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[German version] Otherwise unknown author of an epigram praising the image of Agathias (whom he extols as an orator and poet), of his brother and of his father Memnonius (Anth. Pal. 16,316). The poem will presumably have been affixed to the base of a statuary group in Myrina [4] (the town in l. 1), perhaps not long after the death of Agathias (after AD 580). Identification with later poets of the same name is improbable. Albiani, Maria Grazia (Bologna) Bibliography Av. and A. Cameron, The Cycle of Agathias, in: JHS 86, 1966, 8, Note 18.

(Πλάτων/ Plátōn). [German version] [1] The philosopher, 428/7 - 348/7 BC Athenian philosopher, 428/7 - 348/7 BC Szlezák, Thomas A. (Tübingen) [German version] A. Life The Seventh Letter (which is not intended to constitute a complete autobiography) and scattered reports from various ancient authors (of these, Plutarchus' [2] Life of Dion and Philodemus' Academica Gaiser/ Academicorum Historia Dorandi are particularly instructive) are our most important sources of information on the life of P. To these should be added the chronological accounts in Apuleius, De Platone et eius d…

(Πολύαινος/ Polýainos). [German version] [1] Epicurean, c. 300 BC One of the four 'masters' (καθηγεμόνες; kathēgemónes) of the Epicurean School (with Epicurus, Metrodorus and Hermarchus). B. at Lampsacus (year unknown), d. at Athens in 278/7 BC. Epicurus inaugurated an annual festival in his honour in the month of Metageitnion. P. came into contact with Epicurus during the latter's sojourn at Lampsacus (311/10-307/6 BC), and thereafter devoted himself to philosophy. At first, he excelled as a mathematician; re…

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[German version] (Μνασάλκης; Mnasálkēs) of Sicyon. One of the epigrammatists in Meleager's ‘Garland’ [8] (Anth. Pal. 4,1,16), probably around 250 BC. He is attributed with 18 poems: dedicatory (ibid. 6,110: more likely by Leonidas [3] of Tarentum), funerary (ibid. 7,488 = PKöln 204: this papyrus possibly contained a collection dedicated exclusively to M.) and epideictic epigrams, all of which are mainly modelled on those of Anyte…

[German version] Epigrammarian from the ‘Garland’ of Philippus, under whose rare name Ὅνεστος (probably an assimilation of the Roman cognomen H.) - he is sometimes called Korínthios (cf. Anth. Pal. 9,216) and sometimes Byzántios (cf. ibid. 7,274) - ten mostly epideictic poems are extant, which often relate to Boeotia and are distinguished by antitheses and both lexically and phraseologicall…

(Κλεόβουλος; Kleóboulos). [German version] [1] Tyrant of Lindus, fl. 7th-6th cent. BC, poet Tyrant of Lindus (Rhodes), flourished in the 7th-6th cent. BC, considered to be one of the  seven wise men [1]. He composed ‘songs and riddles in about 3,000 verses’ (Diog. Laert. 1,89). Apart from 20 sayings (I6 p. 63, 1-12 DK), a short letter to Solon (Epist. p. 207 Hercher), a fragment of a scolion in a moralizing tone (SH 526). Preserved is only a funerary epigram in hexameter for king  Midas (Anth. Pal. 7,153 = GVI 1171a), quoted by Plato (Phaedr. …

[German version] Otherwise unknown author of an aphoristic epigram (the Anthologia Planudea attributes it to Palladas): an unfaithful friend is more to be feared than an open enemy (Anth. Pal. 10,121). The motif is quite common (see, e.g., Anth. Pal. 10,36; 95; 11,390; as early even as Thgn. 91 f.). Albiani, Maria Grazia (Bologna)

[German version] (Καπίτων; Kapítōn). Otherwise unknown epigrammatist, of whom a witty distichon has survived: beauty without grace is compared with a ‘bait without rod’ (Anth. Pal. 5,67,2). C. (Capito) is quite a widespread Roman cognomen: the assumption that he might be identical with the epic poet from Alexandria, mentioned in Ath. 10,425, is thus without foundation; equally, it hardly is likely that he is identical with Pompeius C., who demonstrates his mastery in every metre and rhythm (TrGF 186). Albiani, Maria Grazia (Bologna) Bibliography FGE 34.

[German version] (Καλλέας; Kalléas) of Argos. Otherwise unknown composer of a sympotic epigram (Anth. Pal. 11,232) based on the saying: ‘wine reveals one's character’, a version of the old saying in vino veritas (cf. Alcaeus fr. 333 Voigt; Thgn. 500; Aesch. fr. 393 Radt etc.). The very rare compound λυσσομανής (‘raging’, v. 2) was probably adopted from  Antipater [8] of Sidon (Anth. Pal. 6,219,2). Albiani, Maria Grazia (Bologna) Bibliography V. Longo, L'epigramma scoptico greco, 1967, 106 H. Beckby, Anthologia Graeca, III-IV, 21967.

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(see also Constantinus). [German version] [1] K. VII Porphyrogennetos Byzantine emperor (Byzantine emperor AD 905-959; sole ruler 945-959). Son of the Byzantine emperor Leon VI (886-912) and of Zoe Karbonopsina; for K. as a politician see Constantinus [9]. His literary activity was directed toward the preservation and codification of knowledge for practical purposes. Thus, the Excerpta [1], a historical and moral encyclopaedia which he inspired, are a gigantic, thematically structured compilation in 53 volumes. It consists of sections from several h…

(Φιλόστρατος/ Philóstratos). [German version] [1] Attic orator, 4th cent. BC Attic orator of the 4th cent. BC, son of Dionysius of Colonus, known from inscriptions (IG II/III2 2,1622,773) and mentions by Demosthenes [2]. In the 90s, while still a young man, he provided lodging for the lover of his friend Lysias (Dem. Or. 59,22f.); in 366/5, he was among the accusers of Chabrias in the Oropus trial; later he gained a victory as choregos with a choir of boys at the Dionysia (Dem. Or. 21,64); in 342, he was trierarch; between 343 and 340, he testified as a witness in t…

[German version] (Καλλικτήρ; Kalliktḗr) of Manesium. Writer of epigrams, possibly from the 1st or 2nd cent. AD, to whom are ascribed the satirical two-line epigrams from the Anth. Pal. 11,2; 5; 6 and, according to Planudes, 333. The epigrams against doctors, 11,118-122, are probably his also; Planudes however assigns them to Nicarchus. The erotic poems Anth. Pal. 5,29 and 45 are attributed to the name Cillactor; the rarity of both names, not attested elsewhere and still of uncertain form, argues in favour of identification with C. Albiani, Maria Grazia (Bologna) Bibliography FGE 114f. V…

[German version] [1] Greek architect, 3rd cent. BC Greek architect of the 3rd cent. BC; according to Str. 10,5,7 and 13,1,13, he built a state altar, 1 stadium long ( Measures), from the material of an abandoned temple near Parium; it is presumably depicted on coins (London, BM) and could be compared with the Hieronian monumental altar of  Syracusae. Höcker, Christoph (Kissing) Bibliography Overbeck, 2086-2087 (sources) G. A. Mansuelli, s.v. H., EAA 4, 1961, 13 (with fig. 18). [German version] [2] Epigrammatist, 3rd cent. BC Epigrammatist whose existence cannot be proven with…

(Νίκαρχος; Níkarchos). [German version] [1] General of Antiochus III, 218 BC Active at the beginning of the Fourth  Syrian War as one of  Antiochus  [5] III's generals. In 218 BC he took part in Antiochus advance into southern Syria at the occupation of the narrows on the River  Lycus  and later at the conquest of Rabbatamana (Rabbat Ammon) and became commander of the garrison there. In the battle of  Raphia in 217 he led the part of Antiochus' phalanx whose weakness contributed to the downfall of the Seleucids (Pol. 5,68,9-11; 71,6-11; 79,5; 83,3; 85,10). Mehl, Andreas (Halle/Saale) Bibli…

[German version] (Μυρῖνος; Myrȋnos). Elegant epigrammatic poet in the ‘Garland’ of Philippus. Four poems are extant, showing him as a skillful imitator of Leonidas [3] of Tarentum; however, he also displayed an independent creativity, in a satirical setting (Anth. Pal. 6,254: a dedication to Priapus by a hermaphrodite frail with age; 11,67: against an old woman behaving like a child) as well as in an idyllic-pastoral one (ibd. 6,108 and 7,703; the latter poem is erroneously placed amongst the epitaphs). Albiani, Maria Grazia (Bologna) Bibliography GA II.1, 286-289; 2, 319-322.

[German version] (Θύιλλος; Thýillos). Epigrammatist in Cicero's circle (Cic. Att. 1,9,2; 1,16,15: 67 and 61 BC, cf. [1; 3]). Three poems survive: a description of a spring (Anth. Pal. 6,170), an epitaph (perhaps for an inscription) for a Cybele priestess (Anth. Pal. 7,223 = GVI 707,  cf. Philod. ibid. 7,222), a variation on the return of spring (ibid. 10,5, cf. Leonidas [3], ibid. 10,1 etc.). Albiani, Maria Grazia (Bologna) Bibliography 1 J. Geffcken, s. v. T., RE 6 A, 692 2 FGE, 95-99 3 O. Masson, À propos du dernier livre de D. L. Page, FGE, in: RPh 58, 1984, 98 f.

Roman cognomen (‘floppy-eared’), probably originally an individual cognomen, in the Republican period especially widespread in the senatorial families of the Fulvii, Norbani and Valerii, and in the Imperial period also among numerous other families. Nickname of the poet Q.  Horatius F. Elvers, Karl-Ludwig (Bochum) [German version] [1] Statilius F. Writer of epigrams Writer of epigrams. The cognomen F. is often mentioned in combination with the nomen Statilius (Στατύλλιος Φλάκκος; Statýllios Phlákkos). He lived at the beginning of the 1st cent. AD, if the Latin ver…