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
This collection of Iambs by the prominent Hellenistic scholar-poet Callimachus comprises a series of poems utilizing diverse themes and meters for satirical and moralizing purposes. The work opens with the ancient satirist Hipponax returning from the underworld to address the scholars of Alexandria, introducing fables such as the rotating golden cup of the Seven Sages and the dispute between the Laurel and the Olive. As the poems progress, interspersed with mythological, geographical, and grammatical explanations, the poet declares his artistic conviction not to treat the Muses as mere tools for financial gain. The verses also explore moral and intellectual reflections, including critiques of theatrical bombast, the pursuit of curiosity, and warnings against self-destructive passions using the metaphor of a chariot race. Through witty dialogues and invocations to various deities, the work satirizes human follies while maintaining a pursuit of refined erudition and poetic truth.