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In Greece and Italy: Daphnis

Daphnis won the prize for singing among the goatherds. "So sang the lads, and the goatherd thus bespoke them: ""Sweet is thy mouth, O Daphnis, and delectable thy song! Better is it to listen to thy singing than to taste the honeycomb. Take thou the pipe, for thou hast conquered in the singing match." "Cicala to cicala is dear, and ant to ant, and hawks to hawks, but to me the Muse and song. Of song may all my dwelling be full, for sleep is not more sweet, nor sudden spring, nor flowers are more delicious to the bees so dear to me are the Muses. Whom they look on in happy hour, Circe hath never harmed with her enchanted potion." - In Greece and Italy In another vein the poet with a gleam of fun causes the herdsman who has been rejected and ridiculed by a city damsel thus to describe himself when indignantly telling his story to his mates: - "Shepherds, tell me the very truth; am I not beautiful? Mine eyes were brighter far than the glance of the grayeyed Athene, my mouth than even pressed milk was sweeter, and from my lips my voice flowed sweeter than honey from the honeycomb."