Oppian of Apamea

Oppian (Ancient Greek: Ὀππιανός, Oppianós; Latin: Oppianus), variously given the epithets of Apamea, of Pella, and of Syria, was a Greco-Roman poet during the reign of the emperor Caracalla. His work is often credited to the more famous earlier Oppian of Corycus in Cilicia (present-day southern Turkey) and it is possible his actual name was not Oppian, though he became known as such from the confusion of the two writers.

Oppian of Apamea is now generally credited with the surviving Cynegetica (Κυνηγετικά), whose dedication to Caracalla places it after AD 211. It consists of about 2150 lines and is divided into four books, of which the last seems incomplete. The author evidentially knew of the earlier Oppian's Halieutica and perhaps intended his poem as a supplement. The style and poetical merit is generally poorer; however, it also displays considerable familiarity and knowledge with the subject matter.

Editions

• P. Boudreaux (1908).

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.