Antipater of sidon biography of michael

Antipater of Sidon, who died circa BC, was one of the greatest Greek poets of antiquity. While we know precious little about his life, we do know that he was writing during the second half of the second century BC. Cicero mentioned him living in Rome at the time of Crassus and Catullus, and called him a brilliant epigrammatist, albeit one sometimes too fond of imitation. But if so, what imitations! Fortunately, around 67 of Antipater's poems were preserved in the Greek Anthology, according to the Gow-Page edition. But there seems to have been some confusion in the anthology between Antipater of Sidon and Antipater of Thessalonica, so that number involves some guesswork. The preserved poems include a number of tributary epitaphs and praiseful evocations of art and literature. Antipater is most famously associated with the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which he described in a poem written around BC. But before Antipater praised the Seven Wonders, he praised the best of his peers, and I believe he should be remembered as the Poet of Praise for his tributes to Sappho, Homer, Pindar, Anacreon, Erinna, and other poets…



Mnemosyne was stunned into astonishment when she heard honey-tongued Sappho,
wondering how mortal men merited a tenth Muse.
—Antipater of Sidon, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch



Sappho's specialty was lyric poetry, so-called because it was either recited or sung to the accompaniment of the lyre (a harp-like instrument). "She is a mortal marvel" wrote Antipater of Sidon, before proceeding to catalog the other seven wonders. When her ancient Greek peers nominated Sappho to be the tenth Muse, that was quite a compliment, because the other nine Muses were goddesses!

O ye who ever twine the three-fold thread,
Ye Fates, why number with the silent dead
That mighty songstress whose unrivalled powers
Weave for the Muse a crown of deathless flowers?
—Antipater of Sidon, translated

Capital city of South Governorate, Lebanon

For other uses, see Sidon (disambiguation).

City in South Governorate, Lebanon

Sidon (SY-dən) or better known as Saida (SY-də, SAH-id-ə; Arabic: صيدا, romanized:&#;Ṣaydā) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, to the south, and the Lebanese capital of Beirut, to the north, are both about 40 kilometres (25 miles) away. Sidon has a population of about 80, within the city limits, while its metropolitan area has more than a quarter-million inhabitants.

Etymology

The Phoenician name Ṣīdūn (𐤑𐤃𐤍, ṢDN) probably meant "fishery" or "fishing town". It is mentioned in Papyrus Anastasi I as ḏjdwnꜣ. It appears in Biblical Hebrew as Ṣīḏōn (Hebrew: צִידוֹן) and in Syriac as Ṣidon (ܨܝܕܘܢ). This was Hellenised as Sidṓn (Ancient Greek: Σιδών), which was Latinised as Sidon and entered English in this form. The name appears in Classical Arabic as Ṣaydūn (صَيْدونْ) and in Modern Arabic as Ṣaydā (صَيْدَا).

As a Roman colony, it was notionally refounded and given the formal name Colonia Aurelia Pia Sidon to honour its imperial sponsor.

During the crusades, Sidon was known in Latin as Sagittus and in Old French as Saete, Sayette or Sagette.

In the Book of Genesis, Sidon was the first-born son of Canaan, who was a son of Ham, thereby making Sidon a great-grandson of Noah.

History

Main article: History of Sidon

In antiquity, Sidon held prominence as a significant Phoenician city. Nestled on a mainland promontory and boasting two harbors. Throughout ancient history, Sidon had many conquerors: Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and finally Romans. Under Persian rule, it eclipsed Tyre to become the paramount city in Phoenicia. In the New Testament

Athenian Epitaphs

Athenian Epitaphs
by Michael R. Burch

These are my modern English translations of ancient Greek epitaphs placed on gravestones and monuments by the ancient Greeks in remembrance of their dead.

Mariner, do not ask whose tomb this may be,
but go with good fortune: I wish you a kinder sea.
—Michael R. Burch, after Plato

Does my soul abide in heaven, or hell?
Only the sea gulls
in their high, lonely circuits may tell.
—Michael R. Burch, after Glaucus

Passerby,
Tell the Spartans we lie
Lifeless at Thermopylae:
Dead at their word,
Obedient to their command.
Have they heard?
Do they understand?
—Michael R. Burch, after Simonides

Since I'm dead sea-enclosed Cyzicus shrouds my bones.
Faretheewell, O my adoptive land that suckled and nurtured me;
Once again I take rest at your breast.
—Michael R. Burch, after Erycius

These men earned a crown of imperishable glory,
nor did the maelstrom of death obscure their story.
—Michael R. Burch, after Simonides

He lies in state tonight: great is his Monument!
Yet Ares cares not, neither does War relent.
—Michael R. Burch, after Anacreon

They observed our fearful fetters,
marched to confront the surrounding darkness;
now we gratefully commemorate their excellence.
Bravely, they died for us.
—Michael R. Burch, after Mnasalcas

Be ashamed, O mountains and seas,
that these valorous men lack breath.
Assume, like pale chattels,
an ashen silence at death.
—Michael R. Burch, after Parmenio

Stripped of her stripling, if asked, she'd confess:
"I am now less than nothingness."
—Michael R. Burch, after Diotimus

Blame not the gale, nor the inhospitable sea-gulf, nor friends' tardiness,
mariner! Just man's foolhardiness.
—Michael R. Burch, after Leonidas of Tarentum

Stranger, flee!
But may Fortune grant you all the prosperity
she denied me.
—Michael R. Burch, after Leonidas of Tarentum

I am loyal to you, master, even in the grave:
just as you now are death's slave.
—Michael R. Burch, after Diosc

Athenian Epitaphs
by Michael R. Burch

These are epitaphs placed on gravestones and other monuments by the ancient Greeks in remembrance of their dead.

Mariner, do not ask whose tomb this may be,
but go with good fortune: I wish you a kinder sea.
—Michael R. Burch, after Plato

Does my soul abide in heaven, or hell?
Only the sea gulls
in their high, lonely circuits may tell.
—Michael R. Burch, after Glaucus

Passerby,
Tell the Spartans we lie
Lifeless at Thermopylae:
Dead at their word,
Obedient to their command.
Have they heard?
Do they understand?
—Michael R. Burch, after Simonides

Here I lie with sea-enclosed Cyzicus shrouding my bones.
Faretheewell, O my adoptive land that reared and suckled me;
Once again I take rest at your breast.
—Michael R. Burch, after Erycius

These men earned a crown of imperishable glory,
nor did the maelstrom of death obscure their story.
—Michael R. Burch, after Simonides

Here he lies in state tonight: great is his Monument!
Yet Ares cares not, neither does War relent.
—Michael R. Burch, after Anacreon

They observed our fearful fetters,
marched to confront the surrounding darkness;
now we gratefully commemorate their excellence.
Bravely, they died for us.
—Michael R. Burch, after Mnasalcas

Be ashamed, O mountains and seas,
that these valorous men lack breath.
Assume, like pale chattels, an ashen silence at death.
—Michael R. Burch, after Parmenio

Stripped of her stripling, if asked, she'd confess:
'I am now less than nothingness.'
—Michael R. Burch, after Diotimus

Blame not the gale, nor the inhospitable sea-gulf, nor friends' tardiness,
mariner! Just man's foolhardiness.
—Michael R. Burch, after Leonidas of Tarentum

Stranger, flee!
But may Fortune grant you all the prosperity
she denied me.
—Michael R. Burch, after Leonidas of Tarentum

I am loyal to you, master, even in the grave:
just as you now are death's slave.
—Michael R. Burch, after Dioscorides

Havin