Abstract This article argues that Marcus Argentarius, the witty and obscene epigrammatist from the Garland of Philip , juxtaposes his brand of erotic, sympotic poetry with the learned astronomical poetry of Aratus in two poems that utilise imagery of the cosmos and constellations, Anth. Pal. 5.105/7 G–P and Anth. Pal. 9.270/26 G–P. I review the (recognised) obscene double entendres in Anth. Pal. 5.105/7 G–P, compare that poem to Philodemus’ own ‘dirty astronomy’ epigram ( Anth. Pal. 11.318/28 G–P/31 Sider), and then suggest that Anth. Pal. 9.270/26 G–P also contains obscene double entendres, which equate Argentarius’ lyre-playing with masturbation, and masturbation with the writing of amusing, erotic epigrams.
Leah Kronenberg (Fri,) studied this question.
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