The Poetry of Moschus by Moschus
"The Poetry of Moschus" refers to the body of work attributed to the ancient Greek poet Moschus, who is primarily known for three significant poems: "Love in Flight," "Europa," and "Lament for Bion." Information about Moschus's life is sparse, with the earliest references suggesting he was born in Syracuse and studied under the grammarian Aristarchus in Alexandria around the 2nd century BCE. Although Moschus is often linked to the pastoral tradition established by Theocritus, his poems diverge from traditional pastoral themes, presenting a unique perspective on love, loss, and mythology.
"Lament for Bion" serves as a poignant elegy mourning the death of the musician Bion, employing nature and myth to express collective grief. In contrast, "Europa" uses the mythological tale of Europa's abduction by Zeus to explore themes of desire and power dynamics, while "Love in Flight" presents a complex and ambivalent portrayal of love through the character of Cupid. The poetry of Moschus, while sometimes overshadowed by his predecessors, reveals a rich tapestry of emotional depth and cultural commentary, making his work a significant subject for study in the context of ancient Greek literature.
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The Poetry of Moschus by Moschus
First transcribed: c.150 b.c.e.
Critical Evaluation:
There is virtually no real biographical evidence about the lyric poet Moschus. Suidas, the lexicographer who lived in the tenth century, and a note appended to the poem of Moschus called “Love in Flight” provide the only sources of information available. For what they are worth, these sources assert that Moschus was born at Syracuse and was a student of the grammarian Aristarchus, who taught at Alexandria from about 180 to about 144 b.c.e. The year 150 would possibly be about the middle of the life of Moschus.
Moschus is considered the chronological, if not the stylistic, successor to the Greek bucolic poet, Theocritus, and it is a commonplace to say that he is a pastoral poet like Theocritus. The texts of the poems of Moschus, however, do not actually support such an assertion. The pastoral poets assumed the mask of shepherds, or in Greek pastors, and in the guise of simple country folk they sang of love and death in a highly stylized and conventional manner. The reputation of Moschus as a Greek poet rests on three poems, “Love in Flight,” “Europa,” and “Lament for Bion.” The other poems attributed to him are fragments surviving as quotations in other works and are of little consequence. These poems, in general, follow the pastoral conventions much less than most critics assume.
The “Lament for Bion” is the closest to Theocritus in manner of all the works by Moschus, but it is agreed by the best authorities that it is not really by Moschus, although traditionally attributed to him. The work was probably written by a student of Bion in imitation of his master’s “Lament for Adonis.” “Lament for Bion” is an elegy, a song of mourning, for the poet Bion who, as the poem asserts, had drunk poison. The poem has a refrain, “Keen, Sicilian women, keen the cry of grief for him, mourn melodic maidens.” This recurring line sets off sections of the poem. The subjects treated in each section are as follows: 1. The poet announces the death of the beautiful musician and calls on the woods, rivers, orchards, and flowers to weep for him. 2. The nightingales are told to tell the Muses that Bion is dead and with him dies all music. 3. Wild swans are called to sing the swan song for Bion. 4. The flocks and herds lack the comforting presence of their shepherd Bion. 5. The gods weep for Bion and all nature droops. The flowers wilt; the flocks give no more milk; bees gather no more honey. 6. Never has such a grief found so vocal expression not even in the old stories and ancient myths. 7. Nightingales and swallows sing in sad choirs the requiem. 8. Who will be able to make music now that Bion is dead? 9. Galatea weeps for her dead lover Bion. 10. Bion compared to Homer is the second greatest loss to the joy of the earth. 11. All cities weep for Bion. 12. As the greenery of the earth is renewed in springtime, so death is part of the natural cycle of nature. 13. Yet, Bion drank poison and died unnaturally. 14. Justice will be done. Moschus would descend to Hell to retrieve the soul of Bion if he could do so. There Bion will sing a Sicilian song to Persephone, the sad Queen of Hell who was carried from her flowering fields in Sicily by the God of the underworld.
“Europa” deals with the story of the Phoenician princess in Greek mythology who was carried off to Crete by Zeus in the form of a bull and who bore Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon there. This story, however, is only the vehicle for two extended digressions. First, Europa dreams at some length of the contest of Asia and Europe to possess her. The struggle described is a contest between two women. Second, when Europa awakens, she goes out to gather flowers and her flower basket with cleverly contrived pictures is described in great detail. These pictures, like the struggle between the two women, have an allegorical significance. Zeus looking down at the girl gathering flowers becomes enamoured and changes his shape to that of a bull. He induces her to climb on his back and swims across the sea to Crete with her.
“Love in Flight” is a charming erotic poem in which Cypris, the goddess of love, has lost her mischievous little boy Love, or Cupid. She offers a kiss to anyone who can tell her news of her boy and offers much more to anyone who can catch him and return him to her. Her description of Cupid is of great interest as a reflection of the poet’s attitude toward erotic love. Cupid is physically beautiful and talks well, but he tells lies and is cruel and wily. His kiss is a sick kiss and his lips are poison. His arrows are tipped with fire. In short, although intensely desirable, love is represented as dangerous and hectic.