Asclepiades of Samos (Ἀσκληπιάδης ὁ Σάμιος)

Life Asclepiades was a Greek epigrammatist from Samos, active in the first half of the 3rd century BCE. He lived in Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (r. 283–246 BCE) and was a contemporary of Callimachus and Theocritus [1]. Ancient sources, including the Greek Anthology and the scholar Suidas, confirm his origin and poetic activity [1].

Works His poetic output consists of approximately 40 epigrams preserved in the Greek Anthology and other ancient quotations [1][2]. These are primarily erotic, symposiastic, and dedicatory in theme, along with epitaphs [1][2].

Significance Asclepiades is a foundational figure in the Hellenistic epigram, transforming it from a brief inscription into a sophisticated literary genre for personal expression [1][2]. His concise, elegant poems on love and wine established models extensively imitated by later poets, including Meleager, and influenced Roman poets like Propertius and Ovid [1][2]. The metrical pattern known as the "Asclepiad" is named after him [1].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Asclepiades-of-Samos 2. Perseus Digital Library, entry in Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dasclepiades-bio-2