Parthenius of Nicaea
Encyclopedia
Parthenius of Nicaea or Myrlea in Bithynia
was a Greek
grammarian and poet
. According to the Suda
, he was the son of Heraclides and Eudora, or according to Hermippus of Berytus
, his mother's name was Tetha. He was taken prisoner by Cinna
in the Mithridatic Wars
and carried to Rome
in 72 BC. He subsequently visited Neapolis
, where he taught Greek
to Virgil
, according to Macrobius. Parthenius is said to have lived until the accession of Tiberius
in 14 AD.
Parthenius was a writer of elegies
, especially dirge
s, and of short epic poems.
He is sometimes called "the last of the Alexandrians".
, as "a storehouse from which to draw material". Erotica Pathemata is a collection of thirty-six epitome
s of love-stories, all of which have tragic or sentimental endings, taken from histories and historicised fictions as well as poetry.
As Parthenius generally quotes his authorities, these stories are valuable as affording information on the Alexandrian poets and grammarians.
These are listed below:
, paradoxography, epistolography and mythology.
Bithynia
Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine .-Description:...
was a Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
grammarian and poet
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...
. According to the Suda
Suda
The Suda or Souda is a massive 10th century Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world, formerly attributed to an author called Suidas. It is an encyclopedic lexicon, written in Greek, with 30,000 entries, many drawing from ancient sources that have since been lost, and often...
, he was the son of Heraclides and Eudora, or according to Hermippus of Berytus
Hermippus of Berytus
Hermippus of Berytus was a Greek grammarian from Berytus who flourished under Trajan and Hadrian. By birth he was a slave, but having become the disciple of Philo of Byblos, he was recommended by him to Herennius Severus, and attained to great eminence by his eloquence and learning...
, his mother's name was Tetha. He was taken prisoner by Cinna
Cinna
Cinna was a cognomen that distinguished a patrician branch of the gens Cornelia, particularly in the late Roman Republic.Prominent members of this family include:...
in the Mithridatic Wars
Mithridatic Wars
There were three Mithridatic Wars between Rome and the Kingdom of Pontus in the 1st century BC. They are named for Mithridates VI who was King of Pontus at the time....
and carried to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 72 BC. He subsequently visited Neapolis
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, where he taught Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
to Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
, according to Macrobius. Parthenius is said to have lived until the accession of Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
in 14 AD.
Parthenius was a writer of elegies
Elegy
In literature, an elegy is a mournful, melancholic or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song or a lament for the dead.-History:The Greek term elegeia originally referred to any verse written in elegiac couplets and covering a wide range of subject matter, including epitaphs for tombs...
, especially dirge
Dirge
A dirge is a somber song expressing mourning or grief, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral. A lament. The English word "dirge" is derived from the Latin Dirige, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam , the first words of the first antiphon in the Matins of the Office...
s, and of short epic poems.
He is sometimes called "the last of the Alexandrians".
Erotica Pathemata
His only surviving work, the Erotica Pathemata (Of the Sorrows of Love), was set out, the poet says in his preface, "in the shortest possible form" and dedicated to the poet Cornelius GallusCornelius Gallus
Gaius Cornelius Gallus , Roman poet, orator and politician, was born of humble parents at Forum Livii in Italy.At an early age he moved to Rome, where he was taught by the same master as Virgil and Varius Rufus. Virgil, who dedicated one of his eclogues to him, was in great measure indebted to...
, as "a storehouse from which to draw material". Erotica Pathemata is a collection of thirty-six epitome
Epitome
An epitome is a summary or miniature form; an instance that represents a larger reality, also used as a synonym for embodiment....
s of love-stories, all of which have tragic or sentimental endings, taken from histories and historicised fictions as well as poetry.
As Parthenius generally quotes his authorities, these stories are valuable as affording information on the Alexandrian poets and grammarians.
Contents
The mythical or legendary characters whose stories are presented in Erotica Pathemata are as follows.- LyrcusLyrcusLyrcus is the name of two Greek figures, one a figure in a 1st-century BC Romance by Parthenius of Nicaea, the other the eponymous legendary founder of Lyrceia...
- Polymela
- EvippeEuippe (daughter of Tyrimmas)Evippe , daughter of Tyrimmas, King of Dodona, She bore Odysseus a son, Euryalus, who was later mistakenly slain by his father....
- OenoneOenoneIn Greek mythology, Oenone was the first wife of Paris of Troy, whom he abandoned for the queen Helen of Sparta.Oenone was a mountain nymph on Mount Ida in Phrygia, a mountain associated with the Mother Goddess Cybele, alternatively Rhea. Her father was Cebren, a river-god...
- Leucippus, son of XanthiusXanthiusIn Greek mythology, Xanthius was a descendant of Bellerophon, and father of Leucippus and an unnamed daughter.Through the wrath of Aphrodite, Leucippus fell in love with his own sister. The passion turned out too strong for him to suppress, so he addressed his mother, imploring her to help him and...
- Pallene
- Hipparinus of Heraclea
- HerippeHerippeIn Greek mythology, Herippe was a woman from Miletus, wife of Xanthus and mother of an unnamed two-year old child. During the celebration of Thesmophoria, she and many other women were carried off by the Gauls. Some of the captives were ransomed by their relatives, but Herippe was among those who...
- Polycrite
- Leucone, wife of Cyanippus
- ByblisByblisIn Greek mythology, Byblis or Bublis was a daughter of Miletus. Her mother was either Tragasia, Cyanee, daughter of the river-god Meander, or Eidothea, daughter of King Eurytus of Caria. She fell in love with Caunus, her twin brother....
- Calchus
- HarpalyceHarpalyceHarpalyce may refer to:* Harpalyce , two characters in Greek mythology** Harpalyce, daughter of Clymenus** Harpalyce, daughter of Harpalycus* Harpalyce a genus of the Fabaceae family of flowering plants....
- Antheus, loved and killed by CleoboeaCleoboeaIn Greek mythology, the name Cleoboea refers to:*Cleoboea, mother of Eurythemis. Her daughter was married to Thestius. Cleoboea herself is otherwise unknown....
- DaphneDaphneDaphne was a female minor nature deity. Pursued by Apollo, she fled and was chased. Daphne begged the gods for help, who then transformed her into Laurel.-Overview:...
- LaodiceLaodice (mythology)Laodice was the daughter of Priam of Troy and Hecuba. She is described as the most beautiful of Priam's daughters. Laodice refers to Helen as her junior even though Helen is probably 34 years old and yet she is more beautiful than her sister Cassandra, who might be eighteen at the same time and who...
- Cratea, mother of PerianderPerianderPeriander was the second tyrant of Corinth, Greece in the 7th century BC. He was the son of the first tyrant, Cypselus. Periander succeeded his father in 627 BC. He died in 585 BC....
- Neaera
- Pancrato, daughter of IphimedeiaIphimedeiaIn Greek mythology, Iphimedeia was the daughter of Triopas . Her brothers were Erysichthon and Phorbas. She was the wife of Aloeus, who was also her uncle, but fell in love with Poseidon and would often come to the sea shore and pour the sea water in her lap, until the god came and answered her...
- Aëro, daughter of OenopionOenopionIn Greek mythology, Oenopion , son of Theseus or Dionysus and Ariadne, was a legendary king of Chios, which was assigned to him by Rhadamanthys, and was said to have brought winemaking to the island. By the nymph Helice, he had one daughter, called Merope in most sources, but "Haero" in Parthenius...
- PisidicePisidiceIn Greek mythology, Pisidice or Peisidike was one of the following individuals:* A daughter of Pelias, who, together with her sisters, killed their father, as Medea tricked them into believing this was needed to rejuvenate him....
of Methymna - Nanis
- Chilonis
- Hipparinus of Syracuse
- Phayllus
- Apriate (see TrambelusTrambelusIn Greek mythology, Trambelus was a son of Telamon . His mother was the Trojan captive, Hesione or Theaneira: when she had already been made pregnant by Telamon, she escaped by jumping off his ship and swimming until she reached the land of Miletus...
) - AlcinoeAlcinoeAlcinoe is the name that is attributed to two women in Greek mythology:*Alcinoe, daughter of Polybus of Corinth and wife of Amphilochus, son of Dryas. She refused to pay the full wages to a weaver she had hired, and the woman prayed to Athena to avenge her. The goddess afflicted Alcinoe with a...
- Clite
- DaphnisDaphnisIn Greek mythology, Daphnis was a son of Hermes and a Sicilian nymph. A shepherd and flautist, he was the inventor of pastoral poetry. A naiad fell in love with him, but he was not faithful to her. In revenge, she either blinded him or turned him to stone...
- CeltineCeltineIn Greek mythology, Celtine was the daughter of Bretannus, king of the Celts. She is known for having been one of the consorts of Heracles. Her story, recorded by Parthenius of Nicaea, is as follows....
- DimoetesDimoetesIn Greek mythology, Dimoetes was a brother of Troezen, thus presumably a son of Pelops and Hippodamia. He was married to Evopis, daughter of Troezen....
- Anthippe (see EpirusEpirus (mythology)Epirus or Epeiros, in Greek mythology, is the daughter of Agave and Echion. She accompanied Cadmus and Harmonia while they were carrying the body of Pentheus. While in Epirus, she died and was buried in a thicket; this thicket was later considered sacred to her and the entire country was renamed...
) - Assaon
- CorythusCorythusCorythus is the name of six mortal men in Greek mythology*Corythus, son of Paris and Oenone. After Paris abandoned Oenone, she sent the boy, now grown, to Troy, where he fell in love with Helen, and she received him warmly. Paris, discovering this, killed him, not recognizing his own son...
- EulimeneEulimeneEulimene was the name of two characters in Greek mythology.1. Eulimene, one of the Nereids.2. Eulimene was a Cretan girl, daughter of Cydon, and betrothed to Apterus. In spite of this she had an affair with another man, Lycastus. When Cydon consulted the oracles to discover how to best his enemies...
- Arganthone, lover of RhesusRhesus of ThraceRhesus or Rhêsos was a Thracian king who fought on the side of Trojans in Iliad, Book X, where Diomedes and Odysseus stole his team of fine horses during a night raid on the Trojan camp. Homer gives his father as Eioneus— a name otherwise given to the father of Dia, whom Ixion threw into the...
Other works
In Parthenius' own time he is not famous for writing prose but his poems.These are listed below:
- Arete
- Dirge on Archelais
- Aphrodite
- Bias
- Delos
- Krinagoras
- Leucadiai
- Anthippe
- Dirge on Auxithemis
- Idolophanes
- Herakles
- Iphiklos
- Metamorphoses
- Propemptikon
- A Greek original of Moretum
The Surviving Manuscript
Parthenius is one of the few ancient writers whose work survives in only one manuscript. The only surviving manuscript of Parthenius was called Palatinus Heidelbergensis graecus 398 (P), probably written in mid-9th century. It contains a diverse mixture of geography, excerpts from Hesychius of AlexandriaHesychius of Alexandria
Hesychius of Alexandria , a grammarian who flourished probably in the 5th century CE, compiled the richest lexicon of unusual and obscure Greek words that has survived...
, paradoxography, epistolography and mythology.
Editions of Parthenius
- 1531: Editio princeps, edited by Janus Cornarius. Basle, Froben.
- 1675: Historiae poeticae scriptores antiqui, edited by Thomas GaleThomas GaleThomas Gale was an English classical scholar, antiquarian and cleric.-Life:He was born at Scruton, Yorkshire...
, Paris. - 1798: Legrand and Heyne, Göttingen.
- 1824: Corpus scriptorum eroticorum Graecorum, Passow, Leipzig.
- 1843: Analecta Alexandrina, ed. August Meineke, Berlin.
- 1856: Didot edition, Erotici scriptores, Hirschig, Paris.
- 1858: Hercher, Erotici Scriptores Graeci, Leipzig.
- 1902: Edgar Martini, Mythographi Graeci, Leipzig.
- 1916: S. Gaselee, Longus: Daphnis and Chloe and the love romances of Parthenius and other fragments, with English translation. ISBN-L069.
- 2000: Parthenius of Nicaea: the poetical fragments and the Erōtika pathēmata. ISBN 0-19-815253-1. Reviewed by Christopher Francese at The Bryn Mawr Classical Review
- Michèle Biraud, Dominique Voisin, and Arnaud Zucker (trans. and comm.), Parthénios de Nicée. Passions d'amour. Grenoble: Éditions Jérôme Millon, 2008. Pp. 314. Reviewed by Simone Viarre at The Bryn Mawr Classical Review