The Poems of Meleager

The Poems of Meleager highlights the ingenuity and enduring impact of Meleager of Gadara, a master of the Greek epigram who lived during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. Renowned for his literary artistry, Meleager brought new life to the epigram, transforming it from a formal inscription to a vehicle for personal and emotional expression. His work spans themes of love, loss, and philosophical reflection, with a unique ability to blend traditional motifs with fresh, inventive perspectives. This collection draws heavily from his Garland, a seminal anthology he curated that preserved and elevated the Greek epigram tradition. Meleager’s poetic voice is marked by a dynamic range—at times restrained and simple, at others flamboyant and playful—reflecting his mastery of language and form.

This carefully selected edition showcases the breadth of Meleager’s creativity and his influence on subsequent generations of poets, including Roman elegists like Catullus. Through his use of vivid imagery, inventive wordplay, and tonal variety, Meleager’s verses capture timeless themes of human experience, making his work resonate far beyond its Hellenistic context. With insightful commentary and a structure designed to reflect the thematic diversity of his poetry, this volume offers both a rich literary experience and a deeper understanding of Meleager’s lasting legacy in the evolution of lyric and epigrammatic poetry.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1975.