Dithyrambs

Not much is known about the life of Bacchylides, but everyone knows how great of a poet he was, becoming one of Ancient Greece’s best lyrical poets. The Greeks included him in their canonical list of nine lyric poets, and some of his works survived. His career coincided with the rise of drama, including the playwrights Aeschylus or Sophocles, and his lyrics are known for their clarity in expression and simplicity, making it easier to study the lyrical poetry of Ancient Greece. 

Dithyrambs were Ancient Greek hymns sung and danced in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. The term was also used as an epithet of the god. Plato talks about dithyrambs in the Republic, noting that they are the clearest example of poetry in which the poet is the only speaker. Some of Bacchylides’ dithyrambs survived and are reproduced here.