Stésichore

Stésichore (in Greek Στησίχορος / Stêsíkhoros , literally “which presents the chorus”) was a Greek poet originating in Grande Greece, of which the working life extends from 570 with 540 av. J. - C. approximately.

Biography

Its life is badly known. The note of the probably Welded which is devoted to him gives him the dates 632 - 556 av. J. - C., onto the authority of Apollodore of Athens, but those are probably founded on anything else only the petition of principle according to which Stésichore would be younger than Alcman, whose Souda locates the apogee in 632 av. J. - C., and more old man that Simonide de Céos, which indicates itself to be born in 556 av. J. - C. Its working life probably extends from 570 with 540 av. J. - C.

Stephan de Byzance indicates that it is originating in Matauros, a colony of Locres in Italy of the South; other elements in addition attach it to Locres, like in the city of Himère. Plato thus presents it like “Stésichore d' Himère”, which corresponds to some of its characteristics stylistics. Lastly, the tradition wants that it went to Sparte: Stésichore places there the palate of Agamemnon rather than at Mycènes, which appears to reflect propaganda Spartan of the time; the assumption seems confirmed by one of the Papyri d' Oxyrhynque.

Work

It was retained by Aristarque de Samothrace and Aristophane de Byzance in their Canon alexandrine like one of the nine Masters of lyric poetry, following the example Alcman, its contemporary. Only a weak part of its work was preserved.

He invented many rates/rhythms and of melodies, in particular the Ode with 3 movements (rhythmic form where the stanzas follow one another at different intervals). He left 28 pounds of Hymnes containing legends of love and dead which were used as subjects to the tragic authors. Its poems were very long, Géryonide for example, exceeded 1800 worms (Pindare seldom exceeded the 100 worms).

It seems that Stésichore drew its inspiration either from the cycles epic like the Trojan Cycle or the Cycle thébain, or directly of Homère.

Plato preserves in the Phèdre a Palinodie of Stésichore:

“Not, this speech is not vrai
you are never assembled on the ships with the beautiful benches of oarsmen,
you never entered the citadel of Troy. ”