Greek Epigram from the Hellenistic to the Early Byzantine Era

Greek epigram is a remarkable poetic form. The briefest of all ancient Greek genres, it is also the most resilient: for almost a thousand years it attracted some of the finest Greek poetic talents as well as exerting a profound influence on Latin literature, and it continues to inspire and influence modern translations and imitations. After a long period of neglect, research on epigram has surged during recent decades, and this volume draws on the fruits of thatrenewed scholarly engagement. It is concerned not with the work of individual authors or anthologies, but with the complexities of epigram as a genre, and provides a selection of in-depth treatments of key aspects of Greek literary epigram of the Hellenistic, Roman, and early Byzantine periods.Individual chapters offer insights into a variety of topics, from the dynamic interactions between poets and their predecessors and contemporaries, and the relationship between epigram and its sociopolitical, cultural, and literary background from the third century BCE up until the sixth century CE, to its interaction with its origins, inscribed epigram more generally, other literary genres, the visual arts, and Latin poetry, as well as the process of editing and compilation that generated thecollections that survived into the modern world. Through the medium of individual studies the volume as a whole seeks to offer a sense of this vibrant and dynamic poetic form and its world, which will be of value to scholars and students of Greek epigram and classical literature morebroadly.

In conclusion, this volume, as I mention at the beginning of my review, serves as a valuable - worth reading - supplement of Greek epigram since it explores its literary evolution and its consequent reception through late antiquity; many perspectives and functions are discussed, such as the different kinds of this literary genre, its form and its nature, that deserve further attention from modern scholarship. Well-known scholars, experts of epigrams, gather their knowledge to offer their audience valuable details about epigram anthologies, compilations and paratexts, as well as many literary aspects, such as the ekphrasis and the visual act of reading; I totally recommend this intriguing book that raises further questions worthy to be explored not only by Academics and students, but also by anyone who wishes to learn about the Greek epigram from its acme during Hellenistic period down to its reception in the early Byzantine era., The volume at hand is not just a miscellany of papers on epigrams, but a carefully edited and well-balanced collection of in-depth studies from experts in the field. It is a finely produced book, highlighting the different lenses through which epigram can be diachronically read and interpreted, and a must-read for those searching for the secrets behind the alluring power of this miniature poetic genre., This is an important book; publications of conference proceedings are often effective at giving a snapshot of research in a given field, but this volume goes beyond that, incorporating novel contributions by many distinguished scholars in Hellenistic, Imperial and Early Byzantine epigram. Although targeted at specialists, for whom this volume is indispensable, for anyone with a passing interest in post-classical Greek poetry, it provides ample evidence for why the study of epigram is enjoying renewed interest., 'The book ... is of a very high quality because of its content, the work of the editors, and the beautiful printing of the Oxford University Press. ...The volume constitutes an excellent update on the way in which the epigrammatic genre is read by today's philology, it contains innovative analysis of specific epigrams, and, above all, it shows the new perspectives and lines of interpretation about this genre and the enormous possibilities they offer., Like the 2013 conference from which it developed, this valuable new volume gathers established and up-and-coming stars of contemporary epigram studies with the explicit aim of understanding epigram as a genre writ large across a millennium, from Hellenistic through to the early Byzantine revival of the sixth century. This was the age of Agathias, Julian of Egypt, Paul the Silentiary, and Macedonius, all of whom are amply treated ...one of this volume's signal services to the discipline is to remind us all just how capacious it is, and how wondrous. The volume is scholar-like and well produced, and for once represents properly good value.

Maria Kanellou was born in Athens and studied at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and at UCL. She is currently Research Fellow at the Academy of Athens and has previously worked at UCL, KCL, the University of Kent, and OUC. She has co-organized various international conferences focusing on Greek epigram and Theocritus and is currently working on the publication of the proceedings; her doctoral thesis, which offers a diachronic and motif-basedanalysis of erotic epigram, is also under contract for publication by OUP.Ivana Petrovic was born in Belgrade and studied at Belgrade University, Ruprecht-Karls Universität Heidelberg, and Justus-Liebig Universität Giessen. She has taught at Heidelberg, Giessen, and, most recently, at Durham University, and is now Hugh H. Obear Professor of Classics at the University of Virginia. Her research interests embrace ancient Greek literature, religion, and cultural history, and also South-Slavic traditional oral poetry, with a particular focus on the interactionbetween the texts and their historical, religious, and social contexts.Chris Carey was born in Liverpool and educated at Jesus College, Cambridge. He has worked at Cambridge, the University of Minnesota, Carleton College, St Andrews, Royal Holloway, and UCL, and has also taught in the Netherlands, Hungary, Greece, and Serbia. He has published on Greek lyric poetry, epic, drama, oratory, and law and is currently working on a commentary on Book 7 of Herodotus' History. He was elected Fellow of the British Academy in 2012.