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Chapter Title: CORINNA

Book Title: Woman's Songs in Ancient Greece Book Author(s): ANNE L. KLINCK Published by: McGill-Queen's University Press. (2008) Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt8137f.11

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corinna

Although Sappho is the only woman poet from early Greece who is well known in the modern world, there were others, and may have been many. Then, as now, her reputation surpassed the rest, but it is hard for us to make a judgement about them because so little of their poetry sur- vives. Corinna, who came from Tanagra in Boeotia, is the best repre- sented. Scholars disagree as to whether she was an older contemporary of Pindar in the early fifth century, in accordance with the ancient tradition – according to the Suda, for example, “they say” she defeated Pindar five times in competitions – or a Hellenistic author a couple of hundred years later. The later dating is based on the lack of any reference to her before 50 bce (see Allen and Frel; Snyder, The Woman and the Lyre, 43–4; Campbell, Gk Lyric 4: 1). I am inclined to an early dating for Corinna, because her poetry shows a definite awareness of the female group, both performers and audience, for whom she was composing. Eva Stehle suggests that if her cautionary tales about groups of young women were de- signed for choral performance their message “must have seemed directly applicable to the parthenoi who performed them” (Performance and Gen- der 103–4). In the third century (bce) these sentiments would no longer relate to a performance context and would have to be self-consciously archaizing. Marilyn Skinner, in fact, infers that her “ostensible simplicity” is a “deliberately archaizing stance” (“Homer’s Mother” 108–9 n.23). In one poem (655 PMG) Corinna speaks of adorning old tales for maidens (lines 9–11) and of the Tanagrian women or girls (Tanagridessi) for whom the Muse of choral poetry bids her sing (1–3). With what looks like the socially approved female self-deprecation, she rebukes the woman poet Myrtis for

This content downloaded from 128.95.104.109 on Thu, 15 Apr 2021 18:23:40 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms CORINNA 153 venturing to compete with Pindar (664a PMG); but more assertively she says that she herself praises the noble deeds of both heroes and heroines (664b pmg). Legend has it that she criticized the young Pindar for failing to tell the traditional stories (mythous); when he showed her a poem beginning with a whole catalogue of possible subjects, she laughed and said, “You should sow with the hand, not with the whole sack” (Plutarch, De gloria Atheniensium 4.347f-348a). Testy relations between Pindar and Corinna are also implied by the anecdote that he was so annoyed at being defeated by her in the poetic contests he called her a sow – but this report, from Aelian in the second century ce (Varia historia 13.25), may have been prompted by Pindar’s own words about escaping the insult of being a Boeotian pig (Olympian 6.90). Collectively, these glimpses suggest an independent-minded woman who promoted her own sex and presented something of a challenge to men. However, some of Corinna’s poetry is neither in the female voice nor from a particularly feminine perspective – or so it seems. On closer inspec- tion, a certain feminine irony is detectable. Her account of the singing contest between Mounts Helicon and Cithaeron (654a.i pmg) quotes a song about Zeus, who was saved from his child-devouring “crooked- counselled” father by the superior cunning of his “blessed” mother (lines 12–18). After the gods vote for the winner in the contest, Helicon, the sore loser, flies into a rage and hurls a huge boulder into a myriad pieces (654a.i.31–4). It has been suggested that there is a not-so-veiled reference here to a male poet (i.e., Pindar), who also was a bad loser (see Demand 105). In another poem from the same papyrus (654a.iii), the prophet Acraephen foresees a glorious destiny for the nine daughters of the River Asopus, who have been carried off by gods. Remembering that Alcman narrates male-centered myths mediated through his group of singing maidens, one wonders if such is the case with these fragments of Corinna’s. Is the grandiose style in the “Contest of the Mountains” a parody of heroic poetry? I am not the only one to detect humour here (see Collins 20). Are we to imagine a contrast between huge, clumsy mountains and graceful, slender girls singing about them? And is there “at least a whiff of irony” in the pomposity of Acraephen and Asopus (see Larmour 36)? Would the presence of the girl chorus highlight the beautiful daughters of Asopus and their destiny? We need to think of ways in which presentation by a female chorus might affect the narrative and its moral.

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654a col. i ...... 12 ¼eu ^» ^ ^ ^ ^ ^¼ Kwvrei- te~ e[krou¼yan davqio»n qi¼a`~ brevfo¼~ a[ntroi, laqrav»da¼n ajg- 15 ko¼ulomeivtao Krovnw, ta- nivkav nin klevye mavkhra ïReiva

meg¼avlan tÆ »aj¼qanavtwn e[s- ~¼ e{le timavn: tavdÆ e[melyem: mavkara~ dÆ aujtivka Mwvsh 20 f¼erevmen ya`fon e[»t¼atton kr¼oufivan kavlpida~ ejn crou- sofai`~: tu; dÆ a{ma pavnte»~¼ w\rqen:

plivona~ dÆ ei|le Kiqhrwvn: tavca dÆ ïErma`~ ajnevfan»evn 25 ni¼n ajouvsa~ ejrata;n wJ~ e{¼le nivkan stef»av¼nusin ^ ^ ¼^ ^ atwv^ ^anekovsmion mavka¼re~: tw` de; novo~ gegavqi:

oJ de; lo¼uvphsi kav»q¼ekto~ 30 calep¼h`sin üeli»k¼w;n ej- ^ ^ ^ ^ ¼^ littavda »p¼evtran ^ ^ ^ ^ ¼ken^ dÆ o[»ro¼~: ujktrw`~ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¼wn^ ouJy»ov¼qen ei[ri- sev nin ej¼m mou»ri¼avdessi lavu~: ......

654a col. iii ...... 12 ta`n de; phvdw»n tri`~ m¼e;n e[ci Deuv~ patei;»r pavntw¼n Basileuv~, tri`~ de; povnt»w ga`me¼ mevdwn

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654a col. i

“The Curetes 12 reared the goddess’s divine offspring in a cave, kept secret from crooked-counselled Cronus, 15 when blessed Rhea stole him, and from the immortals he received great honour.” These things he sang. And straightaway the Muses were bidding the blessed gods to bring their secret voting pebbles 20 to gold-shining urns. And they all stood up together.

And Cithaeron received the majority, and quickly Hermes proclaimed him, calling out that he had received 25 lovely victory, and with garlands ... the blessed gods were adorning him, and his heart rejoiced.

But the other, Helicon, overcome with sore resentment ... 30 [took] a smooth rock; and the mountain ... pitiably ... he hurled it from on high into a myriad pieces [traces of about 30 further lines follow 34]

654a col. iii

“Of your daughters, 12 Father Zeus, king of all, has three, and Poseidon, who guards the sea,

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15 P»otidavwn, t¼a`n de; doui`n Fu`bo~ levkt»ra¼ kratouvni, ta;n dÆ i[an Mhv»a~¼ ajgaqo;~ ph`~ ïErma`~: ou{»t¼w ga;r ÒErw~ kh; Kouvpri~ piqevtan, tiw;~ 20 ejn dovmw~ bavnta~ kroufavdan kwvra~ ejnnivÆ eJlevsqh:

thv pokÆ eiJrwvwn genevqlan ejsgennavsonqÆ eiJm»iqiv¼wn ka[ssonqh p»o¼lou»sp¼erive~ 25 tÆ ajgeivrw tÆ ej~ »m¼a»ntos¼ouvnw trivpodo~ w{it» ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¼^

tovde gevra~ k»ekravteicÆ iJw;¼n ej~ penteivko»nta¼ kraterw`n oJmhvmwn pevr»oco¼~ profav- 30 ta~ semnw`n »ajdo¼uvtwn lacw;n ajyeuvdian ÆAk»rh¼feivn:

pravtoi »me;n¼ ga;»r Lat¼oi?da~ dw`kÆ Eujwnouvmoi tripovdwn ejs~ iJw`n »cre¼ismw;~ ejnevpein, 35 to;n dÆ ej~ ga`~ balw;n OuJrieu;~ tima;»n¼ deuvtero~ i[scen,

ph`~ »Pot¼idavwno~: e[pi- tÆ ÆWa»riv¼wn aJmo;~ genevtwr gh`a»n ü¼a;n ajppasavmeno~: 40 cwj me;n wjran»o;¼n ajmfevpi tima;n dÆ »e[llaco¼n ou{tan.

twvnek» ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¼n^ ejnevpw tÆ ajt»r¼evk»ian crei¼smolovgon: tou; dev »nou üi`kev tÆ aj¼qanavtu~

This content downloaded from 128.95.104.109 on Thu, 15 Apr 2021 18:23:40 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms CORINNA 157 wedded three, and Phoebus rules 15 the beds of two of them, and one good Hermes, Maia’s son. For thus Eros and Cypris persuaded them, going into your house secretly 20 to choose nine daughters.

In the future they shall bear the half-divine race of heroes, and they shall be most fertile and unaging. From the oracular 25 tripod ... [I tell you this].

This privilege [only I have gained] out of fifty strong brothers; I, the distinguished prophet Acraephen, obtained the true interpretation 30 of the reverend mysteries.

For first Leto’s son gave to Euonymus the gift of speaking oracles from his tripods, and then Hyrieus cast him from his country 35 and was the second to possess that honoured position, the son of Poseidon. And then Orion my father got back his land, and he dwells in heaven, 40 and [I have now obtained] this honour.

Therefore ... I proclaim an unswerving oracle, so now submit to the immortals

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45 kh; louv» ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^¼ frevna~ dhmovn»essÆ eJkou¼reuvwn.»

w}~ e[fa »mavnti~¼ p»e¼raJgeiv~: to;n dÆ ÆA»swpo;~ ajs¼pasivw~ dexia`~ ej»fayavm¼eno~ 50 davkrouv tÆ »ojktavl¼lwn probal»w;n w|dÆ ajmivy»ato f¼wnh`: ......

655 fr.1 ejpiv me Teryicovra » kala; üeroi`Æ ajisom»evnan Tanagrivdessi le»ukopevplu~ mevga dÆ ejmh`~ gevg»aqe povli~ 5 ligourokw»tiv¼lu»~ ejnoph`~. o{tti ga;r megal ^» yeud» ^¼s ^» ^¼adome» »^ ^¼ ^ w^ gh`an eujrouv»coron lovgia dÆ ejp patevrw»n 10 kosmeivsasa üidio» parq»ev¼nusi kata» po¼lla; me;n Kaf»iso;n iJwvn- gÆ ajrc¼ago;n kovsm»eisa lovgu¼~, polla; dÆ ÆWriv»wna¼ mevgan 15 kh; penteiv»kontÆ¼ ouJyibiva~ ph`da»~ ou}~ nouv¼mfhsi mig»iv¼~ tevketo, kh; ¼ Libouvan k»alavn ^¼ ^» ^ ^¼qhs» üirivw kovran ^» 20 kala; üidei`n ar» g¼h`an a}n tivkt» ^¼ ^tevketo tu» ......

This content downloaded from 128.95.104.109 on Thu, 15 Apr 2021 18:23:40 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms CORINNA 159 and set free your mind, 45 [for you will be father-in-law] to gods.”

Thus spoke the most holy prophet, and Asopus gladly took him by the right hand, shedding a tear from his eyes, 50 thus his voice replied ...... [remaining lines badly damaged]

655 fr. 1 Terpsichore calls upon me to sing good tales for the white-robed women of Tanagra, and the city delights greatly in my clear, beguiling voice. 5 for whatever ... great ... false ...... land of wide dancing-places adorning the tales of my ancestors with my own [?] ... 10 for maidens ...... I ... often celebrating Father Cephisus with my words, often mighty Orion and his fifty powerful sons, 15 whom, in union with the nymphs and lovely Libya he conceived, ... the maiden ... I shall tell ... fair to see 20 earth whom ... conceived ... begat ...

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657 h\ ÿdianekw`~ eu{dei~É ouj ma;n pavro~ h\sqa, Kovrinna

664a mevmfomh de; kh; ligoura;n MourtivdÆ iJwvngÆ o{ti bana; fou`- sÆ e[ba Pindavroi po;t e[rin.

664b iJwvnei dÆ eiJrwvwn ajreta;~ ceijrwavdwn.

674 Qevspia kalligevneqle filovxene mwsofivleite

690 ÒA¼a~ me;n wjkianw` lipw`- sa p»aga;~¼ iJaro;n favo~ selavna~ spavsa »tÆ wjran¼w`: ÓWrh dÆ ej~ Dio;~ ajmbrovtu »nivonq¼h üevaro~ ejn a[nqesin, gevga»qen de; povnu~ po¼du`n coro;~ ajn eJptavpoulon »povlin.

692 fr.2a ¼u parqevnu kovrh» Kafi¼so;n eu[dendron » w¼n ouJpÆ ojmfa`~ kou`fo~ » li¼gou; de; mevlyon»q ^¼ » ¼n filovmolpon ......

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657 Are you still in deep sleep, Corinna? You never used to be.

664a And I blame sweet-voiced Myrtis because, though a woman, she went into competition with Pindar.

664b But I sing the noble deeds of heroes and heroines.

674 Thespia, beautiful in your offspring, welcoming to strangers, haunt of the Muses

690 Dawn, leaving [the springs] of Ocean and drawing from heaven the moon’s holy light. And the hours come, begotten of immortal Zeus among spring flowers. In the work of its feet, the chorus delights throughout Seven-Gated [Thebes].

692 fr. 2a Maiden daughters ... well-wooded Cephisus ... the light ... [foot] along with the voice and they will sing a clear strain ... song-loving ......

notes

Corinna’s poetry is written in a version of the Boeotian dialect, which preserves the digamma (ü, pronounced w). Thus, Mount Helicon

This content downloaded from 128.95.104.109 on Thu, 15 Apr 2021 18:23:40 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms 162 Woman’s Songs in Ancient Greece appears as üelikwvn (welikōn). There are also some distinctive vowels: ei (ei) for Attic h (ē), h for ai (ai), i (i) for e and ei (e, ei), u for oi (oi), w (ō) for ou (ou), oi for w/ (ōi), ou for u.

654a col. i This fragment, from a papyrus of the second century ce, relates the singing contest between Mount Helicon and Mount Cithaeron, personified as minor gods. The immortals vote Cithaeron the winner, whereupon Helicon flies into a rage. Little remains of the first eleven lines. 12: The Curetes are semi-divine martial youths who by their noisy dancing concealed and protected the infant Zeus in Crete when his mother Rhea hid him from his father Cronus, who was swallowing his progeny. 18: The subject of hele, “received” could be either “he,” Zeus, as translated here, or “she,” Rhea. Rayor argues that klepse (line 16) and hele should be understood as grammatically parallel, with Rhea the subject of both (“Korinna” 227).

654a col. iii From the same papyrus as the previous piece, this poem also narrates a mythical event: in this case, the fate of the nine daughters of the river Asopus, nymphs associated with locations in Boeotia. Eros and Aphrodite (Cypris) had persuaded Zeus, Poseidon, Phoebus (Apollo), and Hermes to abduct the girls. As recompense, the maidens will be granted semi-divine status. Lines 1-11 very fragmentary. 12-46: These lines are the words of Acraephen, prophet of Apollo, and one of the fifty sons of Orion, the giant hunter, venerated in Boeotia. Acraephen’s name is suggestive of Acraephia, a Boeotian city. 27, 41, 46: supplemented as in Campbell. The legible text breaks off at the point where Asopus is about to reply.

655 fr. 1 From an Oxyrhynchus papyrus of around 200 ce. Spoken in the voice of the poet or possibly the collective voice of a maiden chorus, this papyrus fragment presents the speaker as a Boeotian from Tanagra proclaiming the legends of her homeland.

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1: Terpsichore, “Delighting in the Chorus,” is the Muse of dance. 2: Weroia is of uncertain meaning; perhaps “tales.” A Roman author mentions it as the title of one of Corinna’s books (Antoninus Liberalis 25; see Page, Corinna 30, 34). 12: Cephisus is the name of a river in Boeotia, here personified. 14: Orion and his sons also figure in the previous fragment. 17-21: Lines 17 and 21 supplemented as in Campbell. Libya is a nymph here.

664a and b, 657, 674 All these fragments are quotations in later authors. The woman poet Myrtis, in 664a, is mentioned by Plutarch and others; see pp. 23 and 152-3, above. Possibly 664a and b are from the same poem; they are quoted (by the grammarian Apollonius Dyscolus) in close proximity. If so, Corinna could be contrasting herself with Myrtis. Hiōnga and hiōngei for Attic egōge, “I, for my part,” and bana for Attic gynē, “woman,” are Boeotian forms. The context for the intriguing Fr. 657, in which someone tells Corinna she is a slug-a-bed, is unknown. Perhaps the speaker is a goddess visiting the poet in her sleep. Thespia, praised in 674, is a town in southern Boeotia, on the eastern side of Mount Helicon, where there was a famous shrine of the Muses.

690, 692 fr. 2a These pieces are both papyrus fragments attributed to unidentified Boeotian authors by PMG. I supplement as in Campbell. Only the second half of 690, after the title “Orestes,” is included here. If it is an account of the well-known son of Agamemnon, this poem is unusual in Corinna’s extant oeuvre, which elsewhere concentrates on local Boeotian characters. However, Orestes is associated with Phocis and Delphi, both near Boeotia. Page suggests that the occasion for this poem was a festival at the Ismenion, a shrine of Apollo in Thebes (Corinna 28). 3: Spasa, “drawing,” as in Campbell; presumably of dawn taking away the moon’s light. 5: Nionthē (supplemented) would be Boeotian for neontai, “come.”

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692 fr. 2a, which seems to describe a maiden chorus, may also be associated with a festival. 2: Kaphison (supplemented), i.e., Cephisus, the Boeotian river.

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