Lycophron from Chalcis

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Lycophron from Chalkis ( Greek Λυκόφρων ὁ Χαλκιδεύς ; * around 320 BC; † after 280 BC) was a Greek grammarian and poet.

Life

Lycophron from Chalkis , the capital of the island of Evia , is counted as part of the tragic Pleiad , seven important tragedy poets of their time at the court of the Egyptian king Ptolemy II. According to Johannes Tzetzes , he is said to have written “64 or 46” tragedies; Twenty the title is handed down in the Suda . Only a few lines have been preserved. Several tragedies seem to have dealt with contemporary issues, which Kassandreis z. B. a story from the city of Kassandra, which was founded in 316. Several lines from the satyr play Menedemos about the philosopher Menedemos of Eretria, who was a friend of Lycophron, have also survived .

Lycophron was the author of a work On Comedies , which was criticized by later grammarians for its superficiality. At the Alexandria Library he was responsible for the compilation and organization of the comedies .

For Ptolemy II he is said to have made an anagram in which he put the letters Πτολεμαίος in the flattering order απο μελίτος = of honey .

Because of the entry about him in the Suda , Lykophron is also often referred to as the author of the surviving dramatic monologue Alexandra . However, his identity with the author of this work is already questioned in the oldest scholias (marginal notes) on the manuscripts. The question is still open; In more recent research, too, the equation of the Chalcidian with the author of the monody has advocates.

Text output

  • Bardo Gauly et al. (Ed.): Musa tragica. The Greek tragedy from Thespis to Ezekiel. Selected references and fragments in Greek and German. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1991

literature

Web links

Wikisource: Lykophron  - Sources and full texts
personal data
SURNAME Lycophron from Chalcis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek poet
DATE OF BIRTH around 320 BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH after 280 BC Chr.