Greek verse inscriptions first appeared in the 8th century BCE and have been found throughout the Greek speaking Mediterranean. Their popularity continued until the early Byzantine periods. This course will treat the unique dynamics of epigram as a form that migrated from stone to text, the variety of ways in which its narrative potential was exploited within dedicated poetry books, its reception in Roman literature, and its relationships with other genres (especially epic and elegy).
4-5 units · Letter (ABCD/NP)
Greek verse inscriptions first appeared in the 8th century BCE and have been found throughout the Greek speaking Mediterranean. Their popularity continued until the early Byzantine periods. This course will treat the unique dynamics of epigram as a form that migrated from stone to text, the variety of ways in which its narrative potential was exploited within dedicated poetry books, its reception in Roman literature, and its relationships with other genres (especially epic and elegy).
Offered in Autumn 2025 at Stanford University.