Source edition
Callimachus. Callimachus and Lycophron. Mair, A. W., Mair, G. R., editors. London: William Heinemann, 1921.
Source data
Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
Aetia ("Causes") by Callimachus is an elegiac poem in four books that explores the historical and mythological origins (aetia) of various rituals, customs, names, and myths of the ancient Greek world. The work is framed by a dream in which the poet is transported to Mount Helicon to converse with the Muses, who answer his inquiries about these origins. It begins with a famous prologue declaring the poet's refined aesthetic principles, which is followed by diverse episodes, including a dialogue at an Egyptian banquet regarding the rituals of Icos and the famous love story of Acontius and Cydippe linked to the history of Ceos. Guided by the conviction that while material pleasures perish, the knowledge preserved in poetry endures forever, the work masterfully weaves together local legends, royal panegyrics, and scholarly erudition.