Assembled here for the first time in the English language, is the whole spectrum of erotic poetry from ancient Greece and Rome, from Sappho through Ovid. Attempting to recreate in English the full range of styles and tones present in the original Greek and Latin, the translators aim to capture gamut of amorous situations portrayed in these poems. The volume contains an introduction acquainting the reader with ancient sexual mores in their social setting and offering a stimulating and helpful approach to reading ancient erotic verse. The poems are prefaced by brief sketches of each poet's life and times, poetic output and style, and are accompanied by informative notes elucidating references to myth, geography, to historical events and personages, and unfamiliar sexual and social customs. This book should be of interest to students and teachers of classics, literature and gender studies.