The Song of Eros: Ancient Greek Love Poems

by Bradley P. Nystrom (Translator), Claudette Sherbert Little (Illustrator)

This collection of new translations of eighty poems provides a pleasant, thought-provoking reminder of love’s vagaries as captured through the wit, charm, and insight of the master poets of antiquity. All the emotions and experiences associated with love—rejection, infatuation, ecstasy, desperation, loneliness—are rendered accessible to contemporary readers through this lively, modern, yet faithful English translation of works that date from the seventh century B.C. to the sixth century A.D. Illustrations accompany the poetry of Plato, Sappho, Stratto, Meleagros, and others, capturing both the flavor of the age and the theme of the texts.

Genres: Poetry, Classics

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 9, 1991

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to know that humans never change.

I love everything about you
everything but that wandering eye of yours,
so fond of the most vile of men.

Rufinius, you sound straight out of a Netflix teen drama.

[Amanda Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small, interesting collection; I found the layout random. The poems seem to be lumped together without reason, with short bios of the poets at the end of the book. Had I organized this book, I would have grouped the poems by the poets and their respective bios, with the poets organized by time period. As it stands, the book is quaint. I will forever remember the poet Antiphilos as immortalizing the catcall.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little collection and well-translated!

[olive tree · Rating 3 out of 5]

peculiar to see that people 2,500 years ago were the same as we are now

[Bouthaïna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable quick reading. Definitely not deep but interesting still


"There is more to love than finding
someone beautiful to please your critical 
eye.
This is love, this is fire:
delighting in someone less than lovely
and adoring her with a heart aflame.
Anyone can like a pretty face."

[anemoska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plato

You're my Star, a stargazer too,
and I wish that I were Heaven,
with a billion eyes to look at you!

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of short poetry.

[• Ru • · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delight!