Maiistas the Epic Poet (Μαϊΐστας ὁ ἐποποιός)

Life Maiistas was a Hellenistic epic poet of the 3rd–2nd centuries BCE. No biographical details survive; he is known only as the author of a single commemorative poem [1].

Works His sole known work is the epic Ammon (or Ammonias), composed to celebrate Ptolemy IV Philopator’s victory over Antiochus III at the Battle of Raphia in 217 BCE. Only one hexameter line survives. The poem’s narrative likely involved a consultation with the oracle of the Egyptian god Ammon (Zeus) [1][2].

Significance Maiistas exemplifies the continued production of historical epic in the Homeric style during the Hellenistic period. His work is a clear instance of court poetry designed to glorify a monarch’s military achievements and assert divine sanction, situated within the context of Ptolemaic-Seleucid rivalry. Its near-total loss highlights the fragmentary state of much Hellenistic literature [1][2].

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Oxford University Press): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-3892 2. ToposText (Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation): https://topostext.org/people/1430