ARCHIL'OCHUS of Palms, in Lydia, flourished about 714-676 'i.e., and is regarded as the first of the Greek lyric poets, although the origin of the elegy is claimed by Cal linus, a writer whose age seems to have slightly preceded that of A. Glimpses of his life, especially of the calamities which befell him, frequently given in his writings.
His father's name was Teiesicles, his mother was a slave calltd Enipo. At an early age, becoming entangled in political contests, he abandoned his native town, and led a col ony of the citizens to Thasos. While here, as lie informs us in some extant verses, be lost his shield in a battle against the Thracians, yet not through cowardice. Subse quently he was banished from Sparta, to which he had gone, some say because he had vindicated his conduct in running away from the tight, others, because of the licentious ness of his verses. He is said to havegained the laurel-wreath at the Olympic games by an ode in honor of Hercules, but this is doubtful. Having returned to Paros, he took part in the war which broke out betwixt it and Naxos, in the course of which he lost his life, either in battle or by assassination. The Delphian oracle pronounced a curse upon his slayer. Variety, novelty, and satirical bitterness characterized his lyric poems; so much so, that "Archilochian bitterness," and " Parian verse," became by-words in ancient-times. He scourged his enemies in the most merciless fashion, and always dis played the most malicious skill in selecting for his sarcasm the points on which they were most sensitive. It is said that Lycambes, who had promised his daughter Neobule in marriage to A., having failed to fulfill the promise, was so severely satirized by the poet, that, to escape ridicule, both father and daughter hanged themselves. Among
the ancients, A. was ranked With Homer. They dedicated the statues of both on the same and placed the head of A. beside. that of Homer on the same bust. It is therefore supposed, and with high probability, that there must have been far more in A. than mere vehemence of satire. Even Plato, who was not likely to arr on the side of admiration in such a case, calls him "the very wise;" and Georgias, the rhetorician, is reported to have said, when Plato sent forth his dialogues against the sophists, "Athens has given birth to a new A." There must have been strong sense, and a keen percep tion of truth in the.man, to have won so universal and permanent a reputation. Still i the line of Horace—who was a vigorous imitator of him in many respects—proves that " rage" was considered " the special faculty" of A.
" Archilochum proprio rabies armarit iambo." Ara Poetica, line 79.
• " Rage hath armed Archilochus with his own iambus." The word iambus was in use before the time of A., and was employed to denote a species of rude raillery, such as flashed out spontaneously under the inspiring excite ment of the Bacchic and other festivals. A. was, however, the first to reduce those irregular and capricious effusions to fixed rules. See IamBICS. The semi-pentameter, of which he made abundant use, was called after him Archilochian verse.
The fragments extant of his poetry have been edited by Bergk in his Poke Lyriei Grecorum (Leipsic, 1843).