Lycophron

Lycophron was an ancient Greek poet and grammarian. He lived in the 3rd century BCE. Information about his life is scarce, but he is known to have been a native of the city of Chalcis in Euboea. He was associated with the court of Ptolemy II Philadelphus in Alexandria, Egypt, which was a major center of learning during the Hellenistic period.

His most famous surviving work is a long allegorical poem called the Alexandra. This poem is written in iambic trimeter and presents a prophecy by Cassandra, daughter of Priam of Troy. In the poem, Cassandra foretells the future history of Greece and the Trojan War, weaving in numerous myths and historical events. The language of the Alexandra is notoriously difficult and obscure, characterized by a highly artificial style and the use of rare and complex vocabulary. This linguistic difficulty has made it a challenging text for scholars to interpret and translate.

Lycophron is also credited with writing other works, including a collection of comedies and grammatical treatises, but these are lost to us. His reputation as a grammarian suggests a deep interest in language and its complexities, which is evident in the intricate construction of his poetry. The Alexandra remains his primary legacy, admired for its intellectual ambition and linguistic inventiveness, though often criticized for its opacity.