EN
Analysing the structure and the opening poem of the Cycle Istvan Kapitanffy (1932-1997) examines the characteristics of the early Byzantine epigram. He explains why Agathias, though he accepted the tradition and heritage of the antique epigram, omitted the homoerotic epigrams (paidika) and the epigrams of St Gregory Nazianzen and Palladas from the anthology. He points out that the role of the first unit (1-46) of the opening poem is identical with that of the dialexeis proceding declamations, and that the tropes used here by Agathias show similarities with some of the dialexeis in Chorikios. In his analysis of the second unit of the poem he presents a new argument for the hypothesis concerning the year the Cycle was published (c. 567).