Besantinus

Besantinus (Greek: Βησαντῖνος; Bēsantînos, 2nd century AD) was a Greek epigrammatist of the Roman period who flourished in Hadrian's era and was possibly from Rhodes.

Works

The Vatican MS. of the Greek Anthology wrongly attributes to an author of this name two epigrams, of which one is also ascribed to Pallas,^[a] and the other^[b] is included among the epigrams of Theognis.^[c][d] This latter epigram is quoted by Stobaeus as "Theognis or Besantinus".^[e]

The "Egg" of Simmias^[f] bears the following title in the Vatican MS.: Βησαντίνου Ῥόδιου ὠὸν ἢ Δωσιάδα ἢ Σιμμίου ἀμφότεροι Ῥόδιοι.^[g] Hence we may infer that Besantinus was a fellow Rhodian.

An author of this name is repeatedly quoted in the Etymologicum Magnum,^[h] whom Fabricius^[i] rightly identifies with the Helladius Besantinus of Photius.

The name is also spelt Bisantinus (Βισαντῖνος, Bisantînos).^[j]

The Altar

Two manuscripts^[k] of the Bucolics of Theocritus attribute to Besantinus a βωμός (bōmós), a pattern poem in the shape of an altar: 26 verses in different metres forming the eulogising acrostic Ὀλύμπιε πολλοῖς ἔτεσι θυσείας ("Olympian, mayst thou sacrifice for many years"), that is certainly addressed to Hadrian.^[l][1][2]

See also

• Altar poem
• Concrete poetry