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The Greek Anthology, Book 1-6

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This volume ( 67 ) of the Greek Anthology is the
first of five in the Loeb Classical Library series.
It contains Books I-VI. The 2nd volume contains
Books VII-VIII (ISBN: 0674990757); Volume 3 contains
Book IX (ISBN: 0674990935); Volume 4 contains Books
X-XII (ISBN: 0674990943); and Volume 5 contains
Books XIII-XVI.
This first volume includes: Book I -- Christian
Epigrams (on Byzantine churches earlier than 1000
A.D.)/ Book II -- Descriptions of Bronze statues in
the celebrated gymnasium called Zeuxippus (by
Christodorus of Thebes in Egypt)/ Book III -- the
Cyzicene Epigrams in the temple at Cyzicus of
Apollonia inscribed on the tables of the columns/
Book IV -- The Proems of the different collections
of poems which make up the Anthology: Proem to "The
Stephanus of Meleager"; Proem to "The Stephanus of
Philipus"; Proem by "Agathias Scholasticus of Myrina"/
Book V -- The Amatory Epigrams, these mostly are erotic
poems about the various attractions, qualities,
and skills of women, but there are a few male-to-male
poems as well (the major part of the first section are
those poems by Rufinus)/ and Book VI contains
Dedicatory Epigrams, such as would be found in the
dedication of some object to a temple.
The best of the epigrams are like crafted jewels,
which sparkle with brilliant and suggestive facets. The
Byzantine church epigrams, for instance, might seem
dull reading, but they give remarkable insight into
the Byzantine religious views as well as the sense
of wonder at the beauty, splendour, and awe which
the colors, the ikons, and the marble veins in the
churches caused in the poetic viewers.
The section on the statues in the gymnasium is
rather put down by the translator W.R. Paton as
being the work of a bombastic poet, but there are
remarkable turns of phrase and insight within this
section as well.
Those who have ever been lured, or frustrated, or
angered by the amatory effusions of women will find
Book V inviting: "They drive me mad, those rosy
prattling lips, soul-melting portals of the
ambrosial mouth, and the eyes that flash under
thick eyebrows, nets and traps of my heart...."
by Dioscorides.
Those who might be interested in male-to-male
epigrams along the same erotic/psychological/
thought-filled lines would do well to go to
Volume 85 of the Loeb Anthology, which contains
Books X-XII, Book X contains the Hortatory and
Admonitory Epigrams/ Book XI has the Convivial
and Satirical Epigrams/ and Book XII has Strato's
"Musa Puerilis," poems written about erotic love
toward males. "Lysanias, yes indeed thou art fair,
fair. But before I can say this clearly, an echo
says, 'He is another's." -- Callimachus.
(ISBN: 0674990943)
The epigram as a genre of poetry is easy and
delightful to read -- and the volumes of this
Anthology serve it in delightful bites which
can be consumed as much or as little in a single
reading as one desires. "Chacun a son gout."
-- Robert Kilgore.