Pigres
(Πίγρης), historical.
1. A Carian, the son of Seldomus, the commander of a detachment of ships in the armament of Xerxes. (Hdt. 7.98.)
2. A Paeonian, who, with his brother Mantyas and his sister, came to Sardes, where Dareius was at the time, hoping that by the favour of Dareius, he and his brother might be established as tyrants over the Paeonians. Dareius, however, was so pleased with the exhibition of industry and dexterity which he saw in their sister, that he sent orders to Megabazus to transport the whole race into Asia. (Hdt. 5.12, &c.)
3. An interpreter in the service of Cyrus the Younger, mentioned on several occasions by Xenophon (Xen. Anab. 1.2.17, &c.). [C.P.M]
(Πίγρης), literary. A native of Halicarnassus, either the brother or the son of the celebrated Artemisia, queen of Caria. He is spoken of by Suidas (s. v. where, however, he makes the mistake of calling Artemisia the wife of Mausolus) as the author of the Margites, and the Batrachomyomachia. The latter poem is also attributed to him by Plutarch (de Herod. malign. 43. p. 873f.), and was probably his work. One of his performances was a very singular one, namely, inserting a pentameter line after each hexameter in the Iliad, thus : --
Μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος· Μοῦσα γὰρ σὺ πάσης πείρατʼ ἔχεις σοφίης.
Bode (Gesch. der Hellen. Dichtkunst, i. p. 279) believes that the Margites, though not composed by Pigres, suffered some alterations at his hands,. and in that altered shape passed down to posterity. Some suppose that the iambic lines, which alternated with the hexameters in the Margites, were inserted by Pigres. He was the first poet, apparently, who introduced the iambic trimeter. (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. i. p. 519, &c.) [C.P.M]
(Πίγρης). A Greek poet of Halicarnassus, regarded by Baumeister and others as author of the Batrachomyomachia (q. v.). He is said to have been either the brother or son of Queen Artemisia (q.v.) of Caria. Besides the work mentioned, a poem called Margites is ascribed to him by Suidas (s. v.) and by Plutarch. He also inserted a pentameter line after each hexameter in the Iliad —a very curious literary freak. The following will serve as an illustration (Hom. Il. i. 1): Μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληιάδεω Ἀχιλλῆος, Μοῦσα γὰρ σὺ πάσης πείρατʼ ἔχεις σοφίης·
He is also said to have been the first poet to introduce the iambic trimeter. See Homerus.
- Hdt. 7.98
- Hdt. 5.12
- Mantyes