Antipater of Sidon (Ἀντίπατρος ὁ Σιδώνιος) Life Antipater of Sidon was a Greek epigrammatist from Phoenicia, active circa 130 BCE. A friend of the philosopher Carneades and associated with the Stoic Panaetius of Rhodes, he was renowned for extemporaneous composition [1]. He traveled widely, participating in the literary circle of the Roman consul Gaius Lutatius Catulus, and died shortly before Cicero's time [1][2].

Works His poetry is preserved exclusively in the Greek Anthology, which attributes over 70 epigrams to him [1][2]. These works encompass dedications, erotic verses, ecphrastic descriptions, and epitaphs. His most famous epitaphs lament cities destroyed during the Mithridatic Wars and the Roman conquest, including a well-known poem for Corinth [1][2].

Significance Antipater exemplifies the technical skill and learned allusiveness of Hellenistic epigram. His verses provide a poignant literary record of contemporary historical upheavals [2]. Highly regarded in antiquity, he influenced later poets like his namesake Antipater of Thessalonica and was preserved through the anthology tradition [1].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antipater-of-Sidon 2. Perseus Digital Library, The Greek Anthology, Vol. I: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0470 3. ToposText, Antipater of Sidon: https://topostext.org/people/1410