The work of the Hellenistic poets in the third century BC has not only an important place in Greek literature, but also a particular significance for Latin poetry. Despite much technical work on the texts and language of these authors - Theocritus, Callimachus, Apollonius Rhodius, and others - previous literary criticism on most of the major figures is limited in quantity and scope. Dr Hutchinson provides a much needed picture of the poetry of this period, and shows its quality and vitality. He explores the work of the individual writers in turn, while developing a general conception of the poetry as a whole, centred around the poets' handling of tone, level, and form. Of particualr interest to many readers, the book culminates in the presentation of a fresh approach to the influence of Hellenistic poets in Rome. All quotations in Greek or Latin have been translated by the author, making this important new approach to the subject readily accessible to everyone seriously interested in classics - those with simply a basic knowledge of the background as well as students and scholars in the field.