Life The composer(s) of the Συμποσιακά (Convivial Songs) are anonymous. The work originates from the 5th–4th centuries BCE, the Classical period in which the Athenian symposium was a central cultural institution. The songs represent a genre of traditional drinking poetry (skolia) that was performed orally at such gatherings before being recorded in writing [1].

Works The Συμποσιακά are a collection of short lyric poems composed for symposia. The work survives fragmentarily, primarily through quotations preserved by later authors like Athenaeus [2].

Significance These songs are primary evidence for the atmosphere and popular culture of the Greek symposium. They reflect the values, proverbial wisdom, and political sentiments of aristocratic society, offering a collective poetic voice distinct from authored literary compositions. Their preservation in Athenaeus’s Deipnosophistae underscores their enduring interest as artifacts of convivial life [1][2].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/topic/skolion 2. Perseus Digital Library, Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2013.01.0002:book=15:chapter=50&highlight=skolia