SILENTIARY Paul (Paulos Silentiarios)

Paul Silentiary; Paulos Silentiarios, VI in. n. e., Greek poet. A high official at the court of Justinian, a close friend epigrammatika Agafya Scholastica (he belonged to the literary "mug Agafya"). P.S. is the author of the narrative poem in 887 hexameter Description of the Temple St.. Sophia in Constantinople (Ekphrasis tu nau tes Hagias Sophias) S which he gave on January 6 563 g. the day of the consecration of the newly constructed temple. Preserved as didactic poem P.S. On the hot spring in the Pythia in Bithynia (Eis ta en Pythiois therma) in 190 hexameters, depicted the miraculous healing properties of different sources, details of which he was obliged to Hellenistic literature paradoksograficheskoy. Beyond that P.S. is the author of some 80 epigrams, deliver to us the Palatine anthology, half of which - the brightly colored eroticism, while the rest relate to other topics (among them the inspiration paintings, gardens). In style and metric P.S. imitates Nonnu, his language is rich and precise. Epigrams were written in elegant style and good taste, they are based on the classic samples.