Panyassis

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Panyassis (Greek Πανύασσις Panýassis , also Πανύασις Panýasis ; * about 505/500 BC in Halicarnassus ; † about 455/450 ibid) was an ancient Greek epic poet .

Life

Panyassis was a relative, probably a cousin, of the historian Herodotus and belonged to the aristocracy of Halicarnassus. After there around 460 BC When the tyrant Lygdamis took over the rule, Panyassis and Herodotus had to emigrate to Samos . A few years later, Panyassis returned to his hometown and was executed by Lygdamis.

Works

Two works by Panyassis are known which, apart from a few fragments, have not survived. The Ionica ( Ἰωνικά , "Ionian stories") comprised 7000 verses in distiches according to the Suda . The work described the history of Ionia from the mythical times to the founding of the Ionic colonies. The Herakleia ( Ἡράκλεια , sometimes Ἡρακλειάς or Ἡρακληΐς ) about the demigod Heracles consisted of 9000 hexameters, which were divided into 14 books. The surviving fragments (about 60 verses) show that Panyassis also described other canonical deeds of the hero in addition to the twelve canonical deeds, and offer an insight into Greek mythology of the time.

Afterlife

While the Ionica through later prose works, z. B. Herodotus, were overtaken, the Herakleia were still in Hellenistic times an often used source for mythological representations.

In the 2nd or 1st century BC Panyassis and Herodotus received an honorary monument in Halicarnassus as the most famous sons of the city.

Collection of sources and fragments

  • Martin L. West (Ed.): Greek Epic Fragments. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (Mass.) 2003, ISBN 0-674-99605-4 , pp. 188–217 (Greek texts with English translation)

literature

personal data
SURNAME Panyassis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek epistle writer
DATE OF BIRTH 6th century BC BC or 5th century BC Chr.
PLACE OF BIRTH Halicarnassus
DATE OF DEATH 5th century BC Chr.
Place of death Halicarnassus