Ecphrastic Elements in Archaic and Classical Agonistic Epigrams

Ecphrasis is a typical element of Hellenistic epigrams. Erudite poets love talking about works of art and their manufacturers, and stimulate the sensorial perception of viewers. My aim is to detect traces of ecphrasis in agonistic epigrams of the Archaic and Classical age. This sort of inscriptions, in fact, are particularly receptive at this regard because agonistic statuary was one of the first fields which saw the impulse to verisimilitude. For this reason, some of the agonistic epigrams seem to be aware of the innovative character of the statue they accompany and do not fail to praise its beauty or the ability of the sculptor.