Garland

Straton

5. Of Sardis, an epigrammatic poet, and the compiler of an Anthology.

The time of Straton has been disputed, but it is evident that he lived in the second century of our era; since, on the one hand, he compiled from the Anthology of Philip, who flourished at the end of the first century, and, on the other hand, he is mentioned by Diogenes Laertius (5.61), who wrote most probably at the beginning of the third century. A further indication of his date is derived by Schneider from his mention of the physician Capito, who flourished under Hadrian.

Works

Μοῦσα παιδική

Straton's Anthology was entitled. from the subject common to all the poems of which it consisted, Μοῦσα παιδική. It is so called in the preface of Constantinus Cephalas to this section of his Anthology. It was composed partly of epigrams compiled from the earlier anthologies of Meleager and Philip, and from other sources, and partly of poems written by Straton himself.

Of the poets comprised in the Garland of Meleager, Straton received thirteen into his collection, namely, Meleager, Dioscorides, Polystratus, Antipater, Aratus, Mnasalcas, Evenus, Alcaeus of Messene, Phanias, Asclepiades, Rhianus, Callimachus, and Poseidippus : of those in the Anthology of Philip, he only took two, namely, Tullius Laureas and Automedon; and to these he added ten others namely, Flaccus, Alpheius of Mytilene, Julius Leonidas, Scythinus, Numenius, Dionysius, Fronto Thymocles, Glaucus, and Diodes. The whole number of poems in the collection is 258, of which 98 are by Straton himself.

Edition

The work formed the last section of the Anthology of Constantine [PLANUDES], and is printed in Jacobs's edition of the Palatine Anthology, c. xii.

Assessment

Some of the epigrams of Straton are elegant and clever; but nothing can redeem the disgrace attaching to the moral character of his compilation.

Further Information

Brunck, Anal. vol. ii. pp. 359, foil.; Jacobs, Anth. Graec. vol. iii. pp. 68, foll., vol. vi. Proleg. pp. xlvi.--xlix., vol. xiii. pp. 955, 956.

[P.S]