Greek Anthology

The Greek Anthology (Latin: Anthologia Graeca) is a collection of poems, mostly epigrams, that span the Classical and Byzantine periods of Greek literature. Most of the material comes from two manuscripts, the Palatine Anthology of the 10th century and the Planudean Anthology of the 14th century. All quotations presented here are anonymous. Named epigrammatists have their own pages.

Quotes

Palatine Anthology

• Τὁ ῥὀδον ἀκμἀζει βαιὀν χρονὁν’ ἢν δἑ παρἐλθυ,
  ζητῶν εὐρἠσεισ οὐ ῥὀδον, ἀλλἁ βἀτον.
  • The rose blooms for a little season, and when that goes by thou shalt find, if thou seekest, no rose, but a briar.
  • Bk. 11, no. 53
  • Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, no. 71 (20 Nov. 1750):

    Soon fades the rose; once past the fragrant hour,
    The loiterer finds a bramble for a flow’r.

  • Lord Neaves, The Greek Anthology (1874):

    Short is the rose’s bloom; another morn
    Will show no rose, but, in its stead, a thorn.

  • A. H. Bullen, Speculum Amantis (1889), epigraph:

    The season of the rose is brief, make haste to pluck your posies;
    Another day you’ll chance to find bare thorns where bloomed the roses.

  • R. A. Furness, Translations from the Greek Anthology (1931):

    The rose’s bloom is short; and when it goes
    You’ll seek, and find a thorn and not a rose.

• Ἁ Κύπρις τὰν Κύπριν ἐνὶ Κνίδῳ εἶπεν ἰδοῦσα
  "Φεῦ, φεῦ: ποῦ γυμνὴν εἶδέ με Πραξιτέλης."
  • Cypris, seeing Cypris in Cnidus, said, "Alas! alas! where did Praxiteles see me naked?"
  • Bk. 16, no. 162
  • Humbert Wolfe, Others Abide (1927):

    "Shame!" Cypris cries her statue when she sees,
    "You saw me naked! When, Praxiteles?"

External links

• W. R. Paton, The Greek Anthology, With an English Translation, LCL, vols. 1 (1927 [1916]); 2 (1919 [1917]); 3 (1925 [1915]); 4 (1918); 5 (1918) — digitised by Attalus (Accessed 8 August 2024)