Posthomerica
Also known as: The Posthomerica, Quintus Smyrnaeus: Posthomerica, After Homer, The Fall of Troy (Quintus)
A late antique epic that narrates the end of the Trojan War from the close of the Iliad to the sack of Troy and the Greeks’ departures, reworking material from the lost Aethiopis and Iliou Persis.
Description
Quintus of Smyrna’s Posthomerica continues the Trojan saga from Hector’s funeral to the city’s fall and the aftermath. In Homerizing hexameters, it recounts the arrival of Amazon and Aithiopian allies, the deaths of Penthesilea and Memnon, Achilles’ slaying and the contest for his arms, Ajax’s madness and suicide, the recall of Philoctetes and the summoning of Neoptolemus, and further battles culminating in the stratagem of the Wooden Horse. The poem then covers Sinon’s deception, Laocoon’s fate, the sack, and scenes such as Priam’s death, the seizure of Cassandra, and the sacrifice of Polyxena. Quintus reshapes Epic Cycle narratives through vivid similes, divine interventions, and a strong interest in heroic funerals and lament, providing a continuous bridge between the Iliad and later traditions like the Odyssey and Aeneid.
Historiography
Transmitted in Byzantine manuscript tradition and known to the Renaissance, the poem was long read as a substitute for lost epics of the Trojan Cycle (notably the Aethiopis and Iliou Persis). Modern editions situate Quintus as a late antique poet consciously emulating Homeric language while integrating Hellenistic and imperial-era aesthetics. Scholarly debate centers on dating, sources, and intertextuality with Homer, Apollonius, and imperial Greek poetry.
Date Notes
Usually dated to Late Antiquity; internal style imitates Homeric diction. Exact composition date and author’s identity uncertain.
Archetypes
Symbols
Major Characters
- Neoptolemus
- Odysseus
- Paris
- Helen
- Agamemnon
- Menelaus
- Philoctetes
- Penthesilea
- Memnon
- Ajax the Lesser
- Aeneas
Myths
- Arrival of Penthesilea
- Death of Achilles
- Contest for Achilles’ Arms
- Death of Ajax
- The Wooden Horse and the Sack of Troy
- The Returns of the Greeks
Facts
- The poem bridges the narrative gap between Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.
- It reworks material traditionally assigned to the lost Aethiopis and Iliou Persis of the Epic Cycle.
- Composed in dactylic hexameter and closely imitates Homeric formulae and similes.
- Key episodes include Achilles’ death, the arms-judgment, Ajax’s suicide, and the Wooden Horse.
- Memnon’s arrival and death, and the slaying of Paris by Philoctetes, are central turning points.
- Neoptolemus is introduced as Achilles’ successor and prominent agent in Troy’s fall.
- The poem emphasizes funerary ritual, lament, and heroic aristeiai alongside divine interventions.
- Quintus’ dating is debated; stylistic and linguistic features suggest Late Antiquity.
- The work interacts intertextually with Homer and later epic traditions, including Roman receptions.
- Modern standard editions and translations are based on Byzantine manuscript transmission.