Description
This essay provides a detailed analysis of the life and work of Simonides, a renowned ancient Greek lyric poet. The author reviews documentary evidence to determine the poet's chronological and geographical background, career highlights, and relationships with patrons and fellow poets.
In his examination of the public life and poetical career of Simonides, Molyneux has provided a thorough examination of all the documentary evidence available with respect to one of history's major choral lyric poets. He offers a judicious assessment of the evidence for dating of events and poetry in the various stages of Simonides' career. In analyzing this information, Prof. Molyneux considers the occasion and date of Simonides' poems; the dates of his association with various patrons; his whereabouts and movements at various stages of his poetic career; and his relationship with the communities, governments, or individuals for whom he wrote.