This book offers a detailed discussion of Callimachus' collection of Iambi.

The chapters on individual poems set out the evidence for the text; address questions of linguistic and antiquarian detail; attempt an interpretation of each poem as a whole; consider the arrangement of the poems, and the composition of the book.

The author argues that the collection consisted of thirteen pieces; that the arrangement of the collection goes back to the poet himself, and that the Iambi are one of the earliest surviving poetry books. An attempt is made to relate this new form of poetic composition to the influence of scholarly interests and techniques on Hellenistic poetry in general, and on Callimachus in particular.

The study includes a list of the papyri of the Iambi, and a list of new readings, supplements, conjectures, and other differences from Pfeiffer's text.