CALLI NUS

Date and Homeland

Ancient sources are unanimous in calling Callinus a c1t1zen of . As will be seen below, he can be dated with confidence to the middle of the 7th century.

Poe tTy

Although we have extant only a 21-line fragment, one hexameter, one pentameter, and two 3-word fragments, it seems that had access to a number of Callinus' poems and used them as historical sources. During much of the 7th century there were wars involving the Greek cities of Asia Minor, the Lydians, and the Cimmerians. The latter came down from the eastern area of the into and then into . Gyges, the Lydian ruler, was at first successful in repelling them but was killed in 652. A few years later, c. 645, when Gyges' son Ardys was on the throne, the Cimmerians captured the Lydian capital except for its citadel (Hdt. 1.15). Callisthenes, as reported by Strabo 13.4.8 (= fr. 5b W.), stated that Sardis was captured twice, first by the Cimmerians and then by the Trerians and Lycians, and that his source was Callinus. If Callisthenes is to be trusted, it seems that Callinus mentioned both the invasion which resulted in Gyges' death and the second invasion during the rule of Gyges' son. The Trerians appear in fr. 4 and according to Strabo 14.1.40 (= fr. 3) the Trerians were a Cimmerian tribe. In the same passage Strabo states that the Trerians destroyed Magnesia and that in the following year the Milesians occupied the territory. Strabo goes on to say that Callinus spoke of the Magnesians as prospering whereas knew of their destruction. He cites Arch. fr. 20 as proof and then uses this as evidence that Callinus is earlier than Archilochus. Such a deduc­ tion is obviously unwarranted, since only a few years might have separated the two poems, and in addition Athenaeus 12.525c cites both Callinus and Archilochus as authorities for the destruction of 100 ELEGY

Magnesia (although here Magnesia's destruction is attributed to the Ephesians). In Callinus' one substantial fragment (fr. 1) the poet is clearly attempting to rouse his countrymen from their inactivity and the reason is sometimes assumed to be the threat of attack by the Cimmerians, whom Callinus explicitly names in fr. 5 (according to Strabo 13.4.8, this fragment refers to the capture of Sardis). An attack did in fact materialize, in the course of which the Cimmerian leader . Lygdamis burned the temple of Artemis in Ephesus. Ephesus and Magnesia, however, were also at war, as Strabo 14.1.40 states, and Strabo adds that Callinus spoke of the Magnesians as having the upper hand. The Cimmerians and the Magnesians, therefore, have an equal claim to be the cause of Callinus' exhortations to stand firm against the imminent danger. Fr. 1 is an example of a type of elegy which we will encounter several times in and probably also in (fr. 14) and Solon (frr. 1-3), namely, a poet's appeal to his countrymen to be unflinching in battle, to display the utmost courage and heroism. It is particularly instructive to compare Callinus with his contem­ porary Tyrtaeus. In general terms their appeals and exhortations are similar, but Callinus is clearly the superior poet. We find a greater use of enjambement, a more varied sentence-structure, and smoother transitions than in Tyrtaeus. Although fr. 1 is replete with epic words and phrases, it is no mere pastiche of . Many of the words are used in combinations not found in Homer and references to Homeric passages are often allusive rather than direct. Another difference from Homer is the emphasis on fighting and dying for one's fellow citizens and family rather than for personal glory. The tactics, however, do not seem to differ from those in Homer. There is no suggestion of fighting as a group, but rather of individual heroism.l It seems probable in view of the opening Ka'tci KEt

1 On the style of fr. 1 see Adkins, Poetic Craft 55-56, and on the battle tactics see J. Latacz, Kampfpariinese, Kampfdarstell·ung und Kmnpfwirklichke-i.t in der !lias, bei Kallinos und Tyrtaios (Munich 1977).