PhD dissertation by Francesco Pelliccio
My PhD dissertation is an exhaustive commentary on the 31 epigrams ascribed to Apollonides. It de... more My PhD dissertation is an exhaustive commentary on the 31 epigrams ascribed to Apollonides. It deals with textual, literary, intertextual, historical, stylistic and metric matters. From a methodological point of view, I employed such a multiple perspective of analysis to fully understand the literariness and multiple layers of meaning of the epigrams of Apollonides. The commentary is preceded by an extended introduction, where I sum up the poetic features of Apollonides in the context of Late Hellenistic epigrammatic literature.
Papers by Francesco Pelliccio
Rivista di Filologia e di Istruzione Classica, 2020
Nel momento in cui licenzio questo lavoro, ringrazio, in primo luogo, il Prof. Giulio Massimilla ... more Nel momento in cui licenzio questo lavoro, ringrazio, in primo luogo, il Prof. Giulio Massimilla che mi ha seguito, con la sua acribia e competenza, lungo tutto il mio percorso di studente universitario. In secondo luogo, ringrazio gli altri docenti che hanno contribuito a questo mio percorso, con particolare riferimento ai Proff. Giancarlo Abbamonte, Antonella Borgo,
Maia 70/3, 2018
In Macr. Sat. ii 4, 31, a humble Greek poet (Graeculus) repeatedly begs Augustus to accept a prai... more In Macr. Sat. ii 4, 31, a humble Greek poet (Graeculus) repeatedly begs Augustus to accept a praising epigram. To make him leave, the emperor himself plays the role of a poet: he composes an epigram impromptu and offers it to the Graeculus. In turn, the Greekling plays the role of an addressee of poetry and donates all of his money to the emperor, just a few denarii, and adds: “if I had more, I would give you more”. Augustus has to laugh at the joke of the Graeculus and donates him a big sum. Analyzing this anecdote in the framework of the testimonia about Augustus as a Greek poet, I aim to show that the sentence uttered by the Greekling capsizes a common anathematic motive, which runs as follows: “O deity, if you give me more (than my present offering), I will offer you more in return”. This motive was commonly used by Greek epigrammatists. In some late Hellenistic epigrams there is even an eulogistic shift in the employ of this topos, as the laudandus plays in these poems the very same role played by the god in the traditional formulation of the motive. So, Augustus is presented in the anecdote as an ironic, educated and open individual and, at the same time, is implicitly portrayed as a deus praesens, who immediately fulfills the wishes of his subjects. Although it can not be ruled out that the anecdote has undergone a remake process during the time, this Macrobian anecdote might be traced back to a propaganda to create a public persona of Augustus. In spite of its articulate structure, the anecdote can be seen as testimony to Augustus's knowledge of the Greek language as well.
Seminari Romani di Cultura Greca (SemRom), n. s. VI 2017, pp. 135-159, 2017
This paper can be downloaded for free - Articolo liberamente scaricabile
This paper compares a n... more This paper can be downloaded for free - Articolo liberamente scaricabile
This paper compares a number of epigrams from the Garland of Philip and their likely models in the Garland of Meleager. By such a comparison, this work aims to stress the common features in the Philippan variations, which in turn would represent stylistic trends of the second Garland, namely: 1) the avoidance of suspense, by revealing the theme of a poem from its beginning; 2) the use of standard expressions, possibly felt as sub-generic hallmarks; 3) the reduction in the number of enjambments and the overall tendency towards a rigorous distribution of the themes in every line or couplet; 4) the relevant role played by the words, which the model and the imitation share; 5) the lexical refinement, a frequent feature but less prominent than commonly believed. By trying to shed light on these stylistic trends of Philippan variations, this paper wants to offer an argument against the view of Philippan poetry as merely imitative.
Doris Meyer, Céline Urlacher-Becht (édd.) - La rhétorique du “petit” dans l’épigramme grecque et latine, De Boccard, 2017
Feel free to contact me if you are interested in this paper.
In their standard commentary to the... more Feel free to contact me if you are interested in this paper.
In their standard commentary to the Garland of Philip, Gow & Page argued that the word ὀλιγοστιχίη («verse-brevity») in AP IV, 2, 6 (= GPh 2633) has, in the phrasing of the verse, no specific metapoetic value. Critics have recently rejected this position and shown that the word ὀλιγοστιχίη has a metapoetic connotation; it expresses – indeed – the search for brevity pursued in Philip's collection, that is the almost total absence of epigrams longer than 4 couplets and the stylistic aspiration to an essential poetry. This is clearly indicated by AP IV, 2, which is by far shorter than AP IV, 1 (14 lines vs. 58). I aim to add some further remarks to this position by linking the concept of ὀλιγοστιχίη to the standardization which took place in the epigrammatic poetry between the 1st century B.C.E. and the 1st century C.E. This will explain why Philippan epigrams are on average longer than epigrams from the Garland of Meleager.
A. Carrano, E. Massimilla, F. Tessitore (edd.) Wilhelm von Humboldt, duecentocinquant'anni dopo. Incontri e Confronti, 2017
This paper presents the history of the relationship between Chr. G. Heyne and W. v. Humboldt.
In ... more This paper presents the history of the relationship between Chr. G. Heyne and W. v. Humboldt.
In particular, I focus on their correspondence, and suggest a new relative chronology of their letter exchange.
I also discuss the affinities and the differences in their idea of antiquity and Classical studies.
Dalla civiltà classica all'umanesimo (Editpress, Napoli, 2014), pp. 237-248, May 2014
""AP 9,564 (Nicias) deals with a bee producing honey and it has been imitated in AP 9,226 (Zonas)... more ""AP 9,564 (Nicias) deals with a bee producing honey and it has been imitated in AP 9,226 (Zonas), AP 9,404 (Antiphilus), AP 6,239 (Apollonides).
This has already been noted by the critics; nevertheless, I aim to show in this paper that each of these imitation has a peculiar point in imitating its model.""
F. Longo Auricchio (ed.), Dalla civiltà classica all'Umanesimo (Editpress, Napoli, 2014), pp. 327-333, May 2014
In this paper I analyze the epigrams of Martial which cope with two animals, mullets and parrots.... more In this paper I analyze the epigrams of Martial which cope with two animals, mullets and parrots. Martial shows a different attitude to the Greek epigramatic tradition in each of these cases.
Mullets are frequently quoted in Martial's poems as one of the status-symbol of the wealthy Roman aristocracy, which represents a strong contrast to the Greek characterization of mullets.
Martial's depiction of parrots is also partly innovative but it surely goes back to a Greek tradition of "talking animals"
R. Grisolia - G. Matino (edd.), Arte della parola e parole della scienza. Tecniche della comunicazione letteraria nel mondo antico, pp. 175-192, Apr 2014
""In this paper I analyse the words and rhetorical structures used by late Hellenistic epigrammat... more ""In this paper I analyse the words and rhetorical structures used by late Hellenistic epigrammatists (100 BCE - 50 CE) in the epigrams addressed to their patrons, mostly Roman patricians and emperors.
The purpose of this work is to show that the traditional formulae of dedicatory epigrams are often re-employed by the poets of the Garland of Philip in order to portrait the amicitia between themselves and the dedicatees.
The patronage results as a direct relationship based on values such as mutual friendship, loyalty and culture, which has a key-role. Indeed, on the one hand, the σοφία of the patrons is often stated and they are said to be able to inspire and to praise the poets. On the other, the poets often boast of their own poetic production. This factor generates a counterbalancing impact on the political and economical asymmetry between themselves
and their patrons.""
Ugo Criscuolo (a cura di), La Retorica Greca fra Tardo Antico ed Età Bizantina: Idee e Forme (D'Auria Napoli 2012), pp. 255-270, Nov 2012
This article aims to analyze a commonplace in Greek funerary epigrams: the motif of the two dead ... more This article aims to analyze a commonplace in Greek funerary epigrams: the motif of the two dead bodies buried in on tombstone (the roots of this topos are to be found in the XXIII book of the Iliad and in the Alcestis of Euripides). The paper investigates the presence of the motif in both Meleager's and Philip's Garlands, and above all in the poetry of the Late Antiquity, such as the epigrams of Gregory of Nazianzus, those in the Cyclos of Agathias, the Dionysiaca of Nonnus of Panopolis and Hero and Leander of Musaeus. With the exception of a single case, where a direct imitation could have taken place, these poets did not intentionally imitate each other. On the contrary, I argue that they referred to this motif by using some well-defined formulas, in order to express their full awareness of the existence of this traditional commonplace in funerary epigrams. Such an awareness is particularly prominent in the passage of Nonnus.
Reviews by Francesco Pelliccio
Atene e Roma, 2017
M. A. Tueller's book is a welcome update of the LCL edition of the Greek Anthology, translated by... more M. A. Tueller's book is a welcome update of the LCL edition of the Greek Anthology, translated by W. R. Paton a century ago. I first give an overview of Tueller's revision, then discuss a number of passages, where Tueller's improvements to Paton's book can be fully evaluated.
in A. Busetto - S. C. Loukas (a cura di), Ricerche a Confronto. Dialoghi di Antichità Classiche ... more in A. Busetto - S. C. Loukas (a cura di), Ricerche a Confronto. Dialoghi di Antichità Classiche e del Vicino Oriente (Bologna - Roma Tre - Torino, 2012), Edizioni Saecula, Zermeghedo (2015), pp. 76-94 (la risposta è alle pp. 89-91)
Talks by Francesco Pelliccio
"No space separates in the Planudean Manuscript APl 49 (=Apollonides XXVIII GP) from APl 50 (= Ap... more "No space separates in the Planudean Manuscript APl 49 (=Apollonides XXVIII GP) from APl 50 (= Apollonides XXIX GPh). However all editors consider these poems as two separates epigrams because of the relevant differences between them.
Apart from this philological effort, no attention is given to the very meaning of APl 50, which is considered by all editors as an obscure amatory epigram.
In this this talk, I provide a review of the whole question and suggest that a totally different interpretation of APl 50 can be put forward.
The paper of this talk is forthcoming."
"AP 9,564 (Nicias), AP 9,226 (Zonas), AP 9,404 (Antiphilus) and AP 6,239 (Apollonides) are four c... more "AP 9,564 (Nicias), AP 9,226 (Zonas), AP 9,404 (Antiphilus) and AP 6,239 (Apollonides) are four close-related epigrams : all the epigrams describe bees while producing honey.
Although textual parallels between the poems have been already pointed out by the editors of the Greek Anthology, I aim to show that each epigram deals with the above mentioned theme using some peculiar features, reflecting the Hellenistic technique of the imitatio cum variatione.
The paper of this talk is forthcoming."
Uploads
PhD dissertation by Francesco Pelliccio
Papers by Francesco Pelliccio
This paper compares a number of epigrams from the Garland of Philip and their likely models in the Garland of Meleager. By such a comparison, this work aims to stress the common features in the Philippan variations, which in turn would represent stylistic trends of the second Garland, namely: 1) the avoidance of suspense, by revealing the theme of a poem from its beginning; 2) the use of standard expressions, possibly felt as sub-generic hallmarks; 3) the reduction in the number of enjambments and the overall tendency towards a rigorous distribution of the themes in every line or couplet; 4) the relevant role played by the words, which the model and the imitation share; 5) the lexical refinement, a frequent feature but less prominent than commonly believed. By trying to shed light on these stylistic trends of Philippan variations, this paper wants to offer an argument against the view of Philippan poetry as merely imitative.
In their standard commentary to the Garland of Philip, Gow & Page argued that the word ὀλιγοστιχίη («verse-brevity») in AP IV, 2, 6 (= GPh 2633) has, in the phrasing of the verse, no specific metapoetic value. Critics have recently rejected this position and shown that the word ὀλιγοστιχίη has a metapoetic connotation; it expresses – indeed – the search for brevity pursued in Philip's collection, that is the almost total absence of epigrams longer than 4 couplets and the stylistic aspiration to an essential poetry. This is clearly indicated by AP IV, 2, which is by far shorter than AP IV, 1 (14 lines vs. 58). I aim to add some further remarks to this position by linking the concept of ὀλιγοστιχίη to the standardization which took place in the epigrammatic poetry between the 1st century B.C.E. and the 1st century C.E. This will explain why Philippan epigrams are on average longer than epigrams from the Garland of Meleager.
In particular, I focus on their correspondence, and suggest a new relative chronology of their letter exchange.
I also discuss the affinities and the differences in their idea of antiquity and Classical studies.
This has already been noted by the critics; nevertheless, I aim to show in this paper that each of these imitation has a peculiar point in imitating its model.""
Mullets are frequently quoted in Martial's poems as one of the status-symbol of the wealthy Roman aristocracy, which represents a strong contrast to the Greek characterization of mullets.
Martial's depiction of parrots is also partly innovative but it surely goes back to a Greek tradition of "talking animals"
The purpose of this work is to show that the traditional formulae of dedicatory epigrams are often re-employed by the poets of the Garland of Philip in order to portrait the amicitia between themselves and the dedicatees.
The patronage results as a direct relationship based on values such as mutual friendship, loyalty and culture, which has a key-role. Indeed, on the one hand, the σοφία of the patrons is often stated and they are said to be able to inspire and to praise the poets. On the other, the poets often boast of their own poetic production. This factor generates a counterbalancing impact on the political and economical asymmetry between themselves
and their patrons.""
Reviews by Francesco Pelliccio
Talks by Francesco Pelliccio
Apart from this philological effort, no attention is given to the very meaning of APl 50, which is considered by all editors as an obscure amatory epigram.
In this this talk, I provide a review of the whole question and suggest that a totally different interpretation of APl 50 can be put forward.
The paper of this talk is forthcoming."
Although textual parallels between the poems have been already pointed out by the editors of the Greek Anthology, I aim to show that each epigram deals with the above mentioned theme using some peculiar features, reflecting the Hellenistic technique of the imitatio cum variatione.
The paper of this talk is forthcoming."
This paper compares a number of epigrams from the Garland of Philip and their likely models in the Garland of Meleager. By such a comparison, this work aims to stress the common features in the Philippan variations, which in turn would represent stylistic trends of the second Garland, namely: 1) the avoidance of suspense, by revealing the theme of a poem from its beginning; 2) the use of standard expressions, possibly felt as sub-generic hallmarks; 3) the reduction in the number of enjambments and the overall tendency towards a rigorous distribution of the themes in every line or couplet; 4) the relevant role played by the words, which the model and the imitation share; 5) the lexical refinement, a frequent feature but less prominent than commonly believed. By trying to shed light on these stylistic trends of Philippan variations, this paper wants to offer an argument against the view of Philippan poetry as merely imitative.
In their standard commentary to the Garland of Philip, Gow & Page argued that the word ὀλιγοστιχίη («verse-brevity») in AP IV, 2, 6 (= GPh 2633) has, in the phrasing of the verse, no specific metapoetic value. Critics have recently rejected this position and shown that the word ὀλιγοστιχίη has a metapoetic connotation; it expresses – indeed – the search for brevity pursued in Philip's collection, that is the almost total absence of epigrams longer than 4 couplets and the stylistic aspiration to an essential poetry. This is clearly indicated by AP IV, 2, which is by far shorter than AP IV, 1 (14 lines vs. 58). I aim to add some further remarks to this position by linking the concept of ὀλιγοστιχίη to the standardization which took place in the epigrammatic poetry between the 1st century B.C.E. and the 1st century C.E. This will explain why Philippan epigrams are on average longer than epigrams from the Garland of Meleager.
In particular, I focus on their correspondence, and suggest a new relative chronology of their letter exchange.
I also discuss the affinities and the differences in their idea of antiquity and Classical studies.
This has already been noted by the critics; nevertheless, I aim to show in this paper that each of these imitation has a peculiar point in imitating its model.""
Mullets are frequently quoted in Martial's poems as one of the status-symbol of the wealthy Roman aristocracy, which represents a strong contrast to the Greek characterization of mullets.
Martial's depiction of parrots is also partly innovative but it surely goes back to a Greek tradition of "talking animals"
The purpose of this work is to show that the traditional formulae of dedicatory epigrams are often re-employed by the poets of the Garland of Philip in order to portrait the amicitia between themselves and the dedicatees.
The patronage results as a direct relationship based on values such as mutual friendship, loyalty and culture, which has a key-role. Indeed, on the one hand, the σοφία of the patrons is often stated and they are said to be able to inspire and to praise the poets. On the other, the poets often boast of their own poetic production. This factor generates a counterbalancing impact on the political and economical asymmetry between themselves
and their patrons.""
Apart from this philological effort, no attention is given to the very meaning of APl 50, which is considered by all editors as an obscure amatory epigram.
In this this talk, I provide a review of the whole question and suggest that a totally different interpretation of APl 50 can be put forward.
The paper of this talk is forthcoming."
Although textual parallels between the poems have been already pointed out by the editors of the Greek Anthology, I aim to show that each epigram deals with the above mentioned theme using some peculiar features, reflecting the Hellenistic technique of the imitatio cum variatione.
The paper of this talk is forthcoming."
https://www.aracneeditrice.eu/it/pubblicazioni/ethos-nomos-luca-pucci-francesco-pelliccio-9791221805291.html