Hellenistic Epigram
Contexts of Exploration

Investigates the literary, linguistic, historical, epigraphic, and other contexts of Hellenistic epigrams in themed chapters through analyses of individual epigrams.

Francis Cairns (Author)

9781107168503, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 October 2016

532 pages
23.5 x 16 x 3 cm, 0.89 kg

This book offers scholars and students of Hellenistic and Roman literature an overview of Hellenistic epigram, a field closely related to other Hellenistic poetry and highly influential upon Roman poetry. In fourteen themed chapters, it foregrounds the literary, linguistic, historical, epigraphic, social, political, ethnic, cultic, onomastic, local, topographical and patronage contexts within which Hellenistic epigrams were composed. Many epigrams are analysed in detail and new interpretations of them proposed. Throughout, the question is asked whether epigrams are literary jeux d'esprit (as is often assumed without proper discussion) or whether they relate to real people and real events and have a function in the real world. That function may be epigraphic, for example an epigram can be the epitymbion for inscription at someone's grave, or the anathematikon for inscription on or beside a dedicated object, or a picture-label - an ekphrasis to accompany a painting or mosaic.

Preface
Abbreviations
Part I. Introductory: Contexts and their Loss: 1. Audience context and circulation context
2. Epigraphic context
3. The state of the text
Part II. Afterlives: 4. Optimism
5. Consolation
6. Pessimism?
7. Shipwrecks
Part III. Philosophical Matters: 8. Over-philosophical interpretations (Callimachus, Asclepiades, Posidippus)
9. Philosophical superficiality (Leonidas)
10. Meleager and philosophy
11. Philodemus
Part IV. Temples and Shrines: 12. A shrine of the Great Mother
13. Apollo's deer at Kourion
14. Paphian Aphrodite
Part V. Literary Polemics: 15. Posidippus
16. Asclepiades on Lyde
17. Further Hellenistic literary programmes
18. Antipater of Sidon
19. Epigrams about Erinna
Part VI. Literary Polemics Continue: 20. Telchines and grammarians
21. Polemic pro/anti epic?
Part VII. Poetry, Sex, the Countryside: 22. Poetry and sex
23. Country matters
Part VIII. Medical Connections: 24. Medicine in non-epigrammatic Hellenistic poetry
25. Medicine in epigram
Part IX. Epitaphs: Epigraphic or Epideictic?: 26. Death caused by wine
27. Deaths while drunk
28. Deaths of drunken old women
29. Cenotaphic epitymbia
Part X. Local Interests: 30. Archaizing language: Anyte and Nicias
31. Dialects
32. Local customs: hair dedications
33. Historical claims: the Thyreatis
Part XI. Speakers, Addressees, Antecedents: 34. Geese taken for swans
35. Speakers and addressees in archaic inscribed epigrams
36. Epitymbic speakers and addressees
37. Unsafe assumptions of originality
38. Over-interpretations of Hellenistic epigrams
Part XII. The Erotic: 39. Novelty in the erotic komos
40. Legalism
41. 'Enrichment' and emotion
42. Cynical attitudes and mercenary motives
43. Meleager and mosquitoes
Part XIII. Generic Innovation: 44. Implicit dialogue
45. Explicit dialogue
46. Initial generic deception
47. Epigraphic genres in amatory epigrams
48. Function as context
49. Multiple addressees
Part XIV. Learning: 50. Philological
51. Technical
52. Metrical
53. Mythography and local culture
Bibliography
Index locorum
Index anthologiae graecae
Index of personal names in epigrams
General index.

Subject Areas: History: specific events & topics [HBT], History [HB], Literary studies: poetry & poets [DSC], Literature: history & criticism [DS], Poetry by individual poets [DCF], Poetry [DC], Language: history & general works [CBX]