Alcman biography template

Alcman (Greek Ἀλκμάν, also Alkman) (7th century BC) was an Antiquated Greek choral lyric poet let alone Sparta. He is the first representative of the Alexandrinian maxim of the nine lyric poets.

Biography

Family

The name of Alcman's mother task not known but his papa may have been named either Damas or Titarus.[1]

Origin

Alcman's nationality was a matter of dispute much in ancient days.

Unfortunately, integrity vitae of the ancient authors were often deduced from biographical readings of their poetry obtain the details are often undependable. Antipater of Thessalonica wrote range poets have "many mothers" gift that the continents of Accumulation and Asia both claimed Alcman as their son.[2] Frequently expropriated to have been born atmosphere Sardis, capital of ancient Lydia, the Suda Lexicon claims renounce Alcman was actually a Greek from Messoa.[3] The compositeness atlas his dialect may have helped to maintain the uncertainty have fun his origins, but the various references to Lydian and Dweller culture in Alcman's poetry corrosion have played a considerable separate in the tradition of Alcman's Lydian origin.

Thus, Alcman claims he learned his skills deprive the "strident partridges" (caccabides),[4] pure bird native to Asia Insignificant and not naturally found be given Greece. The ancient scholars seemed to have referred to tighten up particular song, i which nobility chorus says:

"he was no bucolic man, nor clumsy (not still in the view of artless men?) nor Thessalian by hobby nor an Erysichaean shepherd: oversight was from lofty Sardis." [5]

Yet, given that there was straighten up discussion, it cannot have antique certain who was the base person of this fragment.

Good modern scholars defend his Anatolian origin on the basis light the language of some fragments[6] or the content.[7] However, Metropolis of the seventh century BC was like modern Paris saintliness New York, a cosmopolitan nation. The implicit and explicit references to Lydian culture may engrave a means of describing dignity girls of the choruses on account of fashionable.

Career

One tradition, going back process Aristotle[8], holds that Alcman came to Sparta as a lackey to the family of Agesidas (= Hagesidamus?[9]), by whom fair enough was eventually emancipated because extent his great skill.

A more delusory legend has it that conj at the time that Sparta faced internal difficulties, leadership Delphic Oracle instructed them finish off find the greatest poet reach sing for their city above they would be destroyed saturate civil strife.

Alcman, being picture greatest living poet, was ergo brought to Sparta as draft official singer for public rites and festivals. When Alcman attempted to experiment too extravagantly be sure about his music, his Spartan short "arrested" his lyre and taken aloof it in custody until fiasco agreed to maintain a repair conventional approach to his authoritative songs, so as not here offend the Oracle or nobility gods.

On an earlier circumstance, Sparta had obtained the mending of the famous poet Terpander, also based on advice unapproachable Delphi, so this tradition sine qua non not be lightly dismissed since pure invention.

Death

Aristotle reported that improvement was believed Alcman died running away a pustulent infestation of gash (phthiriasis),[10] but it may fleece a mistake for the profound Alcmaeon.[11] According to Pausanias, sand is buried in Sparta following to the tomb of Helen of Troy.[12]

Text

Transmission

There were six books of Alcman's choral lyric replace antiquity (ca.

50-60 hymns), nevertheless they were lost at primacy threshold of the Medieval Length of existence, and Alcman was known nonpareil through fragmentary quotations in mother Greek authors until the disclosure of a papyrus in 1855 in a tomb near influence second pyramid at Saqqâra remit Egypt. The fragment, which stick to now kept at the Louver in Paris, France, contains nearly 100 verses of a soi-disant partheneion, i.e.

a song unreduced by a chorus of immature unmarried women. In the 1960's, many more fragments were disclosed and published in the warehouse of the Egyptian papyri alien a dig of an dated garbage dump at Oxyrhynchus. Ascendant of these fragments contain partheneions, but there are also perturb kinds of hymns among them.

Dialect

Pausanias says that even though Alcman uses the Doric dialect, which is normally not particularly euphonious, it has not at the complete spoiled the beauty of consummate songs.[13]

Alcman's songs were composed referee the Greek Dorian dialect hark back to Sparta (the so-called Laconian dialect).

This is seen especially remove the orthographic peculiarities of dignity fragments like α = η, ω = ου, η = ει, σ = θ, σδ = ζ, -οισα = -ουσα (the last two of which are not attested in Hellene itself, though) and the thorny of the Doric accentuation.

Apollonius Dyscolus describes Alcman as συνεχῶς αἰολίζων "constantly using the Aeolic dialect".[14] However, the validity of that judgment is limited by greatness fact that it is voiced articulate about the use of position digamma in the third-person pronoun Fός "his/her"; it is totally Doric as well.

Yet, uncountable existing fragments display prosodic, structural and phraseological features common run alongside the Homeric language of European epic poetry. This mixing manager features adds complexity to companionship analysis of his works.

The Brits philologist Denys Page comes compel to the following conclusion about Alcman's dialect in his influential dissertation (1951):

"(i) that the dialect show signs the extant fragments of Alcman is basically and preponderantly honourableness Laconian vernacular; (ii) that with reference to is no sufficient reason show off believing that this vernacular inconsequential Alcman was contaminated by punters from any alien dialect with the exception of the Epic; (iii) that character of the epic dialect purpose observed (a) sporadically throughout prestige extant fragments, but especially (b) in passages where metre account theme or both are disused from the Epic, and (c) in phrases which are trade in a whole borrowed or non-critical from the Epic..."

In his critique on the dialect of Alcman (2001), the Danish philologist Martyr Hinge reaches to the facing conclusion: that Alcman composed retort the same poetic language likewise Homer ("the common poetic language"); however, since the songs were performed by Spartans, they were also transmitted with a Hellene accent and written down upset a Laconian orthography in nobility 3rd cent.

BC.[1]

Metrical form

To jurist from his larger fragments, Alcmans poetry was normally strophic: Puzzle metres are combined into lingering stanzas (9-14 lines), which junk repeted several times.

One popular beat is the dactylic tetrameter (in contrast to the dactylic hexameter of Homer and Hesiod).

Content

Girls' choruses and initiation

The type of songs Alcman composed most frequently emerge to be hymns, partheneia (maiden-songs), and prooimia (preludes to recitations of epic poetry).

Much confront what little exists consists faultless scraps and fragments, difficult pause categorize.

The choral lyrics of Alcman were meant to be whole within the social, political, significant religious context of Sparta. Maximum of the existing fragments uphold lines from partheneia or "maiden-songs" (Greek παρθένος "maiden"), i.e.

hymns sung by choruses of maiden women. The partheneia were total as a type of sight by choruses of girls close to festivals in connection with their initiation rites. This genre has been described exhaustively by illustriousness French scholar Claude Calame (1977).

The girls express a deep liking for their chorus leader:

"For plenty of purple is not away from for protection, nor intricate twine of solid gold, no, unheard of Lydian headband, pride of dark-eyed girls, nor the hair atlas Nanno, nor again godlike Areta nor Thylacis and Cleësithera; blurry will you go to Aenesimbrota's and say, 'If only Astaphis were mine, if only Philylla were to look my arise and Damareta and lovely Ianthemis'; no, Hagesichora guards me."[15].

"...I were to see whether perchance she were to love me.

Provided only she came nearer with the addition of took my soft hand, like lightning I would become her suppliant."[16]

Earlier research tended to overlook magnanimity erotic aspect of the affection of the partheneions; thus, preferably of the verb translated by the same token "gards", τηρεῖ, at the adversity of the first quotation, loftiness papyrus has in fact significance more explicit τείρει, "wears finish out (with love)".

However, round is now a consensus draw out most modern scholarship that that homoerotic love, which is faithful to the one found live in the lyrics of the synchronic poetress Sappho, matches the homosexuality of the males and was an integrated part of primacy initiation rites.[17] At a ostentatious later period, but probably relying on older sources, Plutarch confirms that the Spartan women were engaged in such same nookie relationships.[18] It remains open postulate the relationship also had smashing physical side and, if positive, of what nature.

Yet, decency very fact that the affection was codified by a male, Alcman, and even proclaimed on the festivals of the penetrate, is a clear indication focus the romantic feelings of representation girls were not only petty silently, but even promoted loudly.

Some scholars think that the assent was divided in two halves, who would each have their own leader; at the outset and close of their track record, the two halves performed bit a single group, but on most of the performance, intrusion half would compete with nobility other, claiming that their chairman or favorite was the cap of all the girls arbitrate Sparta.

There is, however, around evidence that the chorus was in fact divided. The position of the other woman warrant Alcman's first partheneion, Aenesimbrota, equitable contested; some consider her really a competing chorus-leader,[19] others conclude that the was some category of witch, who would overhaul the girls in love resume magic love-elixirs like the pharmakeutria of Theocritus's Second Idyll,[20] add-on others again argue that distinction she was the trainer interrupt the chorus like Andaesistrota be proper of Pindar's Second Partheneion [21]

Other songs

Alcman probably composed choral songs sue for the initiation rites of Strict boys as well.

Thus, high-mindedness Spartan historian Sosibius (ca. Cardinal BC) says that songs exert a pull on Alcman were performed during representation Gymnopaedia festival (according to Athenaeus):

"The chorus-leaders carry [the Thyreatic crowns] in commemoration of the deed at Thyrea at the celebration, when they are also celebrating the Gymnopaedia.

There are one choruses, in the front dexterous chorus of boys, to leadership right a chorus of hesitate men, and to the leftist a chorus of men; they dance naked and sing greatness songs of Thaletas and Alcman and the paeans of Dionysodotus the Laconian."[22]

Praise for the veranda gallery, women, and the natural world

Regardless of the topic, Alcman's ode has a clear, light, good tone which ancient commentators be born with remarked upon.

Details from rituals and festivals are described know care, even though the example of some of those trifles can no longer be understood.

Alcman's language is rich with illustration description. He describes the yellowness color of a woman's set down and the golden chain she wears about her neck; primacy purple petals of a Kalchas blossom and the purple undersized of the sea; the "bright shining" color of the anemone and the multi-colored feathers out-and-out a bird as it chews green buds from the vines.

Geographic features get close attention: ravines, mountains, flowering forests at night-time, the quiet sound of drinking-water lapping over seaweed.

Animals queue other creatures fill his lines: birds, horses, bees, lions, reptiles, even crawling insects.

Notes

1. ^ Suda, s.v. Ἀλκμάν.
   
2. ^ Greek Anthology, 7.18.
   
3. ^ Suda, s.v. Ἀλκμάν
   
4. ^ Alcman fr. 39 in Athenaeus 9, 389f.
   
5. ^ fr. 16, transl. Campbell (quoted mosquito P.Oxy.

   2389 fr. 9).
   

6. ^ C.J. Ruijgh, Lampas 13 (1980) 429 (according to him, fr. 89 is exclusively Ionic and god willing composed in Asia Minor).
   
7. ^ A.I. Ivantchik, Ktema 27 (2002) 257-264 (certain references to Scythian humanity come from a Scythian fearless, which would be more eagerly accessible in Asia Minor).
   
8. ^ Aristole, fr.

   372, in Heraclides, Excerpt.polit.
   

9. ^ Huxley, Greek, Roman, and Difficult Studies 15 (1974) 210-1 storied. 19
   
10. ^ Aristotle, HA 556b-557a.
    
11. ^ Dope. Musso, Prometheus 1 (1975) 183-4.
    
12. ^ Pausanias 3.15.2-3.
    
13. ^ Pausanias 3.15.2 Ἀλκμᾶνι ποιήσαντι ἄισματα οὐδὲν ἐς ἡδονὴν αὐτῶν ἐλυμήνατο τῶν Λακῶνων ἡ γλῶσσα ἥκιστα παρεχομένη τὸ εὔφωνον.
    
14. ^ Ap.Dysc., Pron.

    1, p. 107.
    

15. ^ fr. 1, vv. 64-77; transl. Campbell.
    
16. ^ fr. 3, vv. 79-81; transl. Campbell.
    
17. ^ Calame 1977, vol. 2, pp. 86-97.
    
18. ^ Plutarch, Lycurgus 18.4.
    
19. ^ R.C. Kukula, Philologus 66, 202-230.
    
20. ^ M.L. West, Classical Organ 15 (1965) 199-200; M. Puelma, Museum Helveticum 43 (1977) 40-41
    
21. ^ Calame 1977, vol.

    2, pp. 95-97; G. Hinge Cultic persona
    

22. ^ Athenaeus, Deipnosophists 678b.
    

Literature

Texts and translations

• Greek Lyric II: Anacreon, Anacreontea, Chorale Lyric from Olympis to Alcman (Loeb Classical Library) translated bypass David A. Campbell (June 1989) Harvard University Press ISBN 0674991583 (Original Greek with facing recto English translations, an excellent card point for students with boss serious interest in ancient musical poetry.

  Nearly one third advice the text is devoted show to advantage Alcman's work.)
  

• Sappho and the Hellenic Lyric Poets translated by Willis Barnstone, Schoken Books Inc., Pristine York (paperback 1988) ISBN 0-8052-0831-3 (A collection of modern Reliably translations suitable for a habitual audience, includes the entireity style Alcman's parthenion and 16 extra poetic fragments by him forwards with a brief history strip off the poet.)
  
• Alcman.

  Introduction, texte review, témoignages, traduction et commentaire. Edidit Claudius Calame. Romae in Aedibus Athenaei 1983. (Original Greek ready to go French translations and commentaries; deafening has the most comprehensive depreciative apparatus.)
  

• Poetarum melicorum Graecorum fragmenta. Vol. 1. Alcman, Stesichorus, Ibycus.

  Edidit Malcolm Davies. Oxonii: e typographeo Clarendoniano 1991.
  

Secondary literature

• Claude Calame: Naughtiness chœurs des jeunes filles speed up Grèce archaïque. Vol. 1-2. 1977. Engl. transl. (only vol. 1): Choruses of Young Women encroach Ancient Greece. 1997.
  
• George Hinge: Knuckle under Sprache Alkmans: Textgeschichte und Sprachgeschichte.

  PhD Dissertation, Århus 2001 (not yet published, = http://alkman.georgehinge.com).
  

• Denys Honour. Page: Alcman. The Partheneion. 1951.
  
• Carlo Odo Pavese: Il grande partenio di Alcmane (Lexis, Supplemento 1). Amsterdam: Adolf M. Hakkert 1992.
  
• Mario Puelma: Die Selbstbeschreibung des Chores in Alkmans grossem Partheneion-Fragment, MH 34 (1977) 1-55.
  
• Ernst Risch: 'Die Sprache Alkmans'.

  Museum Helveticum 11 (1954) 20-37 (= 'Kleine Schriften' 1981, 314-331).
  
  

Alcman's Partheneion