Arctinus of Miletus

Arctinus of Miletus was a legendary or semi-legendary Greek epic poet. Traditionally dated between 775 BC and 741 BC, he was said to have been a pupil of Homer. Phaenias of Eresus placed him in the 7th century BC and claimed that he was defeated by Lesches of Pyrrha in competition. It was said that Arctinus composed the epics Aethiopis, Sack of Troy and possibly Naupactia.

These poems are lost, but an idea of the first two can be obtained from the Chrestomathy ascribed (probably wrongly) to Proclus the Neo-Platonist of the 5th century AD.

The Aethiopis (Αιθιοπις), in five books, is so called from the Aethiopian Memnon, who became the ally of the Trojans after the death of Hector. According to Proclus, the poem took up the narrative from the close of the Iliad, began with the famous deeds and death of the Amazon Penthesileia, and concluded with the death and burial of Achilles and the dispute between Ajax and Odysseus for his arms.

The Sack of Troy (Iliou Persis) told the stories of the Trojan Horse, Sinon, and Laocoon, the capture of the city, and the departure of the Greeks pursued by the anger of Athena at the rape of Cassandra by Ajax the Lesser. The Little Iliad, usually ascribed to Lesches, bridged the gap in the story-line between Aethiopis and the Sack of Troy.

Sources

• Eusebius, Chronicle Olympiad 1.2, 5.1.
• Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 1.131.6.
• Suda s.v. Arktinos.