Athenaeus

Full biography Athenaeus

There were a few individuals in history who bore the name Athenaeus, but the most notable one in the context of music was Athenaeus, a Greek composer who flourished around 128 BC. He is believed to have been born in Naucratis, Egypt, and was active during the Hellenistic period.

Athenaeus is credited with creating a number of musical works, but unfortunately, none of them have survived to the present day. Nevertheless, he is mentioned in the Delphic Hymns, which were discovered at the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in the late 19th century. The hymns were inscribed on stone tablets and dated back to the 2nd century BC. It is believed that Athenaeus wrote the First Delphic Hymn, while Limenius was the composer of the Second Delphic Hymn.

Athenaeus was also referenced in the ancient Greek text, Deipnosophists, written by Athenaeus of Naucratis. This work is a collection of anecdotes and conversations about food, drink, and entertainment, and includes many references to Athenaeus and his work as a composer. Unfortunately, most of Athenaeus' musical works are lost to history, and little is known about his life beyond these references.

In summary, Athenaeus was a Greek composer who was active around 128 BC during the Hellenistic period. He is known to have written the First Delphic Hymn and was referenced in the Deipnosophists. However, there are no surviving examples of his musical compositions.