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The Elegiac Poems of Callinus


“ Callinus: —

How long will ye lie idle?1 When, young men, will ye show a stout heart? Have ye no shame of your sloth before them that dwell round about you? Purpose ye to sit in peace though the land is full of war?

... and let every man cast his javelin once more as he dies. For 'tis an honourable thing and a glorious to a man to fight the foe for land and children and wedded wife; and death shall befall only when the Fates ordain it. Nay, so soon as war is mingled let each go forward spear in poise and shield before stout heart; for by no means may a man escape death, nay not if he come of immortal lineage. Oftentime, it may be, he returneth safe from the conflict of battle and the thud of spears, and the doom of death cometh upon him at home; yet such is not dear to the people nor regretted, whereas if aught happen to the other sort he is bewailed of small and great. When a brave man dieth the whole people regretteth him, and while he lives he is as good as a demigod; for in their eyes he is a tower, seeing that he doeth single-handed as good work as many together.

CURFRAG.tlg-0243.1
Stobaeus Anthology [in praise of courage]

To Zeus

“ Ephesus used to be called Smyrna, as for instance in a passage of Callinus, who in addressing Zeus2 calls its inhabitants Smyrnaeans:

and have pity on the Smyrnaeans;

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and again

and remember if e'er to Thee fair thighs of oxen [Smyrnaeans have burnt.]3

CURFRAG.tlg-0243.3

Strabo Geography:

4Another and an earlier invasion of the Cimmerians is mentioned by Callinus, where he says:

and now cometh the host of dastardly Cimmerians;

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where he refers to the sack of Sardis.5

Strabo Geography:

“The name of the Trerians, a Thracian people, is given with three syllables in the poet Callinus:

bringing the Trerians6

CURFRAG.tlg-0243.5
Stephanus of Byzantium Lexicon:

1 cf. Corinna 41 ( L.G. iii)

2 or emending the Gk. in his Nome to Zeus

3 supplied by Casaubon

4 cf. Str. 13. 627, Theogn. 113, 603

5 see p. 40

6 see p. 40

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