Page:History of the Literature of Ancient Greece (Müller) 2ed.djvu/228

206 206 HISTORY OF THE conjectured that this doubt arose from the works of these two poets being united in the same collection, like those of Hipponax and Ananius, or of Simonides and Bacchylides ; but their works would not have been so united by the ancient editors if there had not been a close affinity between them. The metres oflbycus also resemble those of Stesicho- rus, being in general dactylic series, connected together into verses ot different lengths, but sometimes so long, that they are rather to be called systems than verses. Besides these, Ibycus frequently uses logaoedic verses of a soft or languid character : and in general his rhythms are less stately and dignified, and more suited to the expression of passion, than those of Stesichorus. Hence the effeminate poet Aga- thon is represented by Aristophanes as appealing to Ibycus with Ana- creon and Alcseus, who had made music more sweet, and worn many- coloured fillets (in the oriental fashion), and had led the wanton Ionic dance *. § 9. The subjects of the poems of Ibycus appear also to have a strong affinity with those of the poems of Stesichorus. For although no poems with such names as Cycnus or the Orestea are attributed to Ibycus ; yet so many peculiar accounts of mythological stories, espe- cially relating to the heroic period, are cited from his poems, that it seems as if he too had written long poems on the Trojan war, the ex- pedition of the Argonauts, and other similar subjects. That, like Stesichorus, he dwelt upon the marvellous in the heroic mythology, is proved by a fragment in which Hercules is introduced as saying: " I also slew the youths on white horses, the sons of Molione, the twins with like heads and connected limbs, both born in the silver egg t." The erotic poetry of Ibycus is however more celebrated. We know that it consisted of odes to youths, and that these breathed a fervour of passion far exceeding that expressed in any similar productions of Greek literature. Doubtless the poet gave utterance to his own feel- ings in these odes ; as indeed appears from the extant fragments. Nevertheless the length of the strophes and the artificial structure of the verses prove that these odes were performed by choruses. Birth- days or other family festivals or distinctions in the gymnasia may have afforded the poet an opportunity of coming with a chorus into the court-yard of the house, and offering his congratulations in the most imposing and brilliant manner. The occasions of these poetical con- gratulations were doubtless the same as those which gave rise to the painted vases in Magna Graecia, with the inscription " the boy is beau- tiful" (jcakbg 6 7raTe), and scenes from gymnastic exercises and social life. But that in the poems of Ibycus, as well as of Pindar, the Vratislav. ad Pind. 01. ix. 128. (oi vifi "Ifiuxov y.x) 2tw/;&»£«v), Etymol. Gud. in «Tsj««, p. 98. 31. f Ap. Athen. p. 57 F. (Fr. 27. coll. Schneidewin).
 * Thesm. 161.