Hyblaea avena. Reception of Theocritus in Greek and Latin Literature of the Roman Imperial and Early Modern Period

Pipes being handed down from one shepherd to another in the tradition of music making can easily be imagined as a scenario in real life, whether in ancient times or today. And indeed, some pipes from antiquity are still in use 2000 years later, at least metaphorically speaking. Easy to track are the ones Theocritus used in creating the genre of pastoral poetry with idyllic landscapes and characters that seem to be transported from their real life duties and dialogues into the realm of verses...