Callimachus and the New Paths of Myth

Abstract

Callimachus presents himself as a teller of myths, of ancient stories told by others before. Some of his Hymns are a parody on the traditional narratives where the main characters are gods and which were passed on by poets, starting with Homer and Hesiod. This paper aims at analysing passages in the Hymns that demonstrate the poet’s constant dialogue with the past and tradition, namely with Homer.