The Bouclier of Héraclès is a fragment epic wrongfully allotted to the poet Hésiode. Generally dated from the beginning of sixth century BC, it is the work of a Aède which imitates celebrates it description of the shield of Achille of song XVIII of Iliade . One often referred there under his Greek name, Aspis , or Latin, Scutum .

Subject

The poem draws its argument from an episode of the exploits of Héraclès, in which this one keep silent Cycnos, wire of Arès. It is especially about a pretext for a long description of the shield of the hero. The aforementioned shield is out of bronze, encrusted with precious substances: Gold, Money, Ivory and electrum. It represents in its center a dragon on the head of which Éris is perched, goddess of the discord. The reason is surrounded by various figures, of which heads of snakes, a Centauromachie, a table of the Olympe and scenes of the legend of Persée.

Attribution

The poem is composed in hexameters dactylic and length of 480 towards. The argument placed at the head of work announces that worms 1 to 56 are actually drawn from book IV of the Catalog of the women , another work allotted to Hésiode, which pushes the grammairien Aristophane de Byzance to suspect “the Bouclier of not being the work of Hésiode, but of some other, which proposed to imitate “Homeric Shield the”. ” The same argument adds as Mégaclès of Athens (probably the peripatetician Mégacleidès), Apollonios of Rhodos and Stésichore is in favor of the authenticity of the Bouclier .

The assumption of Aristophane was confirmed by the discovery of two Papyri d' Oxyrhynque including/understanding the part of the Catalog which precedes the worms 1-56 by the Bouclier , as well as the first towards Bouclier . The text itself does not leave any doubt: the passage 1-56 tells the birth of Héraclès and does not have a direct relationship with the continuation. It starts with the formula “ ἢ οἵη / He goose (“or such woman… ”) which gives its nickname, Ἠοῖαι / Hêoīai , with the Catalog of the women . Lastly, the style is different from the remainder of the poem. The majority of the editors agree to consider the remainder of the text which reached us like full with doublets and of interpolation S of which some are already announced like such by the manuscripts.

The Bouclier can be dated from the beginning of sixth century BC on the basis of external and internal index. Initially, the first representations of the myth of Héraclès and Cycnos appear on the vases attics starting from 565 av. J. - C.; they testify to a good knowledge of work, including in its details. The argument at the head of work indicates that Stésichore accepted attribution with Hésiode; the poet is indeed the author of a Cycnos now lost, in which it brings back a tradition different from that of the Bouclier . Its working life extends from 570 with 540 av. J. - C. approximately, which there still place the terminus handle quem towards 570 av. J. - C.

August 1st