Page "Alcaeus of Mytilene" Paragraph 23

* Love songs: Almost all Alcaeus ' amorous verses, mentioned with disapproval by Quintilian above, have vanished without trace.

There is a brief reference to his love poetry in a passage by Cicero.

Horace, who often wrote in imitation of Alcaeus, sketches in verse one of the Lesbian poet's favourite subjects-Lycus of the black hair and eyes ( C. 1. 32. 11-12: nigris oculis nigroque / crine decorum ).

It is possible that Alcaeus wrote amorously about Sappho, as indicated in an earlier quote.