Mesomedes

Mesomedes of Crete (Ancient Greek: Μεσομήδης ὁ Κρής) was a Roman-era Greek lyric poet and composer
of the early 2nd century AD.

He was a freedman of the Emperor Hadrian, on whose favorite Antinous he is said to have written a
panegyric, specifically called a Citharoedic Hymn (Suidas). Two epigrams by him in the Greek Anthology
(Anthol. pal. xiv. 63, xvi. 323) are extant, and a hymn to Nemesis. The hymn is one of four which preserve
the ancient musical notation written over the text. Two other hymns, one to the muse Calliope and one
entitled Hymn to the Sun, formerly assigned to Dionysius of Alexandria, have also been attributed to
Mesomedes. In an article[1] published in 2003, Annie Bélis proves that the Berlin musical papyrus (inv.
6870) contains a Paean to Apollo written by Mesomedes. A total of 15 poems by Mesomedes are known.

Mesomedes continued in the Musaeum in Alexandria even after Hadrian's death (138); there the Historia
Augusta reports that during Antoninus Pius' reign, 138-161 his state salary was reduced. The emperor
Caracalla 212-217 honored Mesomedes with a cenotaph approximately a 50–60 years after his death.

Prior to the discovery of the Seikilos epitaph in the late 19th century, the hymns of Mesomedes were the only
surviving written music from the ancient world.[2] Three were published by Vincenzo Galilei in his Dialogo
della musica antica e della moderna (Florence, 1581), during a period of intense investigation into music of
the ancient Greeks. These hymns had been preserved through the Byzantine tradition, and were presented to
Vincenzo by Girolamo Mei.

See J. F. Bellermann, Die Hymnen des Dionysius und Mesomedes (1840); C. de Jan, Musici scriptores graeci
(1899); S. Reinach in Revue des études grecques, ix (1896); Suidas, s.v.

Contents
Hymns
Prayer to the Muse
Prayer to Calliope and Apollo
Hymn to the Sun (Hymn to Apollo)
Literature
Notes
References
External links

Hymns

Prayer to the Muse

The dialect of this hymn is different from the others (Ionian rather than Doric), and the style is also slightly
different; for this reason J.G. Landels believes that it is probably not by Mesomedes.[3]
Ἄειδε μοῦσά μοι φίλη, Sing to me, kind Muse,
μολπῆς δ’ ἐμῆς κατάρχου· and begin my song.
αὔρη δὲ σῶν ἀπ’ ἀλσέων Send a breeze from your groves
ἐμὰς φρένας δονείτω. to stir my mind.[4]

Prayer to Calliope and Apollo

Καλλιόπεια σοφά, Wise Calliope,
μουσῶν προκαθαγέτι τερπνῶν, leader of the delight-making Muses,
καὶ σοφὲ μυστοδότα, and skilful initiator into the mysteries,
Λατοῦς γόνε, Δήλιε, Παιάν, son of Leto, Delian Paean,
εὐμενεῖς πάρεστέ μοι. favor me with your presence.[4]

Mesomedes' Prayer to Calliope transcribed into modern musical notation; adapted from Landels, John G. 1999. Music in
Ancient Greece and Rome, p. 255.

Hymn to the Sun (Hymn to Apollo)

Χιονοβλεφάρου πάτερ Ἀοῦς, Father of the Dawn with her snow-white eyelids,
ῥοδόεσσαν ὃς ἄντυγα πώλων you who follow in your rose-pink chariot
πτανοῖς ὑπ’ ἴχνεσσι διώκεις, the track of your flying steeds,
χρυσέαισιν ἀγαλλόμενος κόμαις, exulting in the gold of your hair,
περὶ νῶτον ἀπείριτον οὐρανοῦ twining your darting rays
ἀκτῖνα πολύστροφον ἀμπλέκων, across the boundless vault of sky,
αἴγλας πολυδερκέα πάναν whirling around the whole earth
περὶ γαῖαν ἅπασαν ἑλίσσων. the thread of your all-seeing beams,
ποταμοὶ δὲ σέθεν πυρὸς while flowing rivers of your deathless fire
ἀμβρότου beget the lovely day.
τίκτουσιν ἐπήρατον ἁμέραν.
For you the peaceful chorus of stars
σοὶ μὲν χορὸς εὔδιος ἀστέρων dance their measure across Olympos their lord,
κατ’ Ὄλυμπον ἄνακτα χορεύει, forever singing their leisured song,
ἄνετον μέλος αἰὲν ἀείδων, rejoicing in the music of Apollo’s lyre;
Φοιβηΐδι τερπόμενος λύρᾳ. and leading them the silvery-grey Moon
γλαυκὰ δὲ πάροιθε Σελάνα marshals the months and seasons,
χρόνον ὥριον ἁγεμονεύει, drawn by her team of milk-white heifers.
λευκῶν ὑπὸ σύρμασι μόσχων. And your benevolent mind rejoices
γάνυται δέ τέ σοι νόος εὐμενὴς as it whirls around the manifold raiment of the
πολυείμονα κόσμον ἑλίσσων.[5] universe.[6]

The music for Mesomedes' Hymn to the Sun, according to Pöhlmann & West (2001), but divided into 2/4 time following
Landels (1999).
Literature
Vincenzo Galilei, Dialogo Di Vincentio Galilei Nobile Fiorentino Della Musica Antica, Et Della
Moderna (Fiorenza, 1581) (google (https://books.google.com/books?id=XdwPquJVBm4C)), p.
97
Johann Friedrich Bellermann, Die Hymnen des Dionysius und Mesomedes. Text und Melodieen
nach Handschriften und den alten Ausgaben bearbeitet von Dr. Friedrich Bellermann (Berlin,
1840) (google (https://books.google.com/books?id=PssqAAAAYAAJ))
Rheinisches Museum für Philologie. Neue Folge. Neunter Jahrgang (Frankfurt am Main, 1854)
(google (https://books.google.com/books?id=DDYGAAAAQAAJ)); p. 306–311: Theodor Bergk,
Zu den Hymnen des Dionysius und Mesomedes
Karl von Jan (Latin: Carolus Janus), Musici scriptores graeci. Aristoteles Euclides
Nicomachus Bacchius Gaudentius Alypius et melodiarum veterum quidquid exstat.
Recognovit prooemiis et indice instruxit Carolus Janus. Annexae sunt tabulae (Lipsia, 1895)
(google-US (https://books.google.com/books?id=tEEzAQAAMAAJ)), p. 454ff.
Musici scriptores graeci. Recognovit prooemiis et indice instruxit Carolus Janus.
Supplementum, melodiarum reliquiae (Lipsia, 1899) (google-US (https://books.google.com/
books?id=mzUsqOB510cC))
Revue des études grecques. Tome IX. Année 1896 (Paris, 1896) (google-US (https://books.goo
gle.com/books?id=4DU70eJbm0AC)); p. 1–22: Théodore Reinach, L'hymne a la Muse
Landels, John G. (1999). Music in Ancient Greece and Rome. Routledge. ISBN 0-203-04284-0.
[1] (http://www.ganino.com/files/Latin%20Copyright%20Books/86%20Music%20in%20Ancien
t%20Greece%20and%20Rome.pdf)
Pöhlmann, Egert; West, Martin L. (2001). Documents of Ancient Greek Music: The Extant
Melodies and Fragments, edited and transcribed with commentary by Egert Pöhlmann and
Martin L. West. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-815223-X.
In anthologies:

Richard François Philippe Brunck, Analecta veterum poetarum graecorum. Editore Rich. Fr.
Phil. Brunck. Tom. II. (Argentoratum; ed. IV.: Argentoratum, 1785) (google (https://books.googl
e.com/books?id=McBAAAAAcAAJ); ed. IV.: google (https://books.google.com/books?id=v5ND
AAAAcAAJ)), p. 292f.
Richard François Philippe Brunck and Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Jacobs, Anthologia
graeca sive poetarum graecorum lusus. Ex recensione Brunckii. Tom. III. Indices et
commentarium adiecit Friedericus Iacobs (Lipsia, 1794) (google (https://books.google.com/
books?id=-1BCAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA6)), p. 6f.
Jean François Boissonade de Fontarabie, Ποιητῶν ἑλληνικῶν συλλογή. τόμ. ιεʹ. – Poetarum
graecorum sylloge. Tom. XV. — Ἀλκαῖος Σαπφώ Σιμωνίδης σύνεσιος λυρικοὶ διάφοροι. – Lyrici
graeci curante Jo. Fr. Boissonade (Paris, 1825) (google (https://books.google.com/books?id=A
ORFAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA49)), p. 49ff.
Anthologia lyrica Anacreontea et Anacreontis aliorumque lyricorum graecorum selecta
fragmenta et scolia continens. Edidit cum notis criticis et metrorum expositione Fridericus
Mehlhorn (Lipsia, 1827) (google (https://books.google.com/books?id=vK4CAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA
70)), p. 70f.
Anthologia graeca sive delectus poesis elegiacae melicae bucolicae. Scholarum in usum
adornavit Nicolaus Bachius (Hannovera, 1838) (google (https://books.google.com/books?id=1O
IMAAAAYAAJ)), p. 128
James Donaldson, Lyra Græca: Specimens of the Greek Lyric Poets, from Callinus to Soutsos.
Edited, with critical Notes, and a biographical Introduction, by James Donaldson (Edinburgh &
London, 1854) (google (https://books.google.com/books?id=Z0xWAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA96)), p.
96f.
 Theodor Bergk, Anthologia lyrica continens Theognidem, Babrium, Anacreontea cum
ceterorum poetarum reliqiis selectis. Edidit Theodorus Bergk (Lipsia, 1854) (google (https://boo
ks.google.com/books?id=lLo9AAAAcAAJ)), p. 403f.
Anthologia lyrica continens Theogni[de]m, Babrium, Anacreontea cum ceterorum poetarum
reliqiis selectis. Curavit Theodorus Bergk (Lipsia, 1868) (google (https://books.google.com/b
ooks?id=zdkIAAAAQAAJ)), p. 522ff.

Notes
1. Bélis, Annie (2003). "Le 'Péan de Berlin' : une relecture" (http://www.persee.fr/doc/reg_0035-20
39_2003_num_116_2_4549). Revue des études grecques (in French). 116: 537–558.
2. The notes to an ode of Pindar presented in a book by Athanasius Kircher (book cover, notes to
the ode) are now considered to be unauthentic.
3. Landels, John G. 1999. Music in Ancient Greece and Rome. London and New York: Routledge;
p. 254.
4. Cosgrove, Charles H. (2011). An Ancient Christian Hymn with Musical Notation. Mohr Siebeck.
pp. 69, 70.
5. Text from Pöhlmann & West (2001), pp. 97–99.
6. Landels, John G. (1999). Music in Ancient Greece and Rome, p. 256, but reading 'thread'
(πάναν) for 'fount' (παγάν).

References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh,
ed. (1911). "Mesomedes". Encyclopædia Britannica. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University
Press. p. 179.
Egert Pöhlmann: "Mesomedes", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed November 30,
2005); (subscription access) (http://www.grovemusic.com)

External links
"Hymn to the Muses" (http://www.aoidoi.org/poets/mesomedes/meso-1.pdf) (PDF) and "Hymn
to Nemesis" (http://www.aoidoi.org/poets/mesomedes/meso-3.pdf) (PDF) in Greek with brief
glosses/commentary
'Hymn to Nemesis' (http://poemsintranslation.blogspot.com/2011/05/mesomedes-hymn-to-nem
esis-from-greek.html) in English translation with Greek original

Homepage of the Ensemble Musica Romana for ancient music (English and German) (http://w
ww.musica-romana.de)
Ensemble Kérylos (http://www.kerylos.fr/index_en.php) a music group directed by scholar
Annie Bélis and dedicated to the recreation of ancient Greek and Roman music. Its recording
D'Euripide aux premiers chrétiens contains the 5 known works by Mesomedes (tracks 9 to 13).
Prayer to Calliope and Apollo (https://www.oeaw.ac.at/kal/agm/). Sung to the lyre by Stefan
Hagel.
Hymn to the Sun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JKNqnDYwj0). Petros Tabouris
Ensemble.
Hymn to Nemesis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alrVx6K9C4k). Ensemble de
Organographia.
Hymn to Nemesis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqfJwT23Qnc)/ Petros Tabouris
Ensemble.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mesomedes&oldid=910763221"

This page was last edited on 14 August 2019, at 08:31 (UTC).

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