Epigrammatic Psogos: Censure in the Epigrams of Palladas of Alexandria‪.‬

Introduction Palladas of Alexandria, whose floruit seems to date to the second half of the 4th century CE, early in the Byzantine era, (1) has long been identified as an important figure, even an innovator, in the history of the Greek epigram. Highet praises him as the writer of 'the last powerful and original poetic epigrams in Greek literature.' (2) Bowra saw him as 'an important and independent witness to the last days of Paganism.' (3) Schmid-Stahlin characterised the epigrams as the best that the declining paganism produced in this genre. (4) Peek, while denying Palladas originality or innovation, acknowledges his role in breathing new life into the epigram after two centuries of neglect. (5) These and similar assessments require two perspectives: Palladas's position in the vast period of time during which the Greek epigram was a literary genre, and the question of his originality and status as an innovator.