8&0 
him, fer thus 
‘ er vice of In- 
frenzy. Ovid b 
blending with ! 
toxication : 
Quid nisi cv na confundere 
vino, 
Precepit Ly ~ nis > 
We are infia ced, by Pausa- 
nias,* that as* . as erected, which 
represented kiin in- the habit of a lyrie 
poet, but disgraced by the indecent pos- 
ture of a drunkard. 
~ In writing the life of a poet, so noto- 
rious for his amorous disposition, it might 
be expected, that we should mention 
some of those anecdotes, which the in- 
dustry of former Editors has not only pro- 
mulgated, but discussed. But as they 
are at best very uncertain, and too many 
of them betray the vice which disgraces 
the. memory of Anacreon, no reader, we 
hope, will regret their omission. We 
shall only observe, that it would be ex- 
tremely difficult to clear him of this heavy 
charge, even if his own odes, Tpa@e pos 
Babuaacy érw and 2 was mapbenoy Brcwwr, 
were notin themselves sufficient to con- 
demn biin.¢ Upon the authority of Her- 
mesianax, cited by Athenzus, attempts 
have been made to prove an intercourse 
between him and Sappho; but Athenzus 
himself refutes the story. It is impossi- 
ble. to synchronize these two eminent 
poets, and the airy visions that have been 
founded on this supposed connection, va- 
nish before historical truih.j 
The poetical talents of Anacreon, and 
perhaps a similarity of disposition, had 
cemented a friendship between him and 
Polycrates, the tyrant, or sovereign of 
Samos. It is probable, that, allured by 
the kindness of the Prince, and the splen- 
dour of his court, he was detained there 
during the greater part of the reign of 
Polycrates. And his residence at Samos 
must have been favourable to its. inha- 
bitants; for, by the influence of his ama- 
tory poetry, he‘is said to have restrained 
the severe and crucl temper of Polycrates, 
and softened it into tenderness and be- 
nevolence to his subjects.§ Somewhat 
© Libs 1 
+ Elian. Var. Hist. lib. ix. c. 4. 
{ It is remarkable, that Barnes maintains 
the probability of this connection. Fabricius 
supposes, they might have been cotemporary, 
bet ridicules the amour. Vossius rejects the 
idea entirely, as does Borrichius.—Vide also 
Bayle on this subject. 
§ Maxim. Tyr. § 21. 
2 
Lyceum of Ancient Literature —No. XXIV. [Nov. 1, 
before the remarkable accident,* which 
put an end to the life and authority of 
Polycrates, he was invited to the court 
of Hipparchus, who then governed 
‘Athens with great wisdom and modera-" 
tion, A barge, with fifty oars, was sent 
“to convey him over the Agean Sea. 
Plato, who relates this circumstance, — 
has in another place stiled Anacreon, 
0 copes Avexgéwy, a title, which seems sin- 
gularly bestowed on the Teian bard, unless 
he be supposed to have merited it from 
contempt of wealth and greatness. When 
Hipparchus was slain in the conspiracy 
excited by Harmodius and Aristogiton, 
it is generally supposed, that he returned 
t® Téos, his native city, which was, 
upon the death of Cyrus, restored to its 
former inhabitants. Suidas, indeed, states, 
that he ended his days at Abdera, whi- 
ther he was compelled once more to fly, 
upon a violent commotion breaking out 
at Téos; but this seems uncertain, He 
had attained his 85th year, and has | 
been mentioned by Lucian,t as one ine * 
stance of those who were conspicuous for 
their Longevity. The story of his being 
choaked by a grape-stone is familiar to 
every school-boy, and we only mention 
it here, to observe, that Fabricius has 
cast some doubt uponits truth, ‘ Uve 
passe acino tandem suffocatus,” he says; 
“si credimus Suidam in Osvororns; alii 
enim hoc mortis genere periisse tradant So- 
phoclem.”} Had this anecdote been true, 
his fate would have been, indeed, singu- 
larly emblematic of his disposition. But 
the doubt of Fabricius appears to be 
well founded; for it is not probable, 
that Lucian, who asserts that Sophocles 
was killed by a grape-stone, and nearly in 
the same place mentions the longevity of 
Anacreon, would have omitted mention- 
ing so remarkable a catastophe in both.§ 
Of the works of Anacreon, but a small 
portion has escaped the ravages of time. 
Besides the odes and epigrams which are 
still extant, heis said to have composed © 
elegies, hymns, and iambics. Some 
writers have, indeed, attributed to him 
the invention of the lyre: but this 
would be giving it a more recent, origin 
than it seems fairly entitled to olaim. 
ee 
* Herod. iii. c, 29. oa 
t Luc. Dial. 
} Fabricii Bibliothec. Grec. lib. ii. cap. 15. 
§ There is a pretty epitaph upon Ana- 
creon, alluding to this, by Celius Calcagni- 
nus, and beginning : 
4, te, sancte Senex, acinus sub tartara misit, Sc. 
Without 
