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EPIC
CYCLE
THE
EXPEDITION OF AMPHIARAUS
1.
Pseudo-Herodotus, Life of Homer:
Sitting
there in the tanner's yard, Homer recited his poetry to them,
the Expedition of Amphiarus to Thebes and the Hymns to the Gods
composed by him.
THE TAKING OF OECHALIA
1.
Eustathius, 330. 41:
An
account has there been given of Eurytus and his daughter Iole,
for whose sake Heracles sacked Oechalia. Homer also seems to have
written on this subject, as that historian shows who relates that
Creophylus of Samos once had Homer for his guest and for a reward
received the attribution of the poem which they call the Taking
of Oechalia. Some, however, assert the opposite; that Creophylus
wrote the poem, and that Homer lent his name in return for his
entertainment. And so Callimachus writes: "I am the work
of that Samian who once received divine Homer in his house. I
sing of Eurytus and all his woes and of golden-haired Ioleia,
and am reputed one of Homer's works. Dear Heaven! how great an
honour this for Creophylus!"
2.
Cramer, Anec. Oxon. i. 327:
"Ragged
garments, even those which now you see." This verse (Odyssey
xiv. 343) we shall also find in the Taking of Oechalia.
3.
Scholaist on Sophocles Trach., 266:
There
is a disagreement as to the number of the sons of Eurytus. For
Hesiod says Eurytus and Antioche had as many as four sons; but
Creophylus says two.
4.
Scholiast on Euripides Medea, 273:
Didymus
contrasts the following account given by Creophylus, which is
as follows: while Medea was living in Corinth, she poisoned Creon,
who was ruler of the city at that time, and because she feared
his friends and kinsfolk, fled to Athens. However, since her sons
were too young to go along with her, she left them at the altar
of Hera Acraea, thinking that their father would see to their
safety. But the relatives of Creon killed them and spread the
story that Medea had killed her own children as well as Creon.
THE
PHOCAIS
1.
Pseudo-Herodotus, Life of Homer:
While
living with Thestorides, Homer composed the Lesser Iliad and the
Phocais; though the Phocaeans say that he composed the latter
among them.
THE
MARGITES
1.
Suidas, s.v. Pigres:
A
Carian of Halicarnassus and brother of Artemisia, wife of Mausolus,
who distinguished herself in war... He also wrote the Margites
attributed to Homer and the Battle of the Frogs and Mice.
This
Artemisia, who distinguished herself at the battle of Salamis
(Herodotus, vii. 99) is here confused with the later Artemisia,
the wife of Mausolus, who died 350 B.C.
2.
Atilius Fortunatianus, p. 286, Keil:
"There
came to Colophon an old man and divine singer, a servant of the
Muses and of far-shooting Apollo. In his dear hands he held a
sweet-toned lyre."
3.
Plato, Alcib. ii. p. 147 A:
"He
knew many things but knew all badly..."
Aristotle,
Nic. Eth. vi. 7, 1141:
"The
gods had taught him neither to dig nor to plough, nor any other
skill; he failed in every craft."
4.
Scholiast on Aeschines in Ctes., sec. 160:
He refers to Margites, a man who, though well grown up, did not
know whether it was his father or his mother who gave him birth,
and would not lie with his wife, saying that he was afraid she
might give a bad account of him to her mother.
5.
Zenobius, v. 68:
"The fox knows many a wile; but the hedge-hog's one trick
can beat them all."
Attributed
by Bergk to the Margites.
THE
CERCOPES
1.
Suidas, s.v. Cercopes:
These
were two brothers living upon the earth who practised every kind
of knavery. They were called Cercopes ['monkey-men'] because of
their cunning doings: one of them was named Passalus and the other
Acmon. Their mother, a daughter of Memnon, seeing their tricks,
told them to keep clear of Black-bottom, that is, of Heracles.
These Cercopes were sons of Theia and Ocean, and are said to have
been turned to stone for trying to deceive Zeus. "Liars and
cheats, skilled in deeds irremediable, accomplished knaves. Far
over the world they roamed deceiving men as they wandered continually."
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