Look Who's Talking: Innovations in Voice and Identity in Hellenistic EpigramLook Who's Talking examines the methods by which the ancient reader identified the speaker and addressee of epigram, and how these methods were manipulated by hellenistic epigrammatists. Conventions in place from epigram's inscribed heritage were used, at first, to maintain the conceit of inscription, but later formed the basis for mixing of epigrammatic subgenres or even, in the case of Asclepiades, the creation of erotic epigram. Among the most significant hellenistic innovations are the development of a passerby motif and the evolution of epigram's tendency to address its inherent writtenness. The book also traces the development of the ancient habit of equating an artistic image with the thing or being it represented; Nossis, later joined by Theocritus and Callimachus, developed a stance from which they could critique this subtle equation. This book thinks of hellenistic epigram the way its authors did - from the background of inscription - and consequently discovers many of the places where hellenistic epigrammatists hoped to make their mark. |
Common terms and phrases
Anacreon ancient reader Anyte archaic period Asclep Asclepiades Austin-Bastianini Bing bronze burier Call Callimachus Cameron clearly context couplet deceased dedicated dedicatory epigram divinity Eetion Epigr epigrammatic epigrammatists equation Erinna erotic epigram expected fact Fantuzzi and Hunter following epigram genre Gow-Page gram Greek Gutzwiller Hades hellenistic epigram hellenistic epigrammatists hellenistic period Hipponax implied innovation inscribed epigram inscription Leonidas marker Meleager motif Nossis Nossis's object P.Mil.Vogl paraclausithyron passerby Perses person Pfeiffer Philaenis Phrasiclea poem Posidipp question reading Reitzenstein Rene Magritte representation role seems sepulchral conventions sepulchral epigrams speaker speaking speech statue stone Svenbro Tarent theme Theoc Theocritus things Timonoe tion tomb translation treachery of images verb viewer voice word Zeus ἀλλ ἀλλὰ ἂν γὰρ δὲ ἐγὼ εἰ εἰς ἐκ ἐν ἐπὶ καὶ μὲν μὴ οὐ οὐκ τὰ τε τὴν τί τίς τὸ τὸν τῶν ὡς