Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/256

 420 A N A C R E O N. ANACREON, a Greek poet, born at Teos, a fea-port of Ionia. Madam Dacier endeavours to prove from Plato, that he was a kinfman of Solon's, and confequently allied to the Codridae, the nobleft family in Athens ; but this is not fufficiently fupported. The time when he flourilhed is un- certain ; Eufebius placing it in the 6id, Suidas in the 5id, and Mr. Le Fevre in the 72d Olympiad. He is faid to have fceen about eighteen years of age, when Harpagus, the gene- ral of Cyrus, came with an army againft the confederate ci- ties cf the lonians and jfcolians. The Milefians imme- diately fubmitted themfelves ; but the Phocaeans, when they found themfelves unable to withftand the enemy, chofe ra- ther to abandon their country than their liberty ; and getting a fleet together, tranfported themfelves and families to the coaft of France, where, being hofpitably received by Nannus HenxJotua, the king of the country, they built Marfeilles. The Teians foon followed their example ; for, Harpagus having made himfelf mafter of their walls, they unanimoufly went on board their fhips, and failing to Thrace, fixed themfelves in the city Abdera. They had not been there long, when the Thracians, jealous of their new neighbours, endeavoured to give them difturbance ; and in thefe confli&s it feems to be, that Anacreon loft thofe friends whom he celebrates in his epigrams. This poet had certainly a moft delicate wit, but was certainly too fond of pleafures ? for love and wine had the difpofal of all his hours: Ovid himfelf, though fo great a libertine, cenfures Anacreon for devoting his mufc entirely to Bacchus and Venus : Quid, nifi cum multo Venerem confundere vino, Prsecipitlyrici Teia mufa fenis ? Anacreon left Abdera, and went to the court of Polycrates at Samos, where he was received with great marks of friendfhipj and jt was here he became enamoured with the handfome Bathyllus, whom Horace mentions in the following paflage: Non aliter Samio dicunt arfiile Bathyllo Anacreonta Teium, Qui perfaspe cava teftudine flevit amorem. tpod. xiv. ver. 9. Max. Tyr. He is faid alfo to have loved the fair Cleobulus, whom 11. he na j ijkg to nave kiu^ w h e n a child, in the arms of his nurfe, by rudely running againft her as he reeled one day through the ftreets in liquor; and not content with this, he abufcd the child with icurrilous language. But the nurfe wifhed he might one day commend him as much as he had then