On the Roses: Reflections on a Neglected Poem by Nicholas Kallikles (Carm. 29 Romano)

The poem On the Roses by Nicholas Kallikles, physician and poet at the court of Alexios I and John II Komnenoi, stands out from the author’s poetic corpus due to its length, theme and distinctive features. Although it was considered a religious epigram by the editor, Roberto Romano, On the Roses proves to be closer to the tradition of Spring ekphraseis, of which it shows several distinctive elements, and is rather to be connected with the school milieu, being possibly intended for a performance within the school contests which took place in the capital and in particular, perhaps, within competitions on schede. An ekphrastic schedos on spring attributed to Nicholas Kallikles in ms. Pal. gr. 92 and sharing comparable features with On the Roses strengthens the hypothesis of the poem’s connection with school training and contributes to shed new light on Kallikles’ activity in the court.