Page:History of the Literature of Ancient Greece (Müller) 2ed.djvu/188

166 1G5 HISTORY OF THE was the expression of individual ideas and sentiments, with warmth and frankness. These sentiments found a natural expression in the native dialect of these poets, the ancient JEolic, which has a character of sim- plicity and fondness ; the epic dialect, the general language of Greek poetry, was only used sparingly, in order to soften and elevate this po- pular dialect. Unhappily the works of these poets were allowed to perish at a time when they had become unintelligible from the singu- larity of their dialect, and the condensation of their thoughts. To this cause, and not to the warmth of their descriptions of the passion of love, is to be attributed the oblivion to which they were consigned. For if lite- rary works had been condemned on moral grounds of this kind, the writings of Martial and Petronius, and many poems of the Anthology, would not exist ; while Alceeus and Sappho would probably be extant. As, however, the productions of these two poets have not been preserved, we must attempt to form as perfect an idea of them as can be obtained from the sources of information which are open to us. § 2. The circumstances of the life of Alceeus are closely connected with the political circumstances of his native city Mytilene, in the island of Lesbos. Alca3us belonged to a noble family, and a great part of his public life was employed in asserting the privileges of his order. These were then endangered by democratic factions, which appear to have placed ambitious men at their head, and to have given them powerful support, as happened about the same time in Peloponnesus. In many cases the demagogues obtained absolute, or (as the Greeks called it) tyrannical power. A tyrant of this kind in Mytilene was Melanchrus, who was opposed by the brothers of Alceeus, Antimenidas and Cicis, in conjunction with Pittacns, the wisest statesman of the time in Lesbos, and was slain by them in the 42d Olympiad, 612 b. c. At this time the Mytileneans were at war with foreign enemies, the Athenians, who, under Phrynon, had conquered and retained possession of Sigeum, a maritime town of Troas. The Mytileneans, among whom was Alcams, were defeated in this war ; but Pittacus slew Phrynon in single combat, Olymp. 43. 3. 606 b. c. Mytilene henceforth was divided into parties, from the heads of which new tyrants arose, such as (according to Strabo) Myrsilus, Megalagyrus, and the Cleanactids. The aristocratic party, to which Alcaeus and Antimenidas belonged, was driven out of Mytilene, and the two brothers then wandered about the world. Alceeus, being exiled, made long sea voyages, which led him to Egypt ; and Antimenidas served in the Babylonian army, probably in the war which Nebuchadnezzar waged in Upper Asia with the Egyptian Pharaoh Necho, and the states of Syria, Phoenicia, and Judaea, in the years from dance round the altar; and dances of this kind were, perhaps, often combined, with the hymns of the «3Misns ; see Anthol. Palat. 1, 189. Anacrton's poems were also tu-.isr by female choruses at nocturnal festivals, according to Crilias ap. Athen. xiii, p. 600 D.