Corinna

Corinna, or Korinna (Ancient Greek: Κόριννα, romanized: Korinna; c. 500–401 BCE), was an ancient Greek poet from Tanagra in Boeotia.^[1] She may have been a contemporary and rival of the Greek poet Pindar.^[1] Corinna's poetry survives only in pieces and focuses on local Boeotian myths.^[1]

Corinna was from Tanagra in Boeotia (central Greece).^[a] The Suda, a tenth-century Byzantine encyclopedia, says she was the daughter of Acheloodorus and Procratia, and was nicknamed "Myia" (Μυῖα, "the fly").^[2] She was said to have lived during the fifth century BC.^[4] She was maybe a contemporary of Pindar, either having taught him, or having been a fellow student of Myrtis of Anthedon with him.^[b][6] Corinna was said to have defeated Pindar in either one poetry competition or five poetry competitions.^[c][6][8]

Corinna wrote five books of poetry according to the Suda.^[9] But her poetry survives in roughly forty pieces.^[10][8][11] Corinna uses simple and clear language in her poetry.^[12] She uses basic metrical schemes,^[13] and focuses on mythical stories.^[14][15][16] The tone of Corinna's poetry is ironic or humorous.^[17]

Corinna was respected by the people of her hometown, Tanagra. Pausanias says that there was a monument to her in the streets of the town and a painting of her in the gymnasium.^[18] Tatian writes in his Address to the Greeks that Silanion had sculpted her.^[19][19] Corinna's poetry was popular in the Roman Empire.^[13] She is mentioned by the first-century BC Greek poet Antipater of Thessalonica who lists her as one of nine "mortal muses".^[20] Ovid gives his lover the pseudonym "Corinna" in his Amores.^[21] She is also named by Propertius as a model for Cynthia, and by Statius along with Callimachus, Lycophron, and Sophron.^[22] Alexander Polyhistor wrote comments about her work.^[23]

• 
  Corinna was a student of Myrtis of Anthedon, according to ancient tradition, with whom she sits in this 1897 painting by Ernst Stückelberg.
• 
  Corinna: The Lyric Muse by William Brodie (c. 1855).
• 
  Papyrus showing Corinna's poems on the "Contest of Helicon and Cithaeron" and the "Daughters of Asopus" (P.Berol. 13284).
• 
  Ancient marble sculpture of Corinna, maybe a copy of Silanion's bronze mentioned by Tatian.

• Berman, Daniel W. (2010). "The Language and Landscape of Korinna". Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies. 50 (1): 41–62.
• Campbell, D. A. (1992). Greek Lyric Poetry IV: Bacchylides, Corinna, and Others. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-99508-6.
• Collins, Derek (2006). "Corinna and Mythological Innovation". The Classical Quarterly. 56 (1): 19–32. doi:10.1017/S0009838806000036. JSTOR 4493385. S2CID 171018980.
• Debrosse, Anne (2015). "La réception des poétesses grecques, ou les affabulations de "l'imagination combleuse"". Anabases. 21 (21): 253–262. doi:10.4000/anabases.5371.
• Henderson, W. J. (1995). "Corinna of Tanagra on Poetry". Acta Classica. 38: 29–41. JSTOR 24594521.
• Klinck, Anne L. (2008). Women's Songs in Ancient Greece. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 978-0-7735-3448-3.
• Kousoulini, Vasiliki (2016). "Panhellenic and Epichoric Elements in Corinna's Catalogues". Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies. 56 (1): 82–110.
• Larson, Jennifer (2002). "Corinna and the Daughters of Asopus". Syllecta Classica. 13: 47–62. doi:10.1353/syl.2002.0006. S2CID 161788185.
• Lobel, Edgar (1930). "Corinna". Hermes. 65 (3): 356–365. JSTOR 4474178.
• McPhee, Brian D. (2018). "Mythological Innovations in Corinna's Asopides Poem (fr.654.ii–iv PMG)". Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies. 58 (2): 198–222.
• Smyth, Herbert Weir (1963). Greek Melic Poets (4th ed.). New York: Biblo and Tannen. ISBN 978-0-8196-0120-9. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
• West, Martin L. (1970). "Corinna". The Classical Quarterly. 20 (2): 277–287. doi:10.1017/S0009838800036235. JSTOR 637425. S2CID 246875832.

• "Korinna 1 (PMG 655)". Diotíma. Translated by Rayor, Diane. Retrieved 13 February 2022.