Skopas II of Krannon

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Skopas II. ( Greek  Σκόπας ; † between 520 and 515 BC), son of Creon and Echekratia, was a prince of Krannon in Thessaly . He lived in the late 6th century BC.

Skopas belonged to the Thessalian dynasty of the Scopades , which was founded by his grandfather Skopas I of Krannon . His mother was probably a daughter of the dynast Echekratides I, who probably ruled in Larisa . The Roman poet Ovid referred to Skopas II as sanguis Aleuae ("from the blood of Aleua "), which probably refers to his maternal origin.

Notorious for his drunkenness, Skopas II allegedly let four porters carry him to and from his festivities while sitting on a throne. Above all, however, he became known for his spectacular death when, during one of his feasts, at which the famous poet Simonides von Keos appeared, the roof of his festival hall in Krannon collapsed and killed him and his followers. Simonides himself escaped this catastrophe through the influence of the Dioscuri . Quintilian thought this story had been invented, especially since he was not aware of any lament about the victims from the allegedly present Simonides. However, Simonides had actually written one for Antiochus , who was probably the sister son of Scopas named by Quintilian, who had also died in the collapse.

For Skopas II himself Simonides had written a song of praise ( epinikion ).

See also

literature

  • Eduard Meyer : Theopomps Hellenika, with a supplement about the speech to the Larisa Sea and the constitution of Thessaly. Halle on the Saale in 1909.
  • JS Morrison: Meno of Pharsalus, Polycrates, and Ismenias. In: The Classical Quarterly. Vol. 36 (1942), pp. 57-78.
  • CM Bowra: Simonides and Scopas. In: Classical Philology. Vol. 29 (1934), pp. 230-239.

Remarks

  1. ↑ For the dating of the year of death see Meyer, p. 244.
  2. ↑ For the family relationships see Athenaios 10, 438c; Plato , Protagoras 339a; Scholion on the Idyls of Theokritos 16, 36–37. The Echekratides from Larisa named by Pausanias (10, 16, 8) is identified with Echekratides I. (Morrison, p. 61).
  3. ↑ Ovid, Ibis 1,511.
  4. ^ Athenaios 10, 438c.
  5. ↑ Marcus Tullius Cicero , de oratore 2, 352-353.
  6. ↑ Quintilian, Institutio oratoria 11, 2, 11-16.
  7. ↑ On the lament for Antiochus see Aelius Aristides , Orationes 31, 2 = Simonides F528 in: DL Page (ed.): Poetae Melici Graeci (Oxford 1962).
  8. ↑ Simonides F37 in: DL Page (Ed.): Poetae Melici Graeci (Oxford 1962).
personal data
SURNAME Skopas II of Krannon
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Lord of Krannon
DATE OF BIRTH 6th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 6th century BC Chr.