Bacchilides

Bacchilides was born in the city of Ioulida , on the island of Keos , near the coast of Attica ^[1] .

Bacchilides is the nephew of the famous poet Simonides of Keossky , who may have taught him the rules for composing choral songs and, of course, had a significant influence on his nephew. Bacchilidae should also be considered as the successor of Stesichorus (who turned the mythological tale into one of the most essential components of choral lyricism).

Bacchilides is a younger contemporary of Pindar . It appears from the texts of Vakhilid that, as a poet, he often turned out to be a rival to Pindar in competitions — in Athens , in Macedonia , in Sicily , in Thessaly , in Aegina . Bakhilid wrote for representatives of the powerful Thessalian genera, for Alexander I - the king of Macedonia, for Hieron I - the tyrant of Syracuse , also for the genera in Athens, on Keos, on Aegina. For the Athenian and Keoan clans, praises were written by Bacchilides, which are considered an important stage in the development of this genre.

Bacilides made several journeys; most likely to travel to Sicily to the court of Hieron, where he lived, probably with his uncle. It is reported that at the end of his life Bacchilides, sentenced to exile, moved to the Peloponnese .

In the Hellenistic period, the work of Bacchilides was divided into 9 books according to genres:

1. Hymns ( ὕμνοί );
2. Peans ( παιάνε );
3. The praises ( δῑθύραμβοί ; preserved 6, some spoiled);
4. Prosody ( προσῳδίαι ; "songs for the processions");
5. Parthenia ( παρθένεια ; "songs for virgins");
6. Hyporhemas ( ὑπορχήματα ; "songs for dancing");
7. Encomy ( ἐγκώμια ; praise songs) or Scolia ( σκολια ; drinking songs);
8. Epinikia ( ἐπινίκια ; solemn triumphant odes; 14 preserved, some spoiled);
9. Erotica ( ἐρωτικά ; love songs).

The last surviving song dates back to 452 BC. er

Until the end of the XIX century. Bakhilid was known only by quotations from other authors (fragments of table and love poetry) collected by Neya, Schneydevin and Bergk in the collection “Greek Lyric Poets” (Vol. 3, Berlin, 1923). In 1896, the British Museum bought 2 papyrus scrolls found in Egypt , containing the epinicia and the praises of Bacchilides (15 epinicles and 6 dithyrambs; published by the English scientist Kenyon in 1897). In the XX century. New fragments of papyrus were found. Thanks to these sources, the work of Bacchilus today seems quite good; best of all - epinikii and praises. The epigrams surviving under his name are probably not genuine.

Epinikia Vakhilida based on the same rules as the work of Pindar, from which they, however, differ in character. Bacchilida is not peculiar to the scope of Pindar's thought; it is focused on details, on the thoroughness of processing, and on the whole he writes more clearly and simply Pindar. Without shining with original and bold metaphors and without reaching that severe elevation peculiar to Pindar, the texts of Wakhilid are simpler and full of genuinely Ionian grace; They were mainly famous for the subtlety of the form, the transparency of the language, the plasticity of the images.

Bacchilides praise the recipients of their songs and reward them with exquisite compliments. The narrative parts of the Bacchilian texts (where scenes from the life of gods and heroes are represented) are beautiful, poetic, full of dramatic tension, even pathos . The lush style inherent in choral lyrics is created by Bakhilid by grouping epithets around one noun. Despite its simplicity, the use of complex adjectives, many of which were neologous , is characteristic of Bacchilides .

The recognized success of Vakhilid in this genre is an order to mark the victory of the chariot of Hieron of Syracuse at the Olympic Games 468 BC. er It is reported that this epinician caused Pindar’s disappointment with some of his works - in the previous odes written for Hieron, Pindar failed to deal with the customer's physical and political weaknesses as delicately as Bakhilid.

Above the epinikiev are the praises, which are purely mythological narrations in the lyric-epic style. The heyday of the V drama . BC er in Bacchilides, he caused a greater dramatization of the lyricism, especially of the dithyramb (Bacchus song, originally connected with the cult of Dionysus , which was then kept in a dramatized form) than of Pindar.

Bakhilid used less well-known versions of myths, often referring to the Attic tradition (the myths of Bakhilid are much closer to the epic than the lyrics of Pindar). In this respect, the Theseus ' dithyramb ( Θησεύς ), which has the form of a dialogue between the king of Athens Aegeus and the choir, is most interesting.

Dithyramb is considered as an element of the transition from choral song to drama and is important for studying the formation of the ancient tragedy . However, since Vakhilid worked already in the period of the full bloom of tragedy, it should be assumed that it was under the influence of tragedy that he gave Theseus such form.

Of the other surviving texts of Bacchilide, the scolion, written for Alexander I, which skillfully conveys the atmosphere of a feast and a slight drunkenness, deserves attention.

In Alexandria, Bakhilid was counted among the canons of 9 lyricists, and his works were collected and published (2nd century BC). Also, many texts were written comments. The greatest influence of creativity Bacchil is in Theocritus . In later epochs, in the works of Bacchilide, they sought not so much poetic heights as mythological, geographical, and other information.

Ancient theorists of literature had a non-exclusive opinion about him; for example, the author of the treatise On the Sublime, Pseudo-Longin , speaks highly of the grace of Bakhilid, but still prefers the “sudden and unpredictable brilliance” of Pindar. In general, it was believed that Bacchilides are not inferior in terms of versatility, for example, neither Simonides nor Pindar, but they are incomparable in scale and strength.

However, Bacchilides (who was considered a “light” poet) were read for a long time; in Rome, Horace was most interested in Bacchilides; Bacchilidaus was known by Julian the Apostate , after which the name of the poet was no longer mentioned, and the works were gone.

Bibliography

• Lyrics of ancient Hellas: Translations of Russian poets / Comp. and comments. I. Golosovker. - M. —L .: Academia, 1935. - 244 p.
• Greek literature in selected translations / Comp. V. Nilender. - M .: Soviet writer, 1939. - 620 p.
• Pindar Bacchilides Odes. Fragments / Ed. under M. Gasparov; rep. ed. F. Petrovsky. - M .: Science, 1980. - 504 p. - (Literary monuments).
• Edition of the Collection Budé series: Bacchylide . Dithyrambes. - Epinicies. - Fragments. Texte établi par J. Irigoin, traduit par J. Duchemin et L. Bardollet. 2e tirage 2002. LVI, 280 p. ISBN 978-2-251-00430-3

• Antique writers: Dictionary. - SPb .: Lan, 1999.
• Bacchilide // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : 86 t. (82 t. And 4 add.). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• M. Gasparov. Ancient Greek Choral Lyrics // Pindar. Bacchilides Odes. Fragments / Ed. under M. Gasparov; rep. ed. F. Petrovsky. - M .: Science, 1980. - p. 331-360. - 504 s. - (Literary monuments).
• N. Greenbaum. Language of the Ancient Greek Choral Lyric: (Alkman, Stesichor, Simonides, Vakhilid). - Tb .: Publishing house Tbil. Un-ta, 1986.
• Zelinsky F. , Vakhilid, [his odes and ballads]. // From the life of ideas. - 2 ed. - SPb., 1908.
• Farmakovsky V. , Vakhilid and Attic Art of the 5th century, // Journal of the Ministry of Public Education. - 1898. - P. 316.
• Barrett, WS, Greek Lyric, Tragedy, and Textual Criticism: ML West (Oxford & New York, 2007).
• David Fearn, Bacchylides: Politics, Performance, Poetic Tradition (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2007) (Oxford Classical Monographs).

• Works (Greek and English)
• Bachilid's Selected Poems
• NOVEMLYRICI.NET, a website about the Nine Lyrics