Adonis

Book Club

Book Club | February 2024: Bucolic poetry and Adonis

Wail, wail, Ah for Adonis! He is lost to us, lovely Adonis! Lost is lovely Adonis! The Loves respond with lamenting. —from Bion’s Lament for Adonis, translated by John Addington Symonds February’s Book Club selections are from laments and so-called bucolic poetry, with a focus on Adonis. These poems refer to myths and rituals, and include laments for the beautiful dead Adonis; a lamentation by Heracles’ wife Megara to her mother-in-law Alcmena;… Read more

Gallery

Gallery: Love and Ovid

To celebrate Valentine’s day, I chose Ovid for this Gallery about Love. He was the first to write about the art of love and gallantry. Ovid was born in 43 BCE. He was a talented poet. He was educated in Rome and traveled in Greece. He composed many beautiful works. Ovid’s Metamorphoses was written during the Augustan period. He lived during the same period as Virgil and Horace. He was very popular,… Read more