Archias as a Migrant Poet: Cicero and the Greek Anthology

Archias, the poet whom Cicero defended in his Pro Archia, was a migrant, who was born in Antioch (Syria). Having moved through Asia, Greece, and Italy, he settled in Rome in 102 BCE. Archias was thus one of the many poets and prose writers from Asia and Syria who crossed the Mediterranean to settle in Italy. Characteristic of the extant works of these migrant writers is a certain ‘in-betweenness’: they move between Greek, Roman, and local perspectives. This presentation on Archias as a migrant poet will consist of three parts. First, the category of ancient migrant literature will be briefly introduced. Second, we will consider Cicero’s presentation of Archias as a migrant (cf. Čulik-Baird 2020). Finally, we will interpret two epigrams ascribed to ‘Archias’ in the Greek Anthology, in which the themes of seafaring and the dangers of the sea play a remarkable role.