Anacreontea

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Anacreontea (

pseudepigraphically to Anacreon
.

The collection of poems by numerous, anonymous imitators was long believed to be the works of Anacreon himself. It was preserved in a 10th-century

Bibliothèque Nationale
in Paris.

In the 17th century, Thomas Stanley translated the Anacreontea into English verse. A few poems were also translated by Robert Herrick and Abraham Cowley. The poems themselves appear to have been composed over a long period of time, from the time of Alexander the Great until the time that paganism gave way in the Roman Empire. They reflect the light hearted elegance of much of Anacreon's genuine works although they were not written in the same Ionic Greek dialect that Anacreon used. They also display literary references and styles more common to the time of their actual composition.

See also

References

  • Greek Lyric II: Anacreon, Anacreontea, Choral Lyric from Olympis to Alcman (Loeb Classical Library 143), David A. Campbell (Translator) (1988)
  • Elegy and Iambus II: Elegiac Poets of the Fourth Century, The Anacreontea (Loeb Classical Library 259), J. M. Edmonds (Translator) (1931)