Parthenius of Nicaea facts for kids
Parthenius of Nicaea (also known as Parthenius of Myrlea) was an ancient Greek scholar and poet. He came from a region called Bithynia.
He was captured during the Mithridatic Wars and taken to Rome in 66 BC. Later, he traveled to Neapolis (which is now Naples, Italy). There, he taught the Greek language to the famous Roman poet, Virgil. Parthenius is believed to have lived until the year 14 AD.
Parthenius wrote many different kinds of poems. He was known for writing elegies, which are sad poems, especially dirges, which are poems for the dead. He also wrote shorter epic poems, which tell stories of heroes. Some people called him "the last of the Alexandrians," referring to a group of scholars and poets from the ancient city of Alexandria.
What Parthenius Wrote
Parthenius was most famous for his poems, not his other writings. Here are some of the poems he wrote:
- Arete
- Dirge on Archelais
- Aphrodite
- Bias
- Delos
- Krinagoras
- Leucadiai
- Anthippe
- Dirge on Auxithemis
- Idolophanes
- Herakles
- Iphiklos
- Metamorphoses
- Propemptikon
- A Greek original of Moretum
How His Work Survived
Parthenius is special because his writings survived in only one ancient book. This book is called Palatinus Heidelbergensis graecus 398. It was probably written around the middle of the 800s AD. This single book contains many different types of writings, including geography, parts of other ancient texts, and stories about myths.
See also
- Lyrcus
