Ibycus of Rhegium (Ἴβυκος ὁ Ῥηγῖνος)

Life Ibycus was a Greek lyric poet from Rhegium in southern Italy, active in the sixth century BCE. He left his homeland, possibly due to political unrest, and spent much of his career at the court of Polycrates, tyrant of Samos [1][2]. Ancient tradition records that he was murdered at Corinth, though the details are uncertain [3].

Works His poetry survives only in fragments. He composed large-scale choral narratives on mythological themes, similar to his predecessor Stesichorus [1][2][4]. He also wrote personal monodic lyrics, primarily love poetry celebrating youthful beauty, noted for their vivid imagery and emotional voice [1][2][4].

Significance Ibycus is a significant figure who bridged the traditions of choral narrative and personal lyric. His love poetry was highly regarded and influenced later poets, securing his place among the Alexandrian canon of nine lyric poets [1][2][4]. The proverbial story of his murder and the cranes that revealed his killers attests to his lasting cultural memory [3].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ibycus 2. Perseus Digital Library, The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed., 2000) entry for Ibycus: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2000.04.0058:entry=ibycus 3. Perseus Digital Library, The Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898) entry for Ibycus: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0062:entry=ibycus-harpers 4. World History Encyclopedia: https://www.worldhistory.org/Ibycus/