ARISTARCHUS OF SAMOTHRACE

born c. 217 BC died 145 BC, Cyprus Greek critic and grammarian, noted for his contribution to Homeric studies. Aristarchus settled in Alexandria, where he was a pupil of Aristophanes of Byzantium, and, c. 153 BC, became chief librarian there. Later he withdrew to Cyprus. He founded a school of philologists, called after him Aristarcheans, which long flourished in Alexandria and afterward at Rome. Cicero and Horace regarded him as the supreme critic. His works fall into three categories: (1) two editions of the text of Homer and editions of Hesiod, Pindar, Archilochus, Alcaeus, and Anacreon; (2) numerous commentaries on these poets and on Aeschylus, Sophocles, Aristophanes, and Herodotus; (3) critical brochures, especially on Homeric problems.