- Callinus
Callinus (also known as Kallinus) was a
poet who lived in theancient Greek city ofEphesus inAsia Minor in the mid-7th century BC . He is the earliest known Greekelegiac poet. Very little is known about his life.He may have taken part in the war between Ephesus and
Magnesia on the Maeander , since he so elequently describes it. This must have happened before 727 BC, since Magnesia was destroyed by the Treres, a Cimmerian tribe.He also mentions the destruction of
Sardis by the Cimmerians in 678 BCOnly a few fragments of the
poetry of Callinus have survived. One of the longest such fragments, consisting of 21 lines of verse, is a patrioticelegy to his fellow Ephesians urging them to fight the invadingCimmerians , who were menacing the Greek colonies inAsia Minor : "It is honourable to fight for city and family, death finds everyone." He used his elegiac poetry as a means of propaganda and patriotism.Such compositions were accompanied by a
flute or some other form of musical pipe and would be played on military campaigns or in social contexts.References
*
Thomas Gaisford , Poetae Graeci Minores III, Oxford, 1820
*Theodorus Bergk - Poetae lyrici Graeci (page 303), Lipsiae in Aedibus, 1923 [http://www.archive.org/details/pt1poetaelyricig01berguoft on line]
*Bode, Georg Heinrich - Geschichte der lyrischen Dichtkunst der Hellenen, volume I, pages 143-161; Leipzig,Koehler,1838; ISBN 978-0543840660External links
* [http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0582.html Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]
* [http://www.poetry-archive.com/c/exhortation_to_battle.html Exhortation to battle, by Callinus]
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