Macht und Übermacht der Tradition. Dichterkataloge in der lateinischen Literatur von Ovid bis Sidonius
-
Claudia Schindler
Abstract
Catalogues introducing poets and their works are widespread in Roman literature. By mentioning a poetic predecessor the author of the catalogue places himself in the respective literary tradition. My contribution analyses three poetic catalogues from the Early Empire (Ov. Am. 1.15 and Manil. 2.1-52) and Late Antiquity (Sidon. Carm. 9) with a focus on the role of the self-referential author. The study shows that the (youthful) first person narrator of Ovid’s Amores is very confident in his own poetic ability and thus his position among his literary predecessors. The purpose of the catalogue is twofold: the author attempts to highlight his own poetic prowess and argues for poetic immortality in a long line of meticulous scientific arguments. Manilius, on the other hand, justifies his claim to be the first astronomical-astrological poet by highlighting the novelty of his own poetic concept in comparison to the literary tradition. He demonstrates that his originality derives not so much from his choice of material, but the method employed and his capable intellectual penetration of the subject matter. The late antique poet Sidonius Apollinaris designs his catalogue as recusatio, and explicitly distances himself from the literary tradition, which the first-person narrator perceives to be overwhelming and suppressive. The conflict between the self-fashioning and the highly learned poetry of Sidonius creates a paradox, which the recipient is challenged to identify. The three catalogues studied here represent a paradigm shift that transforms the literary tradition from an opportunity in Ovid and Manilius to an overpowering, incontestable concept in Sidonius, with which he nonetheless copes in his poetry.
Abstract
Catalogues introducing poets and their works are widespread in Roman literature. By mentioning a poetic predecessor the author of the catalogue places himself in the respective literary tradition. My contribution analyses three poetic catalogues from the Early Empire (Ov. Am. 1.15 and Manil. 2.1-52) and Late Antiquity (Sidon. Carm. 9) with a focus on the role of the self-referential author. The study shows that the (youthful) first person narrator of Ovid’s Amores is very confident in his own poetic ability and thus his position among his literary predecessors. The purpose of the catalogue is twofold: the author attempts to highlight his own poetic prowess and argues for poetic immortality in a long line of meticulous scientific arguments. Manilius, on the other hand, justifies his claim to be the first astronomical-astrological poet by highlighting the novelty of his own poetic concept in comparison to the literary tradition. He demonstrates that his originality derives not so much from his choice of material, but the method employed and his capable intellectual penetration of the subject matter. The late antique poet Sidonius Apollinaris designs his catalogue as recusatio, and explicitly distances himself from the literary tradition, which the first-person narrator perceives to be overwhelming and suppressive. The conflict between the self-fashioning and the highly learned poetry of Sidonius creates a paradox, which the recipient is challenged to identify. The three catalogues studied here represent a paradigm shift that transforms the literary tradition from an opportunity in Ovid and Manilius to an overpowering, incontestable concept in Sidonius, with which he nonetheless copes in his poetry.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Inhalt VII
- Vorwort XI
- Laudatio XIII
- Kurzvita XVII
- Schriftenverzeichnis von Christiane Reitz XIX
- Tabula gratulatoria XXVII
- Autorenverzeichnis XXXIII
-
Teil I: Die Tradition der epischen Dichtung von Homer bis Milton: Ambivalentes Heldentum und der epische Raum
- Einleitung 3
- Phoinix über die Verblendung des Helden 7
- Aeneas and Octavian: The Sharing of Epic Identity 37
- Resonantia saxa – Scylla und die Mauern von Megara (Ov. Met. 8.6–154) 71
- Iterum Philippi. La ‘doppiezza di Filippi’ da Virgilio a Lucano 91
- „Zweimal Emathien“: Das Proöm zu Lucans Bellum Ciuile und die Georgica Vergils 121
- Killed by Friendly Fire. Divine Scheming and Fatal Miscommunication in Valerius Flaccus’ Cyzicus Episode 145
- La mort de Tydée dans la Thébaïde de Stace 181
- Regulus and the Inconsistencies of Fame in Silius Italicus’ Punica 201
- The Vertical Axis in Classical and Post- Classical Epic 219
-
Teil II: Literarische Autorität: Dichter, Gattungskonventionen und Erneuerung
- Einleitung 241
- Numerosus Horatius. Metren und inhaltliche Bezüge im ersten Odenbuch des Horaz 245
- The Po(e)ts and Pens of Persius’ Third Satire (The Waters of Roman Satire, Part 2) 267
- Schlaflos mit Kallimachos. Eine Interpretation von Stat. Silv. 5.4 285
- Enthüllte Göttinnen. Der Blick des Dichters (Ovid und Kallimachos) 311
- Macht und Übermacht der Tradition. Dichterkataloge in der lateinischen Literatur von Ovid bis Sidonius 335
- Der Mythos von Orpheus und Eurydice bei Ovid und Boethius 359
- Apuleius in France: La Fontaine’s Psyché and its Apuleian Model 385
- Rote Schafe, Goldene Zeit. Ein märchenhaftes Motiv bei Homer, Vergil und Voltaire 401
- Eduard Mörikes Roman von Cerinthus und Sulpicia 419
-
Teil III: Wissensvermittlung in Text und Bild: Rhetorische Exemplarität und didaktische exempla
- Einleitung 449
- nempe exemplis discimus. Tradition und Beispiel bei Phaedrus (3.9) 455
- The Poetry of Animals in Love. A Reading of Oppian’s Halieutica and Cynegetica 473
- Beyond the Fence. Columella’s Garden 501
- Zur Vereinbarkeit von ratio und reuerentia in Columellas Umgang mit Vergil 515
- A Lesson from the East: A New Pattern of Virility in Ovid’s Fasti 547
- Mit Alexander dem Großen und Albinovanus Pedo am Ende der Welt 575
- The ‘Controversial’ Continence of Scipio in Literature and Art: Gellius’ Noctes Atticae and Nicolò dell’Abate 595
- Titi summa clementia. Unbeachtete Zeugen für ein sprichwörtliches Herrscherbild 617
- Disertus vel desertus (Aug. Conf. 2.3.5) 637
- The Endeavours and exempla of the German Refugee Classicists Eva Lehmann Fiesel and Ruth Fiesel 655
- Bibliography 689
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Inhalt VII
- Vorwort XI
- Laudatio XIII
- Kurzvita XVII
- Schriftenverzeichnis von Christiane Reitz XIX
- Tabula gratulatoria XXVII
- Autorenverzeichnis XXXIII
-
Teil I: Die Tradition der epischen Dichtung von Homer bis Milton: Ambivalentes Heldentum und der epische Raum
- Einleitung 3
- Phoinix über die Verblendung des Helden 7
- Aeneas and Octavian: The Sharing of Epic Identity 37
- Resonantia saxa – Scylla und die Mauern von Megara (Ov. Met. 8.6–154) 71
- Iterum Philippi. La ‘doppiezza di Filippi’ da Virgilio a Lucano 91
- „Zweimal Emathien“: Das Proöm zu Lucans Bellum Ciuile und die Georgica Vergils 121
- Killed by Friendly Fire. Divine Scheming and Fatal Miscommunication in Valerius Flaccus’ Cyzicus Episode 145
- La mort de Tydée dans la Thébaïde de Stace 181
- Regulus and the Inconsistencies of Fame in Silius Italicus’ Punica 201
- The Vertical Axis in Classical and Post- Classical Epic 219
-
Teil II: Literarische Autorität: Dichter, Gattungskonventionen und Erneuerung
- Einleitung 241
- Numerosus Horatius. Metren und inhaltliche Bezüge im ersten Odenbuch des Horaz 245
- The Po(e)ts and Pens of Persius’ Third Satire (The Waters of Roman Satire, Part 2) 267
- Schlaflos mit Kallimachos. Eine Interpretation von Stat. Silv. 5.4 285
- Enthüllte Göttinnen. Der Blick des Dichters (Ovid und Kallimachos) 311
- Macht und Übermacht der Tradition. Dichterkataloge in der lateinischen Literatur von Ovid bis Sidonius 335
- Der Mythos von Orpheus und Eurydice bei Ovid und Boethius 359
- Apuleius in France: La Fontaine’s Psyché and its Apuleian Model 385
- Rote Schafe, Goldene Zeit. Ein märchenhaftes Motiv bei Homer, Vergil und Voltaire 401
- Eduard Mörikes Roman von Cerinthus und Sulpicia 419
-
Teil III: Wissensvermittlung in Text und Bild: Rhetorische Exemplarität und didaktische exempla
- Einleitung 449
- nempe exemplis discimus. Tradition und Beispiel bei Phaedrus (3.9) 455
- The Poetry of Animals in Love. A Reading of Oppian’s Halieutica and Cynegetica 473
- Beyond the Fence. Columella’s Garden 501
- Zur Vereinbarkeit von ratio und reuerentia in Columellas Umgang mit Vergil 515
- A Lesson from the East: A New Pattern of Virility in Ovid’s Fasti 547
- Mit Alexander dem Großen und Albinovanus Pedo am Ende der Welt 575
- The ‘Controversial’ Continence of Scipio in Literature and Art: Gellius’ Noctes Atticae and Nicolò dell’Abate 595
- Titi summa clementia. Unbeachtete Zeugen für ein sprichwörtliches Herrscherbild 617
- Disertus vel desertus (Aug. Conf. 2.3.5) 637
- The Endeavours and exempla of the German Refugee Classicists Eva Lehmann Fiesel and Ruth Fiesel 655
- Bibliography 689
