Idyll XVII, also titled Εγκώμιον εις Πτολεμαίον ('The Panegyric of Ptolemy'), is a poem by the 3rd-century BC Greek poet Theocritus.[1]

Analysis

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The poem is a panegyric or encomium of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who reigned from 285 to 247 BC.[1] Hauler, in his Life of Theocritus, dates the poem about 259 BC, but it may have been many years earlier.[2] The references to historical personages and events, coupled with a comparison with Idyll XVI, point to 273 as the date of the poem.[1] The Ptolemies, like Alexander, traced their descent from Heracles.[1] Ptolemy I, son of Lagus, was deified about 283, and his queen Berenice between 279 and 275.[1] According to Andrew Lang, "The poet praises Ptolemy Philadelphus in a strain of almost religious adoration."[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Edmonds, ed. 1919, p. 209.
  2. ^ a b Lang, ed. 1880, p. 86.

Sources

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Attribution: Public Domain This article incorporates text from these sources, which are in the public domain.

Further reading

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