The Fragments of Mimnermus

This is a new edition of the fragments of the early Greek elegist Mimnermus of Smyrna. Introductory chapters deal with questions about Mimnermus’ life (his dates, name, home city, status in society) and writings (the sympotic background of his elegies, their erotic content, the book title Nanno, the possibility that he wrote iambic as well as elegiac verse). Texts of the fragments, each with a detailed commentary, are followed by two appendices, on Callimachus’ dark reference to Mimnermus in the Aetia prologue, and on Mimnerman diction and poetics.