Lesches in the context of "Proclus"

The Little Iliad (Greek: Ἰλιὰς μικρά, Ilias mikra; Latin: parva Ilias) is a lost epic of ancient Greek literature. It was one of the Epic Cycle, that is, the Trojan cycle, which told the entire history of the Trojan War in epic verse. The story of the Little Iliad comes chronologically after that of the Aethiopis, and is followed by that of the Iliou persis ("Sack of Troy"). The Little Iliad was variously attributed by ancient writers to Lesches of Pyrrha (7th century BCE), Cinaethon of Sparta (8th century BCE), Diodorus of Erythrae, Thestorides of Phocaea, or Homer himself (8th century BCE) (see Cyclic poets). The poem comprised four books of verse in dactylic hexameter, the heroic meter.

Arctinus of Miletus or Arctinus Milesius (Ancient Greek: Ἀρκτῖνος Μιλήσιος) was a Greek epic poet whose reputation is purely legendary, as none of his works survive. Traditionally dated between 775 BC and 741 BC, he was said to have been a pupil of Homer. His father was Teleus son of Nauteus.Phaenias of Eresus placed him in the 7th century BC and claimed that he was defeated by Lesches of Pyrrha in competition. One of the "cyclic poets", Arctinus composed the epics Aethiopis and Sack of Troy, which were contributions to the Trojan War cycle, 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.

Quintus Smyrnaeus (also Quintus of Smyrna; Greek: Κόϊντος Σμυρναῖος, Kointos Smyrnaios) was a Greek epic poet whose Posthomerica, following "after Homer", continues the narration of the Trojan War. The dates of Quintus Smyrnaeus' life and poetry are disputed: by tradition, he is thought to have lived in the latter part of the 4th century AD, but earlier dates have also been proposed.

His epic in fourteen books, known as the Posthomerica, covers the period between the end of Homer's Iliad and the end of the Trojan War. Its primary importance is as the earliest surviving work to cover this period, the archaic works in the Epic Cycle, which he knew and drew upon, having been lost. His materials are borrowed from the cyclic poems from which Virgil (with whose works he was probably acquainted) also drew, in particular the Aethiopis (Coming of Memnon) and the Iliupersis (Destruction of Troy) of Arctinus of Miletus, and the Ilias Mikra (Little Iliad) of Lesches. His work is closely modeled on Homer.

The Posthomerica (Ancient Greek: τὰ μεθ’ Ὅμηρον, romanized: tà meth’ Hómēron, lit. 'Things After Homer') is an epic poem in Greek hexameter verse by Quintus of Smyrna. Probably written in the 3rd century AD, it tells the story of the Trojan War, between the death of Hector and the fall of Ilium (Troy). The poem is an abridgement of the events described in the epic poems Aethiopis and Iliou Persis by Arctinus of Miletus, and the Little Iliad by Lesches, all now-lost poems of the Epic Cycle.

The first four books, covering the same ground as the Aethiopis, describe the doughty deeds and deaths of Penthesileia the Amazon, of Memnon, son of the Morning, and of Achilles; and the funeral games in honour of Achilles. Books five through twelve, covering the same ground as the Little Iliad, span from the contest between Ajax and Odysseus for the arms of Achilles, the death of Ajax by suicide after his loss, the exploits of Neoptolemus, Eurypylus and Deiphobus, the deaths of Paris and Oenone, to the building of the wooden horse. The remaining books, covering the same ground as Iliou Persis, relate the capture of Troy by means of the wooden horse, the sacrifice of Polyxena at the grave of Achilles, the departure of the Greeks, and their dispersal by the storm.

In Greek mythology, Eurydice (/jʊəˈrɪdɪsi/; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη, romanized: Eurydíkē, lit. 'wide justice', derived from εὐρύς, eurýs, 'wide' and δίκη, díkē, 'justice'), may refer to the following characters:

• Eurydice, one of the 50 Nereids, sea-nymph daughters of the 'Old Man of the Sea' Nereus and the Oceanid Doris.
• Eurydice, wife of King Aeolus of Aeolia and mother of his sons, Sisyphus, Salmoneus and Cretheus. She may be identical to Enarete, the daughter of Deïmachus, who was commonly called the mother of these progeny.
• Eurydice, a Libyan princess as one of the 50 Danaïdes, daughter of King Danaus and the naiad Polyxo, who married (and murdered) Dryas.
• Eurydice, one of the Cadmiades, the six daughters of Cadmus and Harmonia in a rare version of the myth. Her sisters were Ino, Agaue, Semele, Kleantho and Eurynome.
• Eurydice, a Spartan princess as the daughter of King Lacedaemon. She was the mother of Danae by her husband King Acrisius of Argos.
• Eurydice, daughter of Adrastus, wife of Ilus, and mother of King Laomedon.
• Eurydice, wife of Neleus, mother of Thrasymedes.
• Eurydice, an Elean princess as the daughter of King Pelops of Pisa. She was the wife of Electryon, and grandmother of Heracles.
• Eurydice, wife of Orpheus who attempted to bring her back from the Underworld.
• Eurydice, wife of King Creon of Thebes and mother of Haemon, Menoeceus and Megara.
• Eurydice, eldest daughter of Clymenus and wife of Nestor.
• Eurydice, an Argive princess as the daughter of King Amphiaraus and Eriphyle, and thus, sister to Alcmaeon, Amphilochus, Demonassa, Alcmena and Alexida.
• Eurydice, wife of King Lycurgus (of Nemea) and mother of Opheltes.
• Eurydice, wife of Aeneas, according to Lescheos and writer of the epic poem Cypria.