Ecphrasis and manual labour: the aesthetics of woodwork in Leonidas.

The article focuses on how Leonidas of Tarentum's epigrams reconcile his appreciation for poor laborers with his use of ecphrasis, a literary mode traditionally reserved for elite artworks. By examining two epigrams (AP 6.204 and AP 6.205) dedicated to woodworkers and their tools, the study shows that Leonidas employs ecphrastic conventions to aesthetically elevate manual craftsmanship, drawing on iconographic motifs familiar to his ancient audience. These poems blur social and artistic boundaries by presenting woodworkers' tools with vivid, lifelike detail, paralleling depictions of renowned artworks, and thereby expanding the scope of ancient aesthetics beyond fine arts to include craftwork. The article also situates Leonidas' poetic approach within his broader literary program, highlighting a metapoetic dimension that aligns the woodworker's craft with poetic creation, while acknowledging the ambiguity surrounding the social status of the craftsmen depicted.