Iambic Poetics in the Roman Empire

348 Pages·2014·1.89 MB·English

by  Tom Hawkins

Iambic Poetics in the Roman Empire
This is thefirst book to study theimpactof invective poetics associ-
atedwithearlyGreekiambicpoetryonRomanimperialauthorsand
audiences. It demonstrates how authors as varied as Ovid and
Gregory Nazianzen wove recognizable elements of the iambic trad-
ition (e.g., meter, motifs, or poetic biographies) into other literary
forms(e.g.,elegy,oratoricalprose,anthologiesoffables),anditshows
that the humorous, scurrilous, efficacious aggression of Archilochus
continuedtofacilitatenegotiationsofpowerandsocialrelationslong
afterHorace’sEpodes.TheeclecticapproachencompassesGreekand
Latin,proseandpoetry,andexploratoryinterludesappendedtoeach
chapter help to open four centuries of later classical literature to
wider debates about the function, propriety, and value of the lowest
and most debated poetic form from archaic Greece. Each chapter
presents a unique variation on how each of these imperial authors
becameArchilochus– however briefly andto whatever end.
tom hawkins
is Associate Professor of Classics at Ohio State
University. His work and teaching focus on iambic poetics and
invectiveaswell as animal studies andpersonhood.

Iambic Poetics in the Roman Empire
tom hawkins
OhioStateUniversity
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Firstpublished2014
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Hawkins,Tom,1972–
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pagescm
Includesbibliographicalreferences.
ISBN978-1-107-01208-0(Hardback)
1. Archilochus–Criticismandinterpretation. 2. Archilochus–Influence. 3. Iambicpoetry,
Classical–Historyandcriticism. 4. Greeklanguage–Metricsandrhythmics. 5. Latin
language–Metricsandrhythmics. 6. Latinliterature–Greekinfluences. I. Title.
PA3873.A77H392014
870.9’001–dc23
ISBN978-1-107-01208-0Hardback
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For Madeleine and Phoebe

Table of Contents
Acknowledgements [page ix]
Abbreviations [x]
Introduction: the bitter Muse [1]
Introduction [1]
Post-Horatianiambicpoetics [7]
SlurringThersites’words:dissimulatediambicpoetry(Chapters1–3) [9]
ProsaicpasturesoftheMuses:simulatediambicpoetics
(Chapters4–6) [16]
ConjuringupIambe:whattheimperialeraknewabout
iambicpoetics [23]
1 Iambus delayed: Ovid’s Ibis [32]
Introduction [32]
Ovid’siambicdissimulation [38]
Callimachusandtheideaofibidicinvective [46]
Callimachus’IbisandPlato’sPhaedrus [51]
ThegeopoeticsofwashingashoreatTomis [63]
RuiningtheNewYearinOvid’sIbis [69]
Ibidictherapyasaremedyforexile [73]
Conclusions [78]
Interlude 1 “Bad artists imitate, great artists steal”:
Martial and the trope of not being iambic [82]
2 Iambos denied: Babrius’ Mythiambi [87]
Introduction [87]
Iambosandfable [89]
Choliambsthatneitherstingnorbite [93]
PreconditioninganiambicreadingofBabrius’fables [111]
TheiambicmodeinBabrius’fables [118]
BabriusandPhaedrus [128]
Conclusions [134]
Interlude 2 Iambopoioi after Babrius [137]
3 The Christian ἰαμβοποιός – Gregory Nazianzen [142]
Introduction [142]
TheCallimacheanturn:Eistaemmetra [146]
Gregorybitesbackatthedog [163]
vii
viii Table of Contents
Gregorytheholymanvs.thebishops [169]
Conclusions [178]
Interlude 3 Palladas and epigrammatic iambos [181]
4 Archilochus in Tarsus: Dio Chrysostom’s First Tarsian [186]
Introduction [186]
EthicalλοιδορίαandethicalcrisisinTarsus [188]
BecomingArchilocheanandtheorizingλοιδορία [194]
RereadingDio’spersona [198]
Dio’sArchilocheanperformance [206]
Conclusions [214]
Interlude 4 Begging with Hipponax [216]
5 Playful aggression: Lucian’s Pseudologista [220]
Introduction [221]
Lucianontheattack [225]
Funwith(fightingover)words [230]
Thegaucheaggressor [237]
Themouthofthebarbarian [242]
Mocksalvationonthekalends [250]
Conclusions [254]
Interlude 5 Neobule in love: the Ps.-Lucianic Amores [257]
6 Festive iambos: Julian’s Misopogon [262]
Introduction [262]
Updatingiambicpoetics [267]
Theemperor’sbeard [275]
OfHellenesandbarbarians [280]
CarnivalatAntioch [286]
Conclusions [293]
Interlude 6 Iambic time travel: Julian the Egyptian on
Archilochus [295]
Conclusions: becoming Archilochus [300]
Works cited [304]
Index of passages cited [318]
Index of Greek words [328]
General index [329]