Amoebaean singing

The form is believed to have been used by Greek shepherds to entertain themselves. Later, it would evolve into a judged competition, consisting of multiple rounds of singing between competitors. Competitors would be judged more favorably if they could continue a theme through multiple rounds.^[1]

The poet Theocritus relied heavily on Amoebaean singing, with it becoming his and his successors' "hallmark", according to David M. Halperin.^[1]

Amoebaean singing can be seen in Theocritus' Idyll 5: The Goatherd and the Shepherd, in an exchange between the goatherd Comatas and the shepherd Lacon.^[1][2]