Callimachus (/kæˈlɪməkəs/; Greek: Καλλίμαχος, Kallimachos; 310/305–240 BC) was a native of the Greek colony of Cyrene, Libya. He was a noted poet, critic and scholar at the Library of Alexandria and enjoyed the patronage of the Egyptian–Greek Pharaohs Ptolemy II Philadelphus and Ptolemy III Euergetes. Although he was never made chief librarian, he was responsible for producing a bibliographic survey based upon the contents of the Library. This, his Pinakes, 120 volumes long, provided the foundation for later work on the history of Greek literature. As one of the earliest critic-poets, he typifies Hellenistic scholarship.
Callimachus was of Libyan Greek origin. He was born and raised in Cyrene, as member of a distinguished family, his parents being Mesatme (or Mesatma) and Battus, supposed descendant of the first Greek king of Cyrene, Battus I, through whom Callimachus claimed to be a descendant of the Battiad dynasty, the Libyan Greek monarchs that ruled Cyrenaica for eight generations and the first Greek Royal family to have reigned in Africa. He was named after his grandfather, an "elder" Callimachus, who was highly regarded by the Cyrenaean citizens and had served as a general.
Callimachus or Callimachos (Greek: Καλλίμαχος) was the Athenian polemarch at the Battle of Marathon at 490 BC. According to Herodotus he was from the Attica deme of Afidnes.
As polemarch, Callimachus had a vote in military affairs along with the 10 strategoi, the generals, such as Miltiades. Miltiades convinced Callimachus to vote in favour of a battle when the strategoi were split evenly on the matter.
Miltiades said to Callimachus, just before the polemarch cast his vote: “Everything now rests on you.”
At the battle, Callimachus commanded the right wing of the Athenian army, since the Athenians had a custom at that time that the polemarch should command the right wing. The right and left wings (the left wing commanded by the Plataeans) surrounded the Persians after a seemingly suicidal charge by the centre line.
Although the Greeks were victorious, Callimachus was killed. He was killed during the retreat of the Persians while he was chasing them to their ships.
Callimachus (Ancient Greek: Καλλίμαχος) may refer to: