hesiod, the homeric hymns, and homerica-第7章
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upon Mt。 Ida。 A comparison of this work with the Lay of Demodocus （〃Odyssey〃 viii； 266 ff。）； which is superficially similar； will show how far superior is the former in which the goddess is but a victim to forces stronger than herself。 The lines （247…255） in which Aphrodite tells of her humiliation and grief are specially noteworthy。
There are only general indications of date。 The influence of Hesiod is clear； and the hymn has almost certainly been used by the author of the 〃Hymn to Demeter〃； so that the date must lie between these two periods； and the seventh century seems to be the latest date possible。
The 〃Hymn to Dionysus〃 relates how the god was seized by pirates and how with many manifestations of power he avenged himself on them by turning them into dolphins。 The date is widely disputed； for while Ludwich believes it to be a work of the fourth or third century； Allen and Sikes consider a sixth or seventh century date to be possible。 The story is figured in a different form on the reliefs from the choragic monument of Lysicrates； now in the British Museum （17）。
Very different in character is the 〃Hymn to Ares〃； which is Orphic in character。 The writer； after lauding the god by detailing his attributes； prays to be delivered from feebleness and weakness of soul； as also from impulses to wanton and brutal violence。
The only other considerable hymn is that to 〃Pan〃； which describes how he roams hunting among the mountains and thickets and streams； how he makes music at dusk while returning from the chase； and how he joins in dancing with the nymphs who sing the story of his birth。 This； beyond most works of Greek literature； is remarkable for its fresh and spontaneous love of wild natural scenes。
The remaining hymns are mostly of the briefest compass； merely hailing the god to be celebrated and mentioning his chief attributes。 The Hymns to 〃Hermes〃 （xviii）； to the 〃Dioscuri〃 （xvii）； and to 〃Demeter〃 （xiii） are mere abstracts of the longer hymns iv； xxxiii； and ii。
The Epigrams of Homer
The 〃Epigrams of Homer〃 are derived from the pseudo…Herodotean 〃Life of Homer〃； but many of them occur in other documents such as the 〃Contest of Homer and Hesiod〃； or are quoted by various ancient authors。 These poetic fragments clearly antedate the 〃Life〃 itself； which seems to have been so written round them as to supply appropriate occasions for their composition。 Epigram iii on Midas of Larissa was otherwise attributed to Cleobulus of Lindus； one of the Seven Sages； the address to Glaucus （xi） is purely Hesiodic； xiii； according to MM。 Croiset； is a fragment from a gnomic poem。 Epigram xiv is a curious poem attributed on no very obvious grounds to Hesiod by Julius Pollox。 In it the poet invokes Athena to protect certain potters and their craft； if they will； according to promise； give him a reward for his song； if they prove false； malignant gnomes are invoked to wreck the kiln and hurt the potters。
The Burlesque Poems
To Homer were popularly ascribed certain burlesque poems in which Aristotle （〃Poetics〃 iv） saw the germ of comedy。 Most interesting of these； were it extant； would be the 〃Margites〃。 The hero of the epic is at once sciolist and simpleton； ‘knowing many things； but knowing them all badly'。 It is unfortunately impossible to trace the plan of the poem； which presumably detailed the adventures of this unheroic character： the metre used was a curious mixture of hexametric and iambic lines。 The date of such a work cannot be high： Croiset thinks it may belong to the period of Archilochus （c。 650 B。C。）； but it may well be somewhat later。
Another poem； of which we know even less； is the 〃Cercopes〃。 These Cercopes （‘Monkey…Men'） were a pair of malignant dwarfs who went about the world mischief…making。 Their punishment by Heracles is represented on one of the earlier metopes from Selinus。 It would be idle to speculate as to the date of this work。
Finally there is the 〃Battle of the Frogs and Mice〃。 Here is told the story of the quarrel which arose between the two tribes； and how they fought； until Zeus sent crabs to break up the battle。 It is a parody of the warlike epic； but has little in it that is really comic or of literary merit； except perhaps the list of quaint arms assumed by the warriors。 The text of the poem is in a chaotic condition； and there are many interpolations； some of Byzantine date。
Though popularly ascribed to Homer； its real author is said by Suidas to have been Pigres； a Carian； brother of Artemisia； ‘wife of Mausonis'； who distinguished herself at the battle of Salamis。
Suidas is confusing the two Artemisias； but he may be right in attributing the poem to about 480 B。C。
The Contest of Homer and Hesiod
This curious work dates in its present form from the lifetime or shortly after the death of Hadrian； but seems to be based in part on an earlier version by the sophist Alcidamas （c。 400 B。C。）。 Plutarch （〃Conviv。 Sept。 Sap。〃； 40） uses an earlier （or at least a shorter） version than that which we possess （18）。 The extant 〃Contest〃； however； has clearly combined with the original document much other ill…digested matter on the life and descent of Homer； probably drawing on the same general sources as does the Herodotean 〃Life of Homer〃。 Its scope is as follows： 1） the descent （as variously reported） and relative dates of Homer and Hesiod； 2） their poetical contest at Chalcis； 3） the death of Hesiod； 4） the wanderings and fortunes of Homer； with brief notices of the circumstances under which his reputed works were composed； down to the time of his death。
The whole tract is； of course； mere romance； its only values are 1） the insight it give into ancient speculations about Homer； 2） a certain amount of definite information about the Cyclic poems； and 3） the epic fragments included in the stichomythia of the 〃Contest〃 proper； many of which did we possess the clue would have to be referred to poems of the Epic Cycle。
ENDNOTES：
（1） sc。 in Boeotia； Locris and Thessaly： elsewhere the movement was forced and unfruitful。 （2） The extant collection of three poems； 〃Works and Days〃； 〃Theogony〃； and 〃Shield of Heracles〃； which alone have come down to us complete； dates at least from the 4th century A。D。： the title of the Paris Papyrus （Bibl。 Nat。 Suppl。 Gr。 1099） names only these three works。 （3） 〃Der Dialekt des Hesiodes〃； p。 464： examples are AENEMI （W。 and D。 683） and AROMENAI （ib。 22）。 （4） T。W。 Allen suggests that the conjured Delian and Pythian hymns to Apollo （〃Homeric Hymns〃 III） may have suggested this version of the story； the Pythian hymn showing strong continental influence。 （5） She is said to have given birth to the lyrist Stesichorus。 （6） See Kinkel 〃Epic。 Graec。 Frag。〃 i。 158 ff。 （7） See 〃Great Works〃； frag。 2。 （8） 〃Hesiodi Fragmenta〃； pp。 119 f。 （9） Possibly the division of this poem into two books is a division belonging solely to this ‘developed poem'； which may have included in its second part a summary of the Tale of Troy。 （10） Goettling's explanation。 （11） x。 1。 52 （12） Odysseus appears to have been mentioned once only and that casually in the 〃Returns〃。 （13） M。M。 Croiset note that the 〃Aethiopis〃 and the 〃Sack〃 were originally merely parts of one work containing lays （the Amazoneia； Aethiopis； Persis； etc。）； just as the 〃Iliad〃 contained various lays such as the Diomedeia。 （14） No date is assigned to him； but it seems likely that he was either contemporary or slightly earlier than Lesches。 （15） Cp。 Allen and Sikes； 〃Homeric Hymns〃 p。 xv。 In the text I have followed the arrangement of these scholars； numbering the Hymns to Dionysus and to Demeter； I and II respectively： to place 〃Demeter〃 after 〃Hermes〃； and the Hymn to Dionysus at the end of the collection seems to be merely perverse。 （16） 〃Greek Melic Poets〃； p。 165。 （17） This monument was returned to Greece in the 1980's。 DBK。 （18） Cp。 Marckscheffel； 〃Hesiodi fragmenta〃； p。 35。 The papyrus fragment recovered by Petrie （〃Petrie Papyri〃； ed。 Mahaffy； p。 70； No。 xxv。） agrees essentially with the extant document； but differs in numerous minor textu
