobaeus , from Stobi in Macedonia, was the compiler of a valuable series of extracts from Greek authors. The work was originally divided into two volumes containing two books each...
. At his death he ordered the first and second books of the Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
to be buried with him. Aelian
Claudius Aelianus
Claudius Aelianus , often seen as just Aelian, born at Praeneste, was a Roman author and teacher of rhetoric who flourished under Septimius Severus and probably outlived Elagabalus, who died in 222...
relates that Cercidas died expressing his hope of being with Pythagoras
Pythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos was an Ionian Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. Most of the information about Pythagoras was written down centuries after he lived, so very little reliable information is known about him...
of the philosophers, Hecataeus
Hecataeus
Hecataeus of Miletus , named after the Greek goddess Hecate, was an early Greek historian of a wealthy family. He flourished during the time of the Persian invasion. After having travelled extensively, he settled in his native city, where he occupied a high position, and devoted his time to the...
of the historians, Olympus
Olympus (musician)
Olympus is the name of to two ancient Greek musicians, one mythical who lived before the Trojan war, and one apparently real, who lived in the 7th century BC. Both musicians were connected with the auletic music, which had its origin in Phrygia...
of the musicians, and Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
of the poets, which clearly implies his esteem for these four disciplines.
He commanded his city's infantry contingent at the battle of Sellasia in 222 BC
222 BC
Year 222 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Marcellus and Calvus...
. He appears to be a descendant of Cercidas the Arcadian, who is mentioned by Demosthenes
Demosthenes
Demosthenes was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide an insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by...
among those Greeks, who, by their cowardice and corruption, enslaved their states to Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon "friend" + ἵππος "horse" — transliterated ; 382 – 336 BC), was a king of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.-Biography:...
.
Poetry
An OxyrhynchusOxyrhynchus
Oxyrhynchus is a city in Upper Egypt, located about 160 km south-southwest of Cairo, in the governorate of Al Minya. It is also an archaeological site, considered one of the most important ever discovered...
papyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
with the title "the meliambic poems of Cercidas the Cynic" was discovered in 1906. Meliambic poetry, which is a style peculiar to Cercidas, is a combination of the iambic and hexameter
Hexameter
Hexameter is a metrical line of verse consisting of six feet. It was the standard epic metre in classical Greek and Latin literature, such as in the Iliad and Aeneid. Its use in other genres of composition include Horace's satires, and Ovid's Metamorphoses. According to Greek mythology, hexameter...
meters
Meter (poetry)
In poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...
. His poems are filled with moralistic themes such as the uneven distribution of wealth and the unfortunate results of luxurious living. There are seven poem fragments attributable to Cercidas. The longest fragment contains a discussion of the nature of the gods and of divine providence
Divine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
, in which Cercidas declares that the current beliefs do not square with the facts of life:
[why did God not] choose that greedy cormorant wealthpurse,
that sweet-scented out-of-control Xenon, make him a pathetic poor man,
and transfer to us who deserve it the silver that now
is uselessly flowing away? What can there be to prevent god -
supposing you asked him the question - since a god,
whatever comes into his mind, can easily get it all done,
if a man is a turd of a loan-shark, a real old die-for-a-penny
who squanders it all out again, one who's the death of his fortune,
why can't God just empty this man of his swinewealth,
and give to a thin-feeding, common-bowl cup-dipper
all the man's damned expenditure? Has the eye of Justice been mole-blinded?
Cercidas goes on to explain that he would rather leave the fictitious gods to the astrologers, and worship the tried Paean, Giving, and Retribution, that is, beneficence for those afflicted in body or spirit and punishment for wrongdoers. Another poem is erotic, teaching the cheap and easy way of love. Another fragment, apparently biographical, expressing the poet's satisfaction that he has devoted himself to the service of the Muses all his life.
In addition to these poems, there are also some papyrus fragments of a moral anthology with an introduction in choliamb
Choliamb
Choliambic verse is a form of meter in poetry. It is found in both Greek and Latin poetry in the classical period. Choliambic verse is sometimes called scazon, or "lame iambic", because it brings the reader down on the wrong "foot" by reversing the stresses of the last few beats...
ics, which can be dated to the 3rd century BCE. It is possible that the anthology was compiled by Cercidas, but this is doubtful because the quality of the choliambic poetry in the introduction is much inferior to his meliambic poetry.
External links
- Theophrastus Characters. Herodas, Cercidas and the Greek Choliambic Poets, ed. & trans. J. M. Edmonds, A. D. Knox. (1925). Loeb Classical LibraryLoeb Classical LibraryThe Loeb Classical Library is a series of books, today published by Harvard University Press, which presents important works of ancient Greek and Latin Literature in a way designed to make the text accessible to the broadest possible audience, by presenting the original Greek or Latin text on each...
.