Chapter 25. Seneca, Petronius, and Lucan: Neronian Victims Of three major representatives of “Menippean” satire, Varro, Seneca, and Petronius, two met their deaths at the hand of Nero, as did Lucan, another prominent poet. In addition, it is possible that Persius was poisoned by Nero; he died of stomach sickness, always suspect in the imperial age. He was friendly with the Nero opposition party among the Stoics;… Read more
Chapter 26. Juvenal: The Burning Poet It is fitting that we should end our survey with Juvenal, for his savagery and artistry mark a culmination of Roman satire. For Gilbert Highet, “The Roman Juvenal was the greatest satiric poet who ever lived.” [1] Though bitterness and venom characterize Juvenal’s poetry, [2] its intent was highly moral and… Read more
Works Cited Plato Texts and Translations Adam, J. 1902. The Republic of Plato. Cambridge. Allen, R. E., trans. 1991. The Dialogues of Plato. vol. 2 The Symposium. New Haven. Benardete, Seth, trans. 1993. Plato’s Symposium. Introduction by Heinrich Meier. 2nd ed. 2001 with commentary by Allan Bloom. Chicago. Brisson, Luc, trans. 1999. Read more
Ex is, qui in porticibus spatiabantur, lapides in Eumolpum recitantem miserunt. At ille, qui plausum ingenii sui nouerat, operuit caput extraque templum profugit. Timui ego, ne me poetam uocaret. Petronius Satyricon Preface The following study started out as an attempt to do for hero poets what Fontenrose had done for hero athletes. Thus, his methodology of theme comparison will be apparent… Read more
Abbreviations ANET: Ancient Near Eastern Texts = Pritchard 1974 CHCL I: Easterling and Knox 1985 CHCL II: Kenney and Clausen 1982 DK: Diels, H. and Kranz, W., eds. 1934–1937. Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker. 3 vols. 5th ed. Berlin FGH: Jacoby, F., ed. 1923–1958. Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker. 3 vols. Berlin IG: Inscriptiones Graecae ITS: Irish Texts Society LCL: Loeb… Read more
Chatper 1. The Pharmakos in Archaic Greece The Greek ritual scapegoat, referred to as the pharmakos, provides an essential foundation for the study of legendary lives of the archaic Greek poets. The lives of Aesop, Hipponax, and Tyrtaeus are especially close to pharmakos themes and characteristics. The Greek ritual scapegoat is a complex religio-historical phenomenon, and aspects of it have been vigorously debated by scholars. Nevertheless, that… Read more
Chapter 2. Aesop: Satirist as Pharmakos in Archaic Greece Aesop is the Greek satirist, by broad definition a poet, [1] who is most clearly and richly assimilated to the pharmakos. The myth of Aesop’s death at Delphi under a false accusation was generally known by the time of Herodotus, according to whom the Delphians, commanded by the Delphic oracle, offered compensation for… Read more
Chapter 3. Archilochus: Sacred Obscenity and Judgment The vita of Aesop is something of a prototype, both in its fullness and in its ringing the changes on the “sacred” scapegoat theme. The lives of many Greek poets include similar themes. They will be surveyed in this and subsequent chapters, concentrating on poets whose vitae have been assimilated to the scapegoat in some way, or who have been… Read more
Chapter 4. Hipponax: Creating the Pharmakos Hipponax was an iambic satirist second only to Archilochus in fame, and his traditional life shares important themes with Archilochus’ (for example, causing death through satire). [1] Like Archilochus, he is an exiled poet. Hipponax is of special interest because he is the earliest extant witness for the pharmakos rite. It is striking that an exiled,… Read more
Chapter 5. Homer: The Trial of the Rhapsode Not surprisingly, considering the overwhelming prestige of the Iliad and the Odyssey, a heroizing body of legend attached itself to a person regarded as the author of those poems. The legend of Homer follows the pattern under consideration in important ways: the poet is a wanderer, like Aesop; he is exiled from inhospitable cities; and there is a dramatic… Read more
