ABSTRACT
No other genre in Greek literature enjoyed such a long or uninterrupted tradition as the epigram, spanning a period from the seventh century BC until well into the Byzantine age. The reason for this continuity lies chiefly in the persistent demand throughout this period for verse inscriptions for graves, votive offerings, public tributes, buildings and so on. Epigrammatic poetry was thus never faced with the need to reconquer its particular niche, and indeed was constantly able to draw fresh inspiration from sub-literary inscription work.
