1. Activity-works

Zenodotus was born in Ephesus around 325 BC. He was a student of Philetas from Kos. He was the first director of the Library of Alexandria. As a lexicographer he wrote a Homeric dictionary, which was entitled Glossai (Languages) and a collection of words from various Greek dialects of his era. He collaborated with Alexander Pleuronius and Lycophron for the classification and editing of the Greek epic and lyric poets. He edited texts by Hesiod (probably 8th century BC), Anakreon (late 6th-early 5th century BC) and Pindar (circa 518-438 BC).¹

It appears he was the first to divide the Iliad and the Odyssey in 24 “books”. His editing was considered to be the first scientific effort to discover the original Homeric text. In this effort, Zenodotus noted the lines which he considered non to be original. Contemporary critics accused him of alterating texts in a large scale, others, however, sustain this was not true. It is possible that he also wrote texts and comments on Homer’s work.