The Swan of Sparta: A New Reading of the Epitaph for Alcman by Leonidas of Tarentum (Anth. Pal. 7.19 = 57 G.-P.)

This article suggests a new interpretation of a troubled passage of the epitaph for the poet Alcman by the Hellenistic poet Leonidas of Tarentum ( Anth. Pal. 7.19 = 57 G.-P.). It argues that with minimal changes to the text of l. 3, one can make better sense of the line and ultimately provide a better understanding of the whole epigram and its poetic imagery, corroborated by parallels both in Alcman’s poetry and other passages of Greek literature.