In this interview Prof Don Lavigne of Texas Tech University shares some radical ideas about Archilochus (c. 710 – c. 676 BCE), commonly regarded as the inventor of iambos – the genre of scandal, invective and sex – and yet at the same time ranked alongside Homer and Hesiod in the canon of ancient Greek greats (by Plato no less). He tells us when and why he first became fascinated with Archilochus, before discussing matters of performance, gender and the complex relationships between author, audience and persona. Could Archilochus even be seen as the inventor of literature? Click on the YouTube screen shot below to find out!