the Text of her Author, we must rather commend the Lady's Zeal, than subscribe to her Interpretation. The Time in which he flourish'd, is also a Matter of Dispute amongst the Learned. Suidas fixes on the 52d, and Eufebius on the 62d Olympiad; whom others, either follow, or diffent from, according to their different Fancies. The Truth is, there is no Exactnefs in the Chronology of the Greeks for the Times preceding the Rife of the Perfian Empire; it was not till long after, that they began to reckon by Olympiads: Whence it is that we meet with fo much Uncertainty and Contradiction in their Account of things before that Period. As to our prefent Enquiry, Barnes's Calculation feems as correct as any, which makes The Paffage is in Plato's Dialogue of Temperance, entitled, Charmides ; Socrates fpeaks, او αν Καὶ γδ, ιὦ δ ̓ ἐγὼ καὶ δίκαιον, ὦ Χαρμίδη, διαφέρειν σὲ ἢ ἄλλων, πᾶσι τοῖς τοιέτοις· Οὐ γδ οἶμαι, ἄλλον ἐδένα δ ἐνθάδε ραδίως ἂν ἔχειν ἐπιδείξαι, ποῖαι δύο οικίαι συνελθέσαι εἰς ταυτὸν ̓Αθωαίων, ἐκ τ ἐκς των, καλλίω ἂν καὶ ἀμείνω γεννήσειαν, ἢ ἐξ ὧν σὺ γέγονας· ἦτε 8 πατρώα ὑμῖν οἰκία ἡ Κατίν ο Δρωπίδι καὶ ὑπὸ ̓ΑνακρέοντΘ, καὶ ὑπὸ ΣόλωνΘ, καὶ ὑπ ̓ ἄλλων πολλῶν ποιητη εγκεκωμιασμύη, προδίδο ἡμῖν, ὡς διαφέρεσα κάλλει τὲ κὶ ἀρετῆ, καὶ τῇ ἄλλῳ λεγομβύη Αδαιμονίᾳ καὶ αὖ ἡ πρὸς μητρὸς ὡσαύτως. Ana Anacreon born on the Second Year of the 55th Olympiad, and the Twenty-ninth before the Death of Cyrus. Agreeable to this Account, our Author was about Eighteen Years of Age when Harpagus, the General of Cyrus, came with an Army against the confederate Cities of the Ionians and Eolians. The Milefians immediately fubmitted themselves; but the Phocæans, a brave People, finding they were too weak to withstand the Enemy, rather chofe to abandon their Country, than their Liberty, and getting a Fleet together, tranfported themselves and Families to the Coaft of France; where being hofpitably receiv'd by Nannus, the King of the Country, they built Marseilles. For it must be observ'd, that the Perfians had no Skill in Maritime Affairs as yet, neither had they any Alliance with the Phenicians, who, except the Greeks, were at that time esteem'd the only powerful Nation, at Sea, in the World. The Teians foon follow'd this generous Example, as Herodotus informs us; for Harpagus having made himself Mafter of their Walls, by the Advantage of his EarthWorks, they unanimously went on board * Τοῖσι ἢ αὐτέων νησιώτησι μ δεινὸν ἐδέν· ἔτε γ Φοίνικες ἦσαν κω Περσέων κατήκοοι, ἔτε αὐτοὶ οἱ Πέρα a raus. Herod. L. 1. their Ships, and failing into Thrace, fix'd themselves in the City Abdera; where they had not been long, before the Thracians, jealous of their new Neighbours, endeavour'd to give them Disturbance: And in these ConAlicts, it seems to be, that Anacreon loft thofe of his Friends whom he celebrates in his Epigrams. It was alfo in this Place that he compos'd his 59th Ode, which, by the Mnδὲν εἰδέναι σοφόν, one may conjecture to be wrote whilst he was ftill very young. From hence he took a Voyage to the Court of Polycrates, Tyrant of Samos, at that time, thro' the Politeness and Good Fortune of its Prince, one of the gayest and moft flourishing in Afia. A Perfon of Anacreon's Character, could not chufe but meet with a welcome Reception, wherever Wit and Pleasure were esteem'd; and accordingly, we find by the Ancients, that he was fo highly honour'd by Polycrates, as not only to be admitted a Partner of his Friendship, but even of his moft fecret Counfels. It was here he became enamour'd of the beautiful Bathyllus, whofe Picture he has fo finely drawn in his 29th Ode; as also of another Youth nam'd Smerdias, who, * Maximus Tyrius tells us, was the Son of a Thracian Prince, and prefented to Polycrates by fome Grecian Pirates. Elian reports, that Po Cap. X. Var. Hift. L. 9. C. 4. lycrates lycrates was fo jealous of this last Amour, as to order the Boy to be fhav'd; and that Anacreon compos'd an elegant Poem upon the Occafion, tho' we have nothing now, but the Remembrance of it, remaining. If we may believe ‡ Stobaus, he was no lefs a Philofopher in his Contempt of Riches, than he was a Poet in his Love of Pleasures. That Author relates, that Anacreon having receiv'd Five Talents of Gold from Polycrates, could not fleep for two Nights fucceffively; upon which he return'd the Treafure, telling his Patron, that however confiderable the Sum might be, it was not an equal Price for the Trouble of keeping it. How long he continu'd at Samos, is uncertain; but it's probable that the Friendship of Polycrates, and the Splendor of his Court, had Influence enough to detain him there the greatest Part of his Reign. This Opinion also seems confirm'd by * Herodotus, who affures us, that Anacreon of Teos was with that Prince in his Chamber, when he receiv'd a Meffage from Orates Governor of Sardis, by whofe Treachery Polycrates was soon after betray'd, and inhumanly crucify'd, fatisfying by this cruel Death, the Envy of an uninterrupted Happiness. It feems to have been a little before this fatal Accident, that our Poet left Samos for Fol. 508. *L. 3. Athens, Athens, having been invited thither by Hipparchus, one of the most virtuous and learned Princes of his Time, who, as † Plato affures us, fent a Veffel of fifty Oars to convey him over the Ægean. But Hipparchus being flain by the Confpiracy of Harmodius and Ariftogiton, he return'd to his Native Country Teos; (for after the Death of Cyrus, the Teians had been fuffer'd to reinhabit their City unmolested); here he remain'd till the Revolt of Hiftiæus, on which Account, as Suidas tells us, he was oblig'd once more to fly to Abdera, where he was ftrangled with a Grape-Stone in the off 85th Year of his Age. Le site pageid Befides his Favourites already mention'd, he had several others of both Sexes; as Megiftes, Eurypele, and Cleobulus, the last of which he celebrates in his 63d Ode. He was also very much addicted to Wine, if we may believe Ovid: And Paufanias has left us the Description of his Statue in a drunken Pofture; tho' whether this Imputation is not rather to be charg'd upon his Poetry, than his Perfon, may be queftion'd; and efpecially fince the moral Plato has vouchfaf'd to call him the Wife Anacreon. See more; Fontinelle's Dialog: between Anac: Aristotle, + Plato in Hipparch. Valer. Max. L. 9. C. 12. & Plin. L. 7. C. 7. 13. Barnes But x and, Sappho, in of 64% of y Collection. Wh |