Archilochus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Archilochus
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Bust of a bearded man (Archilochus?). Roman copy (c. 2nd century BC) of Greek original (4th century BC)
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| Native name |
Ἀρχίλοχος
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| Born | c. 680 BC Paros |
| Died | c. 645 BC Paros |
| Occupation | Poet |
Archilochus (Greek: Ἀρχίλοχος Arkhílokhos; around 680 – 645 BC) was an ancient Greek lyric poet. He came from the island of Paros during a time called the Archaic period. He is well-known for his special way of using different rhythms in his poems. Archilochus was also one of the first Greek writers to share his own feelings and life experiences in his poetry.
Archilochus's Life Story
We know a lot about Archilochus's life from his poems, what other ancient writers said, and even old stone carvings. But we should remember that some of this information might not be completely accurate.
Many ancient writers like Tatian and Plutarch wrote about Archilochus. He was born into an important family on Paros. Some stories say his mother was a slave, but this is probably not true. It might have come from people misunderstanding his poems. Archaeology, which is the study of old things, shows that Paros was a rich island back then. Even though Archilochus often wrote about the tough life of a soldier, fighting was usually done by important families in his time. He likely didn't fight just for money.
Archilochus moved to Thasos, an island where people from Paros had started a new settlement. There, he fought against the local Thracian people. In his poems, he sometimes sounded like a tough soldier who didn't really love the place he was fighting for. He even called Thasos a "thrice miserable city."
Later, he went back to Paros. He joined the fight against the nearby island of Naxos. A Naxian warrior named Calondas killed Archilochus. The ancient stories say that the gods punished Calondas for this. When he went to the temple of Apollo at Delphi to ask for advice, the oracle told him: "You killed the servant of the Muses; depart from the temple." The Muses were goddesses of art and poetry.
Archilochus's Poetry
Before Archilochus, the most common type of Greek poetry was epic poems, like those by Homer. These poems used a specific rhythm called hexameter. While Homer didn't invent this rhythm, Archilochus helped make other types of poetry popular. Ancient scholars believed he invented elegy (a type of sad poem) and iambic poetry (poems with a specific rhythm that sounds like everyday speech). He probably built on older folk songs, turning them into important literary works.
Scholars in ancient Alexandria listed Archilochus as one of the most important iambic poets. Many poets, even up to Roman times, copied his style. Three famous poets – Alcaeus, Anacreon, and Horace – later wrote about throwing away their shields, just like Archilochus did in one of his famous lines. This showed they were willing to run away from battle rather than die, which was a very unusual and honest thing to say back then.
Archilochus's Writing Style
Like other ancient Greek poets, Archilochus often used language similar to Homer's, especially when writing in the same rhythms. But even in other types of poems, you can see Homer's influence.
Archilochus was known for writing about his own feelings and experiences, which was new for his time. He often wrote about tough situations, but also about finding joy. Here is an example of his emotional style:
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θυμέ, θύμ᾽ ἀμηχάνοισι κήδεσιν κυκώμενε, |
My Soul, my Soul, all disturbed by sorrows unconsolable, |
See also
In Spanish: Arquíloco para niños
