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<TEI.2><text><body><div1 type="alphabetic letter" n="I" org="uniform" sample="complete"><div2 type="entry" id="iambe-bio-1" org="uniform" sample="complete"><head><persName lang="la"><surname full="yes">Iambe</surname></persName></head>

<p>（<label lang="greek">Ἰάμβη</label>), a Thracian woman, daughter of Pan and Echo, and a slave of Metaneira, the wife of Hippothoon. Others call her a slave of Celeus.
The extravagant hilarity displayed at the festivals of Demeter in Attica was traced to her; for it is said that, when Demeter, in her wanderings in search of her daughter, arrived in Attica, Iambe cheered the mournful goddess by her jokes, (Hom. <hi rend="ital">Hymn. in Cer.</hi> 202; <bibl n="Apollod. 1.5.1" default="NO" valid="yes">Apollod. 1.5.1</bibl>; <bibl n="Diod. 5.4" default="NO" valid="yes">Diod. 5.4</bibl>; Phot. <hi rend="ital">Bibl.</hi> Cod. 239. p. 319, ed. Bekker; Schol. <hi rend="ital">ad Nicand. Alexiph.</hi> 134.)
She was believed to have given the name to Iambie poetry; for some said that she hung herself in consequence of the cutting speeches in which she had indulged, and others that she had cheered Demeter by a dance in the Iambic metre. (Eustath. <hi rend="ital">ad Hom</hi> p. 1684.) </p><byline>[<ref target="author.L.S" targOrder="U">L.S</ref>]</byline></div2></div1></body></text></TEI.2>