The Greek Anthology, a collection of epigrams from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, contains numerous references to cheese, often in pastoral or humorous contexts. Poets such as Palladas of Alexandria wrote epigrams mentioning cheese in culinary descriptions and everyday life. These brief poems demonstrate that cheese was a familiar and appreciated part of Greek literary culture, appearing in both serious and playful verse.

The epigrammatic tradition of the Greek Anthology, with its casual yet vivid references to cheese, provided a model for later poets in the Renaissance and Neoclassical periods who sought to include everyday objects in their verse. The Anthology's blend of humor and pastoral nostalgia influenced poets from Ben Jonson to Robert Herrick, who wrote playful poems celebrating cheese and other simple pleasures. This tradition kept the literary association of cheese with rural delight alive.