Anacréon

Anacréon (in Greek old Ανακρέων / Anakréôn ), born towards 550 av. J. - C. with Téos, in Ionie, died towards 464 av. J. - C., is one of the largest lyric poets Greek with Alcée de Mytilène and Sappho. It was called the cantor or the old man of Téos .

Biography

One knows little of it about his life. According to the tradition, it would have been born with Téos an Ionian city on the dimensions from minor Asia. The name and the dentity of his/her father remain prone to discussion; there would be four possibilities: Scythianos, Eumélos, Parthénios, or Aristocritos.

He exiles himself, towards 540, for Abdère when Harpage, general of Cyrus II, takes its birthplace. Anacréon leaves then for Samos, where it is protected by the Tyran Polycrate, that it rents in his poems.

After the death of this last in 522, it is invited by Hipparque with Athens. There, he attends the circle of artists gathered by the tyrant and the best families of the city. He binds in particular with Simonide de Céos and Xanthippe, father of Périclès. He also celebrates the beauty of Critias, wire of Dropidès and hero of the dialog of Plato which bears its name (cf Critias ). After the fall of the Pisistratides, it regains its Ionie native.

He dies at the 85 years age in Téos. According to the tradition, it would have been choked with dryed grapes. Simonide dedicates two to him epitaph S, Athens sets up its statue on the Acropole and Tégée place its portraits on its currency.

Work

Anacréon is devoted mainly to poetry in love and poetry with banquet. Thus, the statue that the Athenians devote to him represents it like a poet inspired by Dionysos. The style of Anacréon is characterized by its lightness and its charm. The wine is rented but without excess (“ten measurements of water for five of wine, here is the good mixture”, fgt. 11), the love must also remain measured (“I do not like and I do not like. I am insane and I am not insane”, fgt. 83). This style is quickly known under the name of “anacreontic”. One calls thus Anacreontea collections of light poems.

It employs meter S varied; the most current stanzas are made up of meters glyconiens finished by one meter phérécratien, or of meters known as “anacreontic”, composed of ionic minors. This type of stanza will meet a very great success thereafter, at the Greeks as among Romans.

Artistic evocations

Jean-Philippe Rameau composed two acts of ballets entitled Anacréon on two very different booklets, one of Cahuzac, the other of Nice-Bernard.

See too

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