Dares Phrygius
Encyclopedia
Dares Phrygius according to Homer
, was a Trojan
priest of Hephaestus
. He was supposed to have been the author of an account of the destruction of Troy, and to have lived before Homer. A work in Latin
, purporting to be a translation of this, and entitled Daretis Phrygii de excidio Trojae historia, was much read in the Middle Ages, and was then ascribed to Cornelius Nepos
, who is made to dedicate it to Sallust
; but the language is extremely corrupt, and the work belongs to a period much later than the time of Nepos (probably the 5th century AD).
It is doubtful whether the existing work is an abridgment of a larger Latin work or an adaptation of a Greek
original. Together with the similar work of Dictys Cretensis
(with which it is generally printed), the De excidio forms the chief source for the numerous medieval accounts of the Trojan legend.
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
, was a Trojan
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
priest of Hephaestus
Hephaestus
Hephaestus was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. He is the son of Zeus and Hera, the King and Queen of the Gods - or else, according to some accounts, of Hera alone. He was the god of technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and volcanoes...
. He was supposed to have been the author of an account of the destruction of Troy, and to have lived before Homer. A work in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, purporting to be a translation of this, and entitled Daretis Phrygii de excidio Trojae historia, was much read in the Middle Ages, and was then ascribed to Cornelius Nepos
Cornelius Nepos
Cornelius Nepos was a Roman biographer. He was born at Hostilia, a village in Cisalpine Gaul not far from Verona. His Gallic origin is attested by Ausonius, and Pliny the Elder calls him Padi accola...
, who is made to dedicate it to Sallust
Sallust
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, generally known simply as Sallust , a Roman historian, belonged to a well-known plebeian family, and was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines...
; but the language is extremely corrupt, and the work belongs to a period much later than the time of Nepos (probably the 5th century AD).
It is doubtful whether the existing work is an abridgment of a larger Latin work or an adaptation of a Greek
Greek literature
Greek literature refers to writings composed in areas of Greek influence, typically though not necessarily in one of the Greek dialects, throughout the whole period in which the Greek-speaking people have existed.-Ancient Greek literature :...
original. Together with the similar work of Dictys Cretensis
Dictys Cretensis
Dictys Cretensis of Knossus was the legendary companion of Idomeneus during the Trojan War, and the purported author of a diary of its events, that deployed some of the same materials worked up by Homer for the Iliad...
(with which it is generally printed), the De excidio forms the chief source for the numerous medieval accounts of the Trojan legend.
Sources
- O.S. von Fleschenberg, Daresstudie, i, 1908.
- (fr) Louis Faivre d'Arcier, Histoire et géographie d’un mythe. La circulation des manuscrits du De excidio Troiae de Darès le Phrygien (VIIIe-XVe s.), Paris, 2006 (ISBN 2-900791-79-0).
- (de) Andreas Beschorner, Untersuchungen zu Dares Phrygius-Narr, Tübingen, 1992 (ISBN 3-8233-4863-9).