Anacreon

Anacreon was an ancient Greek lyric poet who wrote in the Ionic dialect. He was born around 582 BCE in Teos, Ionia (now Siğacık, Turkey) and died around 485 BCE. Anacreon wrote drinking songs and erotic poems, and later Greeks included him in the canonical list of Nine Lyric Poets. Only fragments of his verse have survived. The edition of Anacreon’s poetry known to later generations was probably prepared in Alexandria by Aristarchus in the 2nd century BCE and divided into 9 or 10 books on the basis of metrical forms. Anacreon’s verses were primarily in the form of monody rather than for a chorus. In keeping with Greek poetic tradition, his poetry relied on the meter for its construction. Anacreon used various meters, such as the anacreontic meter (a type of lyric meter), the iambic, the trochaic, and the dactylic. He also employed the Sapphic stanza, named after the poet Sappho, who was his contemporary and possibly his acquaintance. Anacreon’s poetry touched on universal themes of love, infatuation, disappointment, revelry, parties, festivals and the observations of everyday people and life. He often used humorous and witty language to express his feelings and views. He also invoked the gods and goddesses of wine, beauty, and love, such as Dionysus, Aphrodite, and Eros. He was especially fond of using the imagery of roses, garlands, and wine cups. Some of his poems are addressed to his friends and fellow poets, such as Polycrates, Simonides, and Ananius. Anacreon was also influential on later Greek and Roman poets, such as Horace, Catullus, and Ovid, who imitated his style and themes. His poems were also translated and adapted by many European poets, such as Ronsard, Herrick, and Byron. Anacreon’s life and poetry were full of joy and charm, and he remains one of the most celebrated and beloved of the ancient Greek poets.