Ion of Samos and His Inscribed Epigrams in Delphi

A ‘New’ Simonides

Bibliographic Data

ID21370343
AuthorsFlavia Licciardello (Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna , Dipartimento di Filologia Classica e Italianistica , via Zamboni 32 , Bologna Italy, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume170
Issue1
Pages19-43
Publication date2026-07-08
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePhilologus (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0031-7985 • E-ISSN: 2196-7008
PublisherWalter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/phil-2025-0029
OpenAlexW7165669322
LanguageEN
References cited37

This paper re-evaluates the dating and significance of Ion of Samos’ inscribed epigrams on the Spartan monument at Delphi ( CEG 819.i–iii), traditionally thought to be a later addition from the second half of the fourth century BCE. A reassessment of the epigraphic, historical and literary evidence suggests that the epigrams were more likely composed in the late fifth or early fourth century BCE. The analysis also explores Ion’s unusual decision to sign his epigrams, positioning his work within the broader tradition of ‘historical’ epigrams, particularly those attributed to Simonides. By drawing on language and themes from Persian War commemorations, Ion’s verses celebrate Sparta’s Panhellenic dominance following Aegospotami while challenging Athens’ earlier poetic and monumental narratives. His signature, whether a personal statement or a commission-driven choice, marks an early moment in the transition of Greek epigram from an anonymous, inscribed genre to a literary form with attributed authorship

Dominance (genetics) · Inscribed figure · Poetry · Sign (mathematics) · Statement (logic) · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Classical Antiquity Studies · Globalization, Historical Perspectives, and International Relations

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