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Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: SHA-SIV |
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SIMONIDES OF CEOS (c. 556-469 B.C.) , Greek lyric poet, was born at Iulis in the island of Ceos. During his youth he taught poetry and music in his native island, and composed paeans for the festivals of Apollo. Finding little scope for his abilities at home, he went to live at Athens, at the court of Hipparchus, the patron of literature. After the murder of Hipparchus (514), Simonides withdrew to Thessaly, where he enjoyed the protection and patronage of the Scopadae and Aleuadae (two celebrated Thessalian families). An interesting story is told of the termination of his relations with the Scopadae. On a certain occasion he was reproached by Scopas for having allotted too much space to the Dioscuri in an ode celebrating the victory of his patron in a chariot-race. Scopas refused topay all the fee and told Simonides to apply to the Dioscuri for the remainder. The incident took place at a banquet. Shortly afterwards, Simonides was told that two young men wished to speak to him; after he had left the banqueting room, the roof fell in and crushed Scopas and his guests (Cicero, De oratore, ii. 86). There seems no doubt that some disaster overtook the Scopadae, which resulted in the extinction of the family. After the battle of Marathon Simonides returned to Athens, but soon left for Sicily at the invitation of Hiero
His reputation as a man of learning is shown by the tradition that he introduced the distinction between the long and short vowels (e, ,l, o, w), afterwards adopted in the Ionic alphabet which came into general use during the archonship of Eucleides (403). He was also the inventor of a system of mnemonics (Quintilian xi. 2, II). So unbounded was his popularity that he was a power even in the political world; we are told that he reconciled Thero and Hiero
Of his poetry we possess two or three short elegies (Fr. 85 seems from its style and versification to belong to Simonides of Amorgos, or at least not to be the work of our poet), several epigrams and about ninety fragments of lyric poetry. The epigrams written in the usual dialect of elegy, Ionic with an epic colouring, were in-tended partly for public and partly for private monuments. There is strength and sublimity in the former, with a simplicity that is almost statuesque, and a complete mastery over the rhythm and forms of elegiac expression. Those on the heroes of Marathon and Thermopylae are the most celebrated. In the private epigrams there is more warmth of colour and feeling, but few of them rest on any better authority than that of the Palatine anthology
fools is infinite. . . I praise and love all men who do no sin willingly; but with necessity even the gods do not contend." Virtue, he tells us elsewhere in language that recalls Hesiod, is set on a high and difficult hill (Fr. 58) ; let us seek after pleasure, for " all things come to one dread Charybdis, both great virtues and wealth " (Fr. 38). Yet Simomdes is far from being a hedonist; his morality, no less than his art, is pervaded by that virtue for which Ceos was renownedawcbpoobv,1 or self-restraint. His most celebrated fragment is a dirge, in which Danae, adrift with the infant Perseus on the sea in a dark and stormy night, takes comfort from the peaceful slumber of her babe. Simonides here illustrates his own saying that '' poetry is vocal painting, as painting is silent poetry." Of the many English translations of this poem, one of the best is that by J. A. Symonds in Studies on the Greek Poets. Fragments in T. Bergk, Poetae lyrici Graeci; standard edition by F. G. Schneidewin (1835) and of the Dana alone by H. L. Ahrens (1853). Other authorities are given in the exhaustive treatise of E. Cesati, Simonide di Ceo (1882) ; see also W. Schroter, De Simonidis Ces melici sermone (1906).SIMON'S TOWN, a gown
shores of Simon's Bay, an inlet on the west side of False Bay. It is 222 M. S. of Cape Town by rail and 17 M. N. of Cape Point (the Cape of Good Hope). Apart from the naval station the town (pop. 1904, 6642) is an educational and residential centre, enjoying an excellent climate with a mean minimum temperature of 57 and a mean maximum of 700 F. Owing to the influence of the Mozambique
establishment is the headquarters of the East India and Cape Squadron.In 190o the yard covered about 13 acres, exclusive of the victualling establishment and naval hospital, and was provided with a small camber, slipways for torpedo-boats and small vessels, together with various dockyard buildings, storehouses, coal stores, &c., but had no dry dock or deep-water wharf. Under the Naval Works Loan Act of 1899 2,500,000 was provided for the construction of additional docks east of the original naval yard. These works were begun in 1900 and completed in 1910. They consist of a tidal basin 28 acres in extent, with a depth of 3o ft. at low-water spring tides, enclosed by a breakwater on the eastern and northern sides and a similar projecting arm or pier on the west. The entrance to the basin faces north-westerly, and is 300 ft. in width. South of the basin is a large reclaimed area forming the site of the new dockyard. Opening from the basin is a dry dock, 75o ft. in length on blocks, with an entrance 95 ft. wide and having 3o ft. over the sill at low-water spring tides. The foundation stone of the dry dock was laid in November 1906 by the earl
The Selborne dock can be subdivide& by an intermediate caisson in such a manner as to form two docks, respectively 400 it. and 32o ft. in length, or 47o ft. and 25o ft. in length on blocks, as may be required, or the full length of 75o ft. can be made available. The dockyard buildings include extensive shops for the chief engineer's and chief constructor's departments, the pumping- engine
block
False Bay, which corresponds on the south to Table Bay on the north side of Table Mountain, is a spacious inlet which has an average depth of from 15 to 20 fathoms, and is completely sheltered on all sides except towards the south. Here a whole fleet of the largest vessels can ride at anchor. Defensive works protect the entrance to the bay. Simon's Town dates from the close of the 17th century, the town and bay being named after Simon van der Stell, governor of the Cape in 1679-1699. It was at Simon's Town that the first British landing in Cape Colony was made by General Sir fames Craig in 1795. About 1810 the bay was selected as the base for the South African squadron, Table Bay being abandoned for that purpose in consequence of its exposed position. End of Article: SIMONIDES OF CEOS (c. 556-469 B.C.) If you wish, you can link directly to this article.
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