Chapter 22. Cicero Maledicus, Cicero Exul This chapter will regard Cicero as a poet in a nontechnical sense, an artist projecting the archaic categories of praise and blame in his verbal medium, oratory, and will examine how “aggressive” elements in his speeches contributed to his exiles and death. Oratory, even if it is not metrical, is closely linked to poetry. When it was no longer customary… Read more
Chapter 23. Ovid: Practicing the Studium Fatale Perhaps the most famous poetic exile in Latin literature is Ovid’s. He was the first major poet-victim of the repressive powers of the imperator; as he was the most popular living poet, [1] this banishment served notice that freedom of poetic expression would be severely curtailed in the Augustan regime. This had been prefigured in… Read more
Chapter 24. Phaedrus: Another Fabulist In Phaedrus, we meet once again, in miniature format, the direct Aesopic line of tradition: Aesop, Archilochus, Socrates; fables, offense of the powerful, punishment. Phaedrus, an Augustan freedman of Thracian birth, versified (like Socrates) and Latinized Aesop’s fables; but he added some fables of his own, which reflected somewhat the current sociopolitical scene, and included an occasional combative response to a critic. Read more
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
