Callimachus was an ancient Greek poet, scholar and librarian who was active in Alexandria during the 3rd century BC. A representative of Ancient Greek literature of the Hellenistic period, he wrote over 800 literary works, most of which do not survive, in a wide variety of genres. He espoused an aesthetic philosophy, known as Callimacheanism, which exerted a strong influence on the poets of the Roman Empire and, through them, on all subsequent Western literature.
Papyrus fragment from the Aetia of Callimachus
Callimachus is thought to have worked under the patronage of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. This bust of Ptolemy is held at the National Archaeological Museum, Naples.
Callimachus wrote six hymns to gods of the Greek Pantheon, including one to Zeus. This statue of the god was found at Camirus and is housed at the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes.
19th-century artistic rendering of the Library of Alexandria, where Callimachus compiled the Pinakes
A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users.
A librarian in a military base library helps an airman find an entry in a book.
Library of Congress
Burgundian scribe Jean Miélot in his scriptorium (15th century)
Enlightenment era librarian in a library, 19th-century painting by Georg Reimer, National Museum in Warsaw
