Laevius is the only pre-Catullan Latin love poet whose work can still be reconstructed. This book collects and discusses approximately 50 fragments from his Erotopaegnia, a collection of narrative poems dealing with various themes from Greek myths. Through comprehensive studies and a detailed interpretative commentary, this publication not only illuminates the significance of Laevius himself but also sheds new light on republican poetry as a whole: The Erotopaegnia are not an example of 'neoteric' poetry, but rather serve as an important representative of archaic Latin love poetry, differing significantly from Catullus and the love elegiacs in both content and style.

Erik Pulz, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.