Abstract

The epigram is in its origin an epigraphic text engraved on a monument, be it an epitaph, a dedicatory inscription on an ex-voto, or an explanatory legend on a piece of art. This primitive form of epigram became entrenched and grew, absorbing literary elements and creating its own tradition. During the Hellenistic era, the so-called literary epigram, generally composed to be delivered at a …