This is the first modern commentary devoted exclusively to the poems of Hedylus one of the
most important representatives of Greek epigram in a crucial phase of the development of the
genre. Although only a few of Hedylus' poems survive he helped shape the genre of literary
epigram. His influence is comparable to that of his roughly contemporaries Posidippus of Pella
and Asclepiades of Samos with whom he is associated by Meleager of Gadara in the proem to his
Garland. The volume contains an extensive introduction a new critical text a translation and
a full literary and philological commentary. Each epigram is preceded by an essay. Particular
attention is paid to the different branches of transmission in order to understand why so few
of Hedylus' epigrams survive via the Greek Anthology while most of his poems are transmitted
by Athenaeus in his Deipnosophistai. The commentary is followed by an Auctarium Lectionum an
Appendix Coniecturarum an Index verborum an Index locorum and an Index nominum et rerum
notabilium. With its insights into literary Hellenistic epigram in an important phase of its
development this book represents an important tool for all those interested in epigram and
Hellenistic literature in general.
