This study traces developments in early Greek poetry in the use of disease and madness-type imagery to express aspects of the erotic experience. Cyrino also works to illuminate the relationships between the early hexameter narrative poets and the archaic lyric poets who employ this imagery in their works. The arrangement of this study is conveniently chronological as to make the interrelations between the uses of this imagery by different authors in different periods more easily understandable. The author takes particular notice of the first instances of usage of disease and madness imagery for love, and how and where variations on the theme or new uses of the old image occur, and of the characteristic metaphorical habits of each poet.
Contents: Preface; Introduction; Eros; Homer; Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite; The Lyric Poets: Archiochos and Alkman; The Lyric Poets: Alkaios, Ibykos and Anakreon; Sappho; Conclusions; Bibliography; Index of Passages Cited; Index of Greek Words; General Index.