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Quintus Smyrnaeus (alsoQuintus of Smyrna;Greek:Κόϊντος Σμυρναῖος,Kointos Smyrnaios) was aGreekepicpoet whosePosthomerica, following "after Homer", continues the narration of theTrojan War. The dates of Quintus Smyrnaeus' life and poetry are disputed: by tradition, he is thought to have lived in the latter part of the 4th century AD, but earlier dates have also been proposed.[1]
His epic in fourteen books, known as thePosthomerica, covers the period between the end ofHomer'sIliad and the end of theTrojan War. Its primary importance is as the earliest surviving work to cover this period, the archaic works in theEpic Cycle, which he knew and drew upon, having been lost. His materials are borrowed from the cyclic poems from whichVirgil (with whose works he was probably acquainted) also drew, in particular theAethiopis (Coming of Memnon) and theIliupersis (Destruction of Troy) ofArctinus of Miletus, and theIlias Mikra (Little Iliad) ofLesches.[2] His work is closely modeled on Homer.[3]
The dates of Quintus's life are controversial,[4] but they are traditionally placed in the latter part of the 4th century AD. Way suggests that "His date is approximately settled by two passages in the poem, viz. vi. 531 sqq., in which occurs an illustration drawn from theman-and-beast fights of the amphitheatre, which were suppressed byTheodosius I. (379–395 AD); and xiii. 335 sqq., which contains a prophecy, the special particularity of which, it is maintained by Koechly, limits its applicability to the middle of the fourth century AD."[5]
Some scholars suggest an earlier date in the 3rd or even the 2nd century, arguing that hisPosthomerica shows an influence from the "Second Sophistic", the school of Greek orators who flourished in the 1st and 2nd centuries.[6] According to his own account (xii. 310), he began composing poetry in his early youth while tending sheep near Smyrna (present-dayİzmir).[citation needed]
AChristian poet of the 4th century,Dorotheus, known for his Greek epic poemThe Vision of Dorotheus, has been identified as the son of Quintus Smyrnaeus. At the end of the manuscript of hisVision, he identifies himself as "Dorotheus, son of Quintus the poet". This identification is supported by the facts that there is no other poet Quintus in this period and Dorotheus uses the same Homeric poetic structure as Quintus.[7]
The plot ofPosthomerica begins where Homer'sIliad ends, immediately afterHector's body was regained by the Trojans.[8] The first four books, covering the same ground as theAethiopis ofArctinus of Miletus, describe the doughty deeds and deaths of theAmazonPenthesileia and of Aethiopian kingMemnon, the son of the dawn goddessEos, both slain by Achilles, and the death ofAchilles himself and the funeral games in his honour.
Books five through twelve, covering the same ground as theLittle Iliad ofLesches, span the contest betweenAias andOdysseus for the arms of Achilles, the death of Aias of suicide after his loss, the exploits ofNeoptolemus,Eurypylus andDeiphobus, the deaths ofParis andOenone, and the building of thewooden horse. As well as drawing inspiration from Lesches' work, it is likely that these books gathered source material fromGreek tragedy, such asSophocles' depiction ofAjax.[9]
The remaining books, covering the same ground asArctinus'The Sack of Troy, relate the capture of Troy by means of the wooden horse, the sacrifice ofPolyxena at the grave of Achilles, the departure of the Greeks, and their dispersal by storm.
Theeditio princeps byAldus Manutius waspublished at Venice, 1504 under the titleQuinti Calabri derelictorum ab Homero libri XIV. Aldus calls himQuintus Calabrus, because the only known manuscript of his poem was discovered atOtranto inCalabria byCardinal Bessarion, in 1450. His familiar name was first given him by his editor Lorenz Rhodomann, in 1577, who included a Latin translation byMichael Neander.[10]
There has been a renewed interest in the poet and his poem in the twentieth century, with A. Way's translation (Loeb Classical Library vol. 19, 1913); a new edition of the text with partial commentary and French translation done byFrancis Vian (3 vols. published by Budé, 1963, 1966, 1969); Frederick Combellack's English translation;[11] Alan James and Kevin Lee's detailed commentary on book 5;[12] and Alan James's English translation, with newly edited text and commentary.[13]
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Quintus Smyrnaeus".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 22 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
