was such as the ancients sung to the lyre or harp.—It was originally employed in celebrating the praises of gods and heroes, and its characteristic was sweetness. Who was the author of it is not known. It was much cultivated by the Greeks; and Horace was the first who attempted it in the Latin language. Anacreon, Alcæus, Stechchorus, Sappho, and Horace, were the most celebrated lyric poets of antiquity.