Two reluctant women

Two from Book 5 of the Anthology. 'Cyprian' and 'Cytherea' are cult titles of Aphrodite; Melittias's name is sweet (melissa or melitta is a honey-bee).

5.85
ASCLEPIADES

You hoard your maidenhead, and to what gain?
When you go down to Hades, bashful girl,
You will not find yourself a lover there;
The pleasures of the Cyprian are meant
For us, the living, who as bones and dust
Will sleep forever on the Acheron.

5.87
RUFINUS

Melissias denies she is in love,
And yet her body shrieks the quiverful
Of arrows that have pierced it. So her step
Is frantic, like the racing of her breath;
Hollow the eyes where love-darts found their mark.
But, unfulfilled Desires, I call on you
By Cythereia of the shining crown:
This woman who disdains your mother’s fame —
Burn her till she admits, ‘I feel your flame.’

Two literary epitaphs by Antipater of Sidon

The Anthology has two Antipaters; this is the earlier (2nd century BC). The later one came from Thessalonica and was patronised by Lucius Calpurnius Piso, a trusted friend of Augustus. Both leave us plenty of excellent epigrams.

These two are 7.23 and 7.34 in the Anthology.

Anacreon, the great lyric poet of love and wine, was a favourite choice of subject for literary epitaphs; more such survive than for Homer, even.

May ivy flourish here, ANACREON,
Thickly in clusters, and the tender blooms
Of purple-dotted meadows also grow
About your place of burial; may springs
Of chalk-white milk burst forth from rocks around,
And sweetly smelling wine from fountains flow,
So that your ashes and your bones may know
Delightful entertainment in your stead,
If there is any joy among the dead.

The trumpet-blast of the Pierians,
The grave and burly smith who hammered out
Such nimble hymns: PINDAR this dust entombs,
Whose song, if you should hear it, you would say
Was moulded by a swarm of honey-bees
Sent by the Muses to the bedchamber
That Cadmus shared with lady Harmony.

Since making these I've come across a lovely version of by Roderick Saxey on his fascinating blog.