The Reception of Ancient Greek Literature in the Iambic Poems of John Geometres

Abstract

John Geometres lived in Constantinople during the second half of the tenth century AD and is one of the most representative authors of the so-called Macedonian Renaissance. This paper examines the reception of the classical tradition in Geometres’ iambic poems preserved in the codex Parisinus Suppl. gr. 352. The analysis is based on the poems, which are either dedicated to ancient Greek authors or contain material deriving from the ancient Greek literature. The paper explores interesting quotations, motifs, vocabulary and techniques that Geometres adopted from ancient Greek literature, and investigates his main literary sources as well as their function. This examination reveals the way Geometres perceived and reshaped his favorite classical models and also provides information about the revival of classical learning in the tenth century.