The Songs cypriens

the Songs cypriens (in Greek old Κύπρια / Kýpria , in Latin Cypria ) is the title of a lost epopee ancient Greece, that the tradition allots to Stasinos Cyprus. It belonged to the Trojan Cycle, a whole of works which recalled the history of the Trojan War. the Songs cypriens opened the Cycle and preceded chronologically Iliade .

Dating

Even if the reported legends are much older, the Songs cypriens were probably composed at the end of sixth century BC, this dubious date remaining. One runs up against the same problem of dating of the Oral tradition as with the epopee S Homeric S. the majority of the myths (if not all) reported in work were already known in the times of the composition of Iliade and the Odyssey .

Composition

The poem is divided into eleven books written in hexameters dactylic, and reports the origins of the Trojan War and its first nine years.

Only about fifty lines of the original poem arrived to us. The only complete summary of the work which one lays out comes from the Chrestomathie allotted to Proclos, philosopher of the {{Ve}} century a. J. - C. many other sources bring nevertheless additional details.

the Songs cypriens were judged like a lower work compared to the Homeric epopees: Aristote their reproached their lack of cohesion and dramatic intensity. They were connected obviously more with one catalog of events that to a traditional narration.

Contents of the poem

The poem opens on the Jugement of Pâris which opposes the goddesses Athéna, Héra and Aphrodite to know which is most beautiful: Pâris chooses Aphrodite, who had promised to him the love of Helene, the woman of Ménélas. This episode led to the removal of Helene by Pâris: this one seizes the young woman and her dowry, and bring back them to Troy.

At the time of the marriage of Helene, an oath had been pronounced between all its applicants, to defend the rights of that which would carry its hand: Ménélas, the winner, calls upon this oath near his/her brother Agamemnon. A Greek army is joined together in front of the port of Aulis and prepares to embark for Troy: but the soothsayer Calchas prevents them that the war will last ten years; and Agamemnon is obliged to offer in sacrifice his/her daughter Iphigénie in order to alleviate the anger of Artémis and to allow a favorable departure of the fleet.

After many episodes, among which the history of Télèphe and the delegation of Philoctète, the fleet leaves Aulis and arrives in front of Troy. At the time of the unloading, the best Trojan warrior, Hector, keep silent Protésilas, and Achilles, the best Greek warrior, keep silent Cycnos. The Greeks ask for the restitution of Helene and her dowry, but Troyens refuse. The seat of the city begins then, and its nine first are told in a rather brief way.

See too

Related articles

• Trojan Cycle

• Trojan War
• Iliade