AnauthoritativecommentaryonthesurvivingfragmentsofGreeklyricpoetryuptothedeathofAristotle.Nocomparableworkexists,partlybecausethesefragmentsareusuallysmall,textuallycorruptanddifficulttointerpret.ButtheycastlightonseveralaspectsofGreekculture:forexample,religionandprayerformulae(manyofthemtaketheformofhymns),thesymposium(theyincludeacollectionofscolia),andthedevelopmentoftheso-called’NewSchool’ofpoetryandmusic.TheyalsoincludefragmentsofpoemsbyTelesillaandPraxilla,twooftherarebandoffemalepoetsofantiquityotherthanSappho,andPhiloxenus’Deipnon,whichputsintodactylo-epitritemetrethecontentsofanimaginarybanquet,includinglonglistofdifferenttypesoffood.OurknowledgeofEuripidesandAristotleisexpandedbythepreservationofaquotationfromavictoryodetheformerwroteforAlcibiades,andofanentirelyriceulogyforadeadfriendcomposedbythelatter.AlsoextendedisourknowledgeofthattantalisingandinmanywaysbafflingperiodofGreekliteraturebetweenthedeathofSophoclesandthedeathofAristotle.NorshouldoneforgetthescurrilousverseofTimocreon,whichextendsourawarenessofthecapabilitiesoffifthcenturyliteraryinvective,anditscapacityforparodyandinversionofthetopoiofpraisepoetry.
