Fr. 2

      ποιμένι μῆλα νέμοντι παρ' ἴχνιον ὀξέος ἵππου

        Ἡσιόδῳ Μουσέων ἑσμὸς ὅτ’ ἠντίασεν

         μ]ὲν οἱ Χάεος γενεσ[

          ]ἐπὶ πτέρνης ὑδα[

5    τεύχων ὡς ἑτέρῳ τις ἑῷ κακὸν ἥπατι τεύχει 

                ]ῶ ζώειν ἄξιον α[ 

          ].εν πάντες σε· τὸ γα[

          ].δε πρήσσειν εὐμα[ 

            ]...ιπὰ ʿ[..].[

 

Fr. 2 Harder (= 2 Pf., = 3 + 4 Mass.)
  1-9 P.Oxy. 2208, [image], Trismegistos 59406
  1-2 Fronto Epist. ad M. Caes. 1, 4, 6
  5 Ael. VH 8, 9

In a dream Callimachus is transported to Mt. Helicon where he meets and converses with the Muses. A scholium mentions that he is "newly bearded" (ἀρτιγένειος), therefore, a young man when this happens. The sequence is an imitation of Hesiod's poetic initiation in the Theogony 22 ff., and was in turn imitated by Ennius and other Roman poets.

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Suggested Citation

Susan Stephens, Callimachus: Aetia. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2015. ISBN: 978-1-947822-07-8.https://dcc.dickinson.edu/tr/callimachus-aetia/book-1/dream