CALLIMACHUS

From Agepedia

CALLIMACHUS, a Greek poet and grammarian, born at Cyrene, in Lybia, of a noble family, flourished under the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, about 250 years before Christ. He opened, in Alexandria. a school of grammar, i. e., of the belleslettres and liberal sciences, and could boast of several scholars of distinguished attainments, such as Eratosthenes, Apollonius Rhodius, Aristophanes of Byzantium* &c. Ptolemy Philadelphus presented him with a place in the museum, and gave him a salary, as he did other men of learning. After the death of Philadelphus, he stood in equal favor with Ptolemy Euergetes. Under these circumstances, he wrote most of his works, the number of which was very considerable. With the exception of some fragments, all that we have of these is 72 epigrams and 6 hymns. His poem on the hair of Berenice {comce Berenices) has been preserved in the Latin translation of Catullus. C.'s poems bear the stamp of their age, which sought to supply the want of natural genius by a great ostentation of learning. Instead of noble, simple grandeur, they exhibit an overcharged style, a false pathos, and a straining after the singular, the antiquated, the learned. His elegies are mentioned by the ancients with great praise, and served Propertius as models. The best edition of C. is by J. A. Ernesti (Leyden, 1761, 2 vols.), which, as well as the edition of Grsevius (Utrecht, 1697, 2 vols.), contains Spanheim's learned commentary. Valckenaer also publi, h ed Elegiarum Fragmenta, by this author (Leyden, 1799).