Posidippus
Encyclopedia
Posidippus of Pella
was an Ancient Greek
epigram
matic poet
.
. He lived for some time in Samos
before moving permanently to the court of Ptolemy I Soter
and later Ptolemy II Philadelphus
in Alexandria
, Egypt
. An inscription from Thermon in Aetolia
records that he was granted the liberties of that city in 264/3 BC. He was friends with the poets Asclepiades of Samos
and Hedylus
.
, and several more were quoted in either part or whole by Athenaeus
of Naucratis in his Deipnosophistae
. Until 2001, based on these remains, it was assumed that Posidippus wrote only about drinking and love. In that year the Milan Papyrus
P.Mil.Vogl. VIII 309 was recovered from the wrappings of an Egyptian mummy
dating to about 180 BC. It contained 112 poems, two of which were previously known to have been written by Posidippus, which address subjects that include events of the court of the Ptolemaic dynasty
, gemstone
s, and bird divination
. Because of Posidippus' authorship of these two poems, scholars have concluded that the other poems of the Milan Papyrus were also written by him.
The poems of the Milan Papyrus are grouped into sections, and the papyrus largely preserves the section headers for the surviving poems:
Pella
Pella , an ancient Greek city located in Pella Prefecture of Macedonia in Greece, was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia.-Etymology:...
was an Ancient 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....
epigram
Epigram
An epigram is a brief, interesting, usually memorable and sometimes surprising statement. Derived from the epigramma "inscription" from ἐπιγράφειν epigraphein "to write on inscribe", this literary device has been employed for over two millennia....
matic 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...
.
Life
Posidippus was born in the city of Pella, capital of the kingdom of MacedonMacedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
. He lived for some time in Samos
Samos Island
Samos is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of Asia Minor, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate regional unit of the North Aegean region, and the only municipality of the regional...
before moving permanently to the court of Ptolemy I Soter
Ptolemy I Soter
Ptolemy I Soter I , also known as Ptolemy Lagides, c. 367 BC – c. 283 BC, was a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great, who became ruler of Egypt and founder of both the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the Ptolemaic Dynasty...
and later Ptolemy II Philadelphus
Ptolemy II Philadelphus
Ptolemy II Philadelphus was the king of Ptolemaic Egypt from 283 BCE to 246 BCE. He was the son of the founder of the Ptolemaic kingdom Ptolemy I Soter and Berenice, and was educated by Philitas of Cos...
in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
. An inscription from Thermon in Aetolia
Aetolia
Aetolia is a mountainous region of Greece on the north coast of the Gulf of Corinth, forming the eastern part of the modern prefecture of Aetolia-Acarnania.-Geography:...
records that he was granted the liberties of that city in 264/3 BC. He was friends with the poets Asclepiades of Samos
Asclepiades of Samos
Asclepiades of Samos was an ancient Greek epigrammatist and lyric poet. He was a friend of Theocritus, who flourished about 270 BC. He was the earliest and most important of the convivial and erotic epigrammists. Only a few of his compositions are actual inscriptions. Others sing the praises of...
and Hedylus
Hedylus
Hedylus son of Melicertus, a native of Samos or Athens, was an epigrammatic poet. His epigrams were included in the Garland of Meleager Eleven of them are in the Greek Anthology, but the genuineness of two of these is very doubtful. Most of his epigrams are in praise of wine, and all of them are...
.
Poetry
Twenty-three of Posidippus' poems were included in the Greek AnthologyGreek Anthology
The Greek Anthology is a collection of poems, mostly epigrams, that span the classical and Byzantine periods of Greek literature...
, and several more were quoted in either part or whole 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...
of Naucratis in his Deipnosophistae
Deipnosophistae
The Deipnosophistae may be translated as The Banquet of the Learned or Philosophers at Dinner or The Gastronomers...
. Until 2001, based on these remains, it was assumed that Posidippus wrote only about drinking and love. In that year the Milan Papyrus
Milan Papyrus
The Milan Papyrus is a papyrus roll inscribed in Alexandria in the late 3rd or early 2nd century BC during the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Originally discovered by anonymous tomb raiders as part of a mummy wrapping, it was purchased in the papyrus "grey market" in Europe in 1992 by the...
P.Mil.Vogl. VIII 309 was recovered from the wrappings of an Egyptian mummy
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
dating to about 180 BC. It contained 112 poems, two of which were previously known to have been written by Posidippus, which address subjects that include events of the court of the Ptolemaic dynasty
Ptolemaic dynasty
The Ptolemaic dynasty, was a Macedonian Greek royal family which ruled the Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 BC to 30 BC...
, gemstone
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
s, and bird divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
. Because of Posidippus' authorship of these two poems, scholars have concluded that the other poems of the Milan Papyrus were also written by him.
The poems of the Milan Papyrus are grouped into sections, and the papyrus largely preserves the section headers for the surviving poems:
- On Stones (Lithika [title restored from two partially preserved letters], poems 1-20)
- On Omens (Oionoskopika, 21-35)
- Dedications (Anathematika, 36-41)
- Epitaphs (Epitumbia [conjecture: title not preserved], 42-61)
- On Statues (Andriantopoiika, 62-70)
- On Equestrian Victories (Hippika, 71-88)
- On Shipwrecks (Nauagika, 89-94)
- On Cures (Iamatika, 95-101)
- Characters (Tropoi, 102-109)
- [title lost] (110-112)
Editions
- Posidippus' Milan Papyrus poetry book: Greek text and English translation (PDF) by various hands (CHS)
- Bastianini G. - Gallazzi C. (edd.), Papiri dell’Università di Milano - Posidippo di Pella. Epigrammi, LED Edizioni Universitarie, Milano, 2001, ISBN 88-7916-165-2
- Austin C. - Bastianini G. (edd.), Posidippi Pellaei quae supersunt omnia http://www.lededizioni.com/catalogo/austinposidippo.html, LED Edizioni Universitarie, Milano, 2002, ISBN 88-7916-193-8
Further reading
- The New Posidippus: A Hellenistic Poetry Book by Kathryn J. Gutzwiller
- Un Poeta Ritrovato. Posidippo di Pella. Giornata di studio - Milano 23 novembre 2001, LED Edizioni Universitarie, Milano, 2002, ISBN 88-7916-199-7
External links
- CHS Classics@ Issue 1: Posidippus
- Posidippus bibliography (Martine Cuypers)
- Posidippus bibliography (Kathryn Gutzwiller)