Life Sotades of Maroneia (Σωτάδης ὁ Μαρωνίτης ὁ Γραμματικός) was a Hellenistic Greek poet of the 3rd century BCE, active at the court of Ptolemy II Philadelphus in Alexandria [1]. Ancient sources report that his offensive verse provoked the king’s anger, leading to his imprisonment and, according to a later tradition recorded by Plutarch, his execution by being sealed in a leaden jar and cast into the sea [1][2].

Works He is credited with inventing the “Sotadean” verse, an ionic meter used for coarse and satirical poetry [1][2]. His works survive only in fragments. He is most famously reported to have written a poem mocking Ptolemy II’s marriage to his sister Arsinoe II, which directly caused his persecution [1][2].

Significance Sotades is the chief representative of “cinædic” poetry, a distinct genre of obscene and subversive satire [1][2]. His fatal confrontation with Ptolemy II became a paradigmatic anecdote about the risks of criticizing autocratic power. The Sotadean meter itself endured, employed by later poets including the Roman Ennius [2].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sotades 2. Perseus Digital Library, Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dsotades-bio-1