Zénodote , in Greek old Ζηνόδοτος / Zênódotos (320 - 240 av. J. - C.), grammairien alexandrine.

He is the first librarian of the Bibliothèque of Alexandria. Ptolémée II Philadelphe has recourse to its services, like with those of Alexandre Étolien and Lycophron de Chalcis to develop critical editions large Greek poets. Whereas his/her colleagues respectively deal with the tragedies and the comedies, Zénodote attacks the work of Homère. It publishes a Recension ( Διόρθωσις / Diórthôsis ) as well as a Glossary ( Γλῶσσαι / Glôssai ) of Iliade and of the Odyssey , and rejects the Homeric Hymnes as being posterior.

Its edition of the texts, first of the Homeric critical editions, expurge some towards, mark some as being interpolation S and corrects some towards regarded as faulty. Zénodote is based much on criteria of internal coherence. Thus, with song XI of Iliade , Ajax wire of Télamon is successively compared with a driven out lion of a cattle shed by peasants, then with an ass that children beat to advance. Considering the continuation of the comparisons not very reasonable, Zénodote regards the second as an interpolation. One says worms crossed out by Zénodote and his disciple Aristarque de Samothrace whom they “are athétisés”, literally “refused”.

Zénodote is the pioneer in a new way of studying the traditional Greeks. Its disciples, Aristarque de Samothrace and Aristophane de Byzance, supplement then its work. In spite of that, they are the subject then of a certain contempt on behalf of the posterior writers. Lucien de Samosate (2nd century) thus tells to see Homère thinks about it ( True stories , II) and to require of him:

“I asked him about the athetized worms if he had written them, and him to answer that they were all of him. Then I condemned the speeches pedants of the grammairiens Zénodote and Aristarque. ”
(transl. Marcel Caster)

See too

• Aristarque de Samothrace;

• Aristophane de Byzance.