paola francesca moretti - mosaique une allusion virgilio‐sénéquienne et érudite ;...

MOSAQUE,revuedesjeuneschercheursenSHSLilleNorddeFranceBelgiquefrancophone1,juin2009

1

PaolaFrancescaMORETTI

Tragedyoutside tragedy:HosidiusGetasVirgilian centoMedea.With some

observationsonitspossibleNachleben

Noticebiographique

Paola F.Moretti is assistant researcher in Latin language and literature at Milan State

University,Italy.HermaininterestsfocusonlateLatinlanguageandliterature:bothpoetry(Virgilian

centos)andprose(AmbroseofMilan;ApuleiusandAugustinesstyle).

Rsums

DanscetarticlesontanalyssdiffrentsaspectsducentonvirgilienMedea,critparlafricain

HosidiusGeta (IIe s.ap.J.C.).Toutdabord, sontdonns quelques exemplesde son intertextualit

avecVirgileetSnque,defaondfinirlarspotiquedHosidius.Ensuitevientunediscussionsur

le textecontroversduv.191 (Media fert tristis sucos,nigris infectavenenis),omalgr ladifficult

mtrique je proposede conserver la foisMedia et nigris:Media pourrait tre considr en fait

commeuneallusionvirgiliosnquienneetrudite;lexpressionnigrisinfectavenenis,poursapart,a

trutiliseplustardparDracontius.

In thispaperdifferentaspectsof theVirgiliancentoMedea,writtenby theAfricanHosidius

Geta (IIcenturyA.D.),are taken intoconsideration.First, Igivesomeexamplesof itsVirgilianand

Senecanintertextuality,inordertoqualifyHosidiuspoeticars.Then,Idiscussthecontroversialtext

ofv.191 (Media fert tristis sucos,nigris infectavenenis),where in spiteof themetrical infelicity I

propose to retainbothMedia andnigris:Mediamightbe considered in fact aVirgilioSenecan and

scholasticallusion;whiletheexpressionnigrisinfectaveneniswaslaterreusedbyDracontius.

Motscls:HosidiusGeta,Medea,intertextualit,Virgile,Snque.

Keywords:HosidiusGeta,Medea,intertextuality,Vergilius,Seneca.


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Sommaire

Introduction..........................................................................................................................................................21.Hosidius,betweenVirgilandSeneca............................................................................................................42.Hos.Med.,191:itstextandpossibleNachleben..........................................................................................12Conclusion..........................................................................................................................................................18Bibliography.......................................................................................................................................................19

Introduction

HosidiusGetaisreferredtoinTertullian(praescr.39.341)astheauthorofatragedy,

Medea, built upwithVirgilian verses2: if hewas, as it seems quite probable, anAfrican,

contemporary to Tertullian, his Medea would be the earliest of the surviving literary

Virgiliancentos3.

HosidiusMedealookslikeasortofminiaturetragedy,especiallyifweconsiderits

relationswithHoracessuggestionstotragicpoetsinhisArspoetica.Theprotagonistisbuilt

up as a tragic character, coherentwith its fame and tradition (ars 119127; in particular,

Medeashouldbeferoxinvictaque),andthechoralsectionshaveamoralfunctionratherthana

dramaticone(ars193201)4.Ontheotherhand,Hosidiusreducesthenumberof(which

shouldbe five,according toars189190)5andmaybewemustbegrateful tohim!and

mostofalldoesntcomplywithHoracesruleabouttherelationbetweenwhatisactedand

whatisnarrated:HoracerecommendsNepueroscorampopuloMedeatrucidet(ars185;seealso

179188),whileHosidiusMedeakillsherchildrenonthestage6.

1 Vides hodie ex Virgilio fabulam in totum aliam componi,materia secundum versus et versibus secundummateriamconcinnatis.DeniqueHosidiusGetaMedeamtragoediamexVergilioplenissimeexsuxit.2Bothhisnameandhisdatearediscussed:cf.DANE1950,p.76 (whoprefersOvidiusGeta);DESBORDES1979,p.8387;MCGILL2005,p.3233and4243(thechapterdevotedtoHosidius includesp.3152).IquoteHosidiusfromLAMACCHIA1981(abouttextualproblemsinHosidius,seeLAMACCHIA1958a,1958b,1958c,1958d;MARIOTTI1969; CONSOLINO 1983). I cant agree with ARCELLASCHI 1990, who asserts in his survey on Latin Medeae:loeuvre[scil.HosidiusMedea]...estcriteencentonsdeVirgileetdOvideetnapasdautreintrt(p.407).3MCGILL2005,p.32.4ThesamehappenstothechorusinSeneca:cf.BIONDI1998,p.2526;MAZZOLI2004,p.199201.5 InSeneca,afteratwovoiceprologue (Medea,155; thechorus,56115),wehave threeepisodes (116300;380578;670848)andanepilogue(8791027),separatedbyfourchoralsections(301379;579669;849878;five,ifwetakeintoaccountthesectionbelongingtotheprologue).6Iinterpretthev.403407asthewordsMedeasayskillingherchildren(asdothetranslators:cf.MOONEY1919,p.52;SALANITRO1981,p.122):Crimenamorvestrumspretaequeiniuriaformae/hismerseremalis[shekillsthefirstone].Fratremnedeserefrater[shekillsthesecondone]./Poenarumexhaustumsatisest,viafactaperhostis/etgenus


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Hosidiusdrama,which consistsof461verses, includesaprologue, three episodes

andtwochoralodes:

thetragedyisopenedbyatwovoiceprologue:Medeasinvocationtothegods

Sun,Earth,theFuriesthattheymightrevengeforheragainstJason,whohasbetrayedher

conubium (124); thenaChorusColchidarum (2551)7callson Jupiter, JunoandHecatesand

mournsMedeassufferingsandlostfortune,suggestingsheshouldkillherself;

I episode (52103):Creon tellsMedea shemust leaveCorinth;Medea obtains a

delayofonedaybeforesheleaves,tomeetherchildren;

Ichorus(104147):itisthedayofJasonsillomenedweddingwithCreusa,Creons

daughter; the insaniaof theCorinthians,whoarecelebrating themarriage, isbound tobe

punished,justliketheimpiousmadnessofMarsya,IcarusandPentheus;

II episode: in the first dialogue (148180),Medea complains to her nurse about

Jasons ingratitude and the nurse suggests that she pray to the gods,waiting for better

fortune;Medeahasdecided: shewill either take revengeordie; in the seconddialogue

(181283),MedeatriestomoveJason,remindinghimofwhatshehasdoneforhim(mostof

all,theassassinationofherbrotherAbsyrtus);ifthesuperiwonthearher,shethreatensshe

willcalltheinferiforhelp(flecteresinequeosuperos,Acherontamovebo);

IIchorus(284312):Medeaislikenedtoafuriouslioness,aserpent,furiousOrestes

killinghismother,abaccha,Philomela,Orpheus;

III episode: in the first dialogue (313373), a messenger relates to Creon the

encounter betweenMedea and the FuryAllecto, duringwhichMedea hasmade up the

crownwhichwillkillCreusa;Medea(374381)tellsthenursetogetafuneralpyrereadyfor

her children, as shewill sacrifice them to Juppiter Stygius; Absyrtus umbra appears to

Medea and she kills her children on the stage (382407); finally (408461) a messenger

narrates thedeathof JasonsnewwifeCreusa,devouredby flameswhilesacrificingat the

altar; JasonmournshischildrensdeathandMedeadisappearson theSunschariot in the

sky.

invisumdextrasubTartaramisi./Iamiamnullamoraestcurrusagitarevolantis.Onthecontrary,SCHMIDT1978,p.37isconvinced thatHosidiusabweichendvonSeneca (V.970 ff.),aber inbereinstimmungmitdemklassischenPrzept(nepueroscorampopuloMedeatrucidet,Horaza.p.185)hinterderBhneverlegt.7Colchianmen (according toLAMACCHIA1958b,p.319321;EAD.1981,p.2)orwomen (e.g.,DANE1950,p.76;p.78; SALANITRO 1981,p.67; SCHMIDT 1978,p.38;COLAFRANCESCO 1999,p.109110). In Seneca, the chorus ismadeupbyCorinthianmen,inEuripidesbyCorinthianwomen.


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1.Hosidius,betweenVirgilandSeneca

In Hosidius we remark the important presence of the two tragic sections of

VirgilsAeneid8: first, theDidoepisode,which includes books IV and (partly) I andVI;

second,bookVII,wheretheFuryAllectomakesthewarbetweentheTrojansandtheLatini

burnout.

Iwont dwell upon an issuewhich has already aroused the interest of scholars9,

namely the way Dido, the dominant model for [Hosidius] Medea10, is reused by

Hosidius.HereIwillobserveonlythatasignificantelementamongthereasonssuggesting

thisreusetoHosidius11couldhavebeenthefactthattheDidoepisode,whichisinmodern

timesinterpretedasatragedy12,wasperceivedasatragedyalsoinantiquity:VirgilianDido,

being inspired byGreekMedeas13, is in fact a tragic character per se; ifwe consider that

Didosstory, just liketherestoftheAeneid,probablyusedtobeperformedthrougha loud

andcontinuousdramaticreadingofthewholeepisode14,wecanassumethattheancient

reader,beinglectorepicoandspectatortragico15atthesametime,wassomehowforced

to tragic with the heroine and could be compared to theAugustine of

Confessions 1.13.1,who readDidos story again and againat school,mourningherdeath;

last,wealsoknowthatsometheatralperformancesofherstoryusedtotakeplace16.So,toa

scholatic reader like Hosidius, the perception of Dido as a tragic character could have

8NamfacileexilloconspicimusAenaeidisll.IVetVIIpotissimumHosidiumderipuisse,quippequiaptiusadMedeaecasusexprimendosaccommodaripossent(LAMACCHIA1981,p.XXI,n.2).9Weshallkeepinmindthatabout1/5oftheVirgilianmaterialexploitedbyHosidiuscomesfromDidosstory.ForDidoinHosidius,seeCOLAFRANCESCO1999;MCGILL2005;LABUA2006;HARDIE2007.AboutDidoinProbasChristiancento,cf.MORETTI2008;forDidointhetragiccentoAlcesta,MCGILL2005,chapter4.10HARDIE2007,p.174.ImustthankGailTrimble(Oxford),whointroducedmetothisarticle.11Suchasthemixtumcharacter,bothmimeticanddramatic,whichissaidbyServiustobepropertotheAeneidasan epic (Serv. adBuc. 3.1; seeMCGILL 2005,p.35;p.178, n. 16) and the fact that the linguisticdifferencesbetweenepicandtragedyweresmall(MCGILL2005,p.38).12 SeeWLOSOK 1999 [11976], completed byMUECKE 1983 (before them,HEINZE 1999 [31915], p.151180).AlsoLAPENNA2003 suggests reading the IVbookasa tragedy, following inhisanalysis the themeof thegrowingsolitudeoftheheroine.13 Both Apollonius Rhodius young and enamouredMedea, and Euripides one. For EuripidesMedea, seeMASTRONARDE2002;aboutEuripidesApolloniusandVirgil,cf.COLLARD1975.14Cf.FERNANDELLI2002and20022003.15FERNANDELLI2002,p.141.16AboutDidoon the stage, see e.g. thewitnessofMacrobius (Sat.5.17.5),according towhom the storyof theimmoralDidowascelebratedhistrionumperpetuisetgestibusetcantibus.Ingeneral,onDidoinLateAntiquity,seeCOURCELLE1984,p.376377;LAPENNA1985;POINSOTTE1990.


5

suggested exploitingAeneid IV in a centotragedy, somehow restoring the heroine to her

originaltragictemper.

ButHosidiusMedea isquitedifferent fromVirgilsDido, as sheappears tobean

entirely evil creature, a negative andmonolithic character. She looks verymuch like the

protagonistofSenecasMedea17.Infact,Senecaseemstohavebeenthemostimportanttragic

modelexploitedbyHosidius18(anotheronewaspresumablyOvidslostMedea19),andisthe

object of a sort of seconddegree imitation:Hosidius imitates Seneca throughVirgil20.

SomestrikingfeaturesofSenecasMedeaarecommontoHosidius21:Senecastragedybegins

at itsdiapason22,withatwovoiceprologue,whereastrongantithesiscanbenoted

betweenMedeafuriosaandthechorus,singinganepithalamiumforJasonsnewwedding;the

chorus plays amainlymoral role; the characters are rather static;Medea herself is the

antithesisofthesapiens,assheincarnatesfuror;sherepresentsantihumanitasandherstory

resultsinanantiapotheosis.PerhapsaccordingtothepreviousRomantragicMedeae,Senecas

oneistoonegativetoliveatruelytragiccrisis23.

Hence, inHosidiuswehaveaminiaturizationofSenecas tragedy,whereVirgilian

elementsarereusedaccordingtoaSenecaninspiration.ItisinthisSenecanperspective

thatwemustconsidertheabundanceofversesbelongingtothefurialoutburstofwarin

AeneidVII24.

17AboutthemorphologyofSenecastragedy,seeTARRANT1978;BIONDI1998,p.2331;MAZZOLI2004,p.198205.ForSenecasMedea,IwillrefertoZWIERLEIN1986andID.1983,p.131172.18SothatSCHMIDT1978considersHosidiusMedeaasanepisodeofthefortuneofSenecasMedea,epigonalandmarginalas itwas (p.38andn.48).Then,ZwierleinpresumeshecanestablishHosidiusasa terminuspostquem for the archetype of themanuscript tradition of Senecan tragedies and points outmany passages inHosidius where die Auswahl der VirgilVerse ... durch die entsprechenden Stichworte der senecanischenVorlagebestimmtwurde (ZWIERLEIN1983,p.5052; cf.also ID.1986,p.166167):among theparallelsquotedthere, themostsignificant is theonebetweenHos.385andSen.Med.992993.Wecan find theanalysisof theprologueasanexampleofseconddegree imitation (Seneca throughVirgil) inCOLAFRANCESCO1999,p.104109.19OnOvid,seebelow,n.49.20JustliketheimitationofStatiusthroughVirgilthatwecanrecognizeinthesceneofthechariotraceinthecentoHippodamia(PAOLUCCI2006,p.LVILXI).21For comparisonsbetweenHosidiusandSeneca, cf.DANE1950,p.78;SCHMIDT1978,p.3638;MCGILL 2005,p.180,n.3637(aboutEuripidesandSeneca,seeLOZZA2006,p.2629;COLOMBINI2006,p.34;p.4042).22BIONDI1998,p.2425.23BIONDI1998,p.68,n.4;aboutEnniusMedeaandMedea exul,see JOCELYN1967,p.113123;p.342382 (whileARCELLASCHI1990,p.3799,supportstheviewthatEnniuswroteonlyonetragedy,theMedeaexul).24AeneidbookVIIhasbeenstudiedasatragedyanddividedintofiveacts(cf.LESUEUR1996;FERNANDELLI2002,p.143,n.1).TheFuryisperceivedasatragic(Euripidean)elementalsobyServius(adAen.7.337).


6

There isntmuch toadd towhat scholarshavealready saidaboutHosidiuspoetic

ratio,showingthatweshouldcredithimwithacertainamountofauthorialcontrolupon

hiswork25: an authorial control that is and has been demonstrated on the basis of the

principle, either implicitly or explicitly affirmed, that the interpreter has the liberty of

establishing ahierarchy among thevoices of thedifferentVirgilianhypotexts, tuning out

secondary resonances in order to hear the resonances of those Virgilian fragments that

Hosidiusissupposedtointendasmoresuggestive26.

Manyfactsshowthegeneralgrossnessofcompositionthatmightbereproached

toHosidius27. For instance, he doesnt reusewhat is inVirgil an (implicitly) medean

element, namely the assassination of Absyrtus, which is hinted at in Aen. 4.60060228:

Hosidiusomitsthisreference,maybebecauseitescapeshim.Then,nowonderifheexploits

thetwoclearreferencestotragictheatrewhichappear inAen.4.46547329,thestagesimiles

whichinVirgildescribeDidosexperiencelikeninghertotwotragiccharacters:inherfolly,

sheresemblesPentheus,whoimagineshesbeinghunteddownbyFuries(cf.Euripides

Bacchae)andOrestes,whenhetakesrefugeinatemplefromthepursuingErinyes,andthe

goddessesofrevengeblocktheexit(cf.AeschylusEumenides)30.InHosidius,intheIchoral

ode,theinsaniaoftheCorinthianswhoarebringingCreusatohernewhusband,isgoingto

bepunished,likethatofPentheus,whoiskilledbyhismotherAgaveandotherBacchae,and

whosecaputappearstoprayformercyafterithasbeencutoff(143147)31:

DemensvidetagminaPentheus:

incensaspectorematres 145

caputacervicerevulsum 144

25HARDIE2007,p.171.26ThismethodologicalprinciplehasbeenexplicitlyaffirmedbyHARDIE2007,esp.p.169170.27DANE1950,p.75.28Nonpotuiabreptumdivellerecorpusetundis /spargere?nonsocios,non ipsumabsumere ferro /Ascaniumpatriisqueepulandumponeremensis?(IquoteVirgilfromGEYMONAT2008).29...Agitipsefurentem/insomnisferusAeneas;semperquerelinqui/solasibi,semperlongamincomitatavidetur/ireviametTyriosdeserta quaerere terra: /Eumenidumvelutidemens videt agminaPentheus / et solemgeminum etduplicis seostendereThebas,/autAgamemnoniusscaenisagitatusOrestes,/armatamfacibusmatremetserpentibusatris/cumfugitultricesquesedentinlimineDirae.30WLOSOK1999[11976],p.171.31Cf.alsoCOLAFRANCESCO1999,p.113114.


7

vocatagminasaevasororum:

iuvenemsparsereperagros32.

OrestesismentionedintheIIchoralode,whereMedeaissaidtoresemblehimwho,

prosecutedbytheFuries,killshismothernearthealtars(293a297):

furiis33agitatusOrestes

armatamfacibusmatrem 295

ardensagitaequoretoto

patrisobtruncatadaras.

As Pentheus andOrestes, belonging to the tragic stage, remind the reader of the

experienceoftheatre,theirreusebyHosidiusshouldnotbeseenasasignofpoeticability34.

On the contrary, the fact that several times Hosidius exploits the possibilits

mdenesdeVirgile35, reusingVirgilianverseswhichopenly refer toMedea, shouldbe

seenasameaningfulrepetitionratherthanasasignofthepoetsawkwardness36.Medeais

alluded to in ecl. 8.4750,whereDamon laments the effects of cruel Love,who taught a

mothertosoilherhandswithherchildrensblood:

SaevusAmordocuitnatorumsanguinematrem

commacularemanus.Crudelistuquoque,mater.

Crudelismatermagis,anpuerinprobusille?

Inprobusillepuer,crudelistuquoque,mater37. 50

32 I accept the order of the verses proposed by CONSOLINO 1983, p.141142; on the passage, see alsoCUCCURUGNANI1984.33Hosidiusreadsfuriisinsteadofscaenis(seeabove,n.29).FuriiscomesfromAen.3.331(coniugisetscelerumfuriisagitatusOrestes)and insomeVirgilianmanuscripts furiissubstitutesscaenisalsoatAen.4.471.HereHosidius isthinkingbothofthestagesimileofAen.4.471(asv.295comesfromAen.4.472)andofthequotationofOrestesstory byAndromache inAen. 3.331 (as v. 297 come fromAen. 3.332).We cannot affirmwith certaintywhatHosidiusactually read inAen.4.471,whetherFuriisor scaenis.On thispassage, seealsoCOLAFRANCESCO1999,p.115,n.30.34MCGILL2005,p.51(perhapsabitoverestimatingHosidius):theseverseunitsreusedinatragicchoruscannot only underscore the explicit equivalence ofDido and the dramatic characters but can also suggest thatelementsofherstoryoverlapwithtragedy.35DESBORDES1990,p.100.36Cf.COLAFRANCESCO1999,p.109.37Hosidiusseemstounderstandmaterofv.4849asreferredtoMedea(soServ.ad loc.),others(soD.Serv.adloc.)referittoVenus(Lovesmother).OntheVirgilianpassageseeCOLEMAN1977,p.239240.


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InHosidiustheseversesareusedrepeatedly,becomingasortofformulaicexpression

ofMedeasguilts:commacularemanusappearsfirstinHos.263,referringtoAbsyrtuscruel

murder; then, in a true crescendo, 4748 are reused in 400ex401in, by one of the children

speaking toMedeawho isgoing tokillhim,and in441442in,byMedea inher childrens

epitaph;finally,thebeginningof49isreusedin444,byJasonlamentingtheassassinationof

Medeassons38.TheVirgilian centocomesfullytorealisetheMedeanpotentialofthese

verses39:sothatimprobusAmordoesshadeanominouslightalsoonaDidonianfragment,

usedbyHosidiusintheprologue,whereMedeasays(1215):

ImprobeAmor,quidnonmortaliapectoracogis!

Iussaalienapatiiterumquerevolverecasus,

ireiteruminlacrimas:sednullisillemovetur

fletibus.... 15

Improbe... cogis and ire... lacrimas come fromAen. 4.40841540, a poets intervention,

breakingtheobjectivityofepicdiegesis,andexpressingVirgilssympathywithDido41.In

Hosidiusthequotation,putinMedeasmouth,seemstobesignificantlyreversedagainst

Medea: the mention of improbe Amor, which in Virgils text brings the reader to feel

compassion with Dido, in Hosidius is probably supposed to remind him of the

abovementionedpassageoftheVIIIeclogue,whereLoveteachesamothertokillherchildren

(adetailwhich is common toSeneca)42,while thewordsquid... cogis repeated fromAen.

3.56,wheretheyrefertothestoryofPolydorusforeshadowthetragicepilogueofMedeas

story,theassassinationofhersons43.

38OnthisandotherMedeanpossibilitiesoftheVirgiliantext(esp.georg.2.136155),seeCOLAFRANCESCO1999,p.117120.39SoHardie2007,p.175.40Quis tibi tum,Dido,cernenti taliasensus, /quosvedabasgemitus,cum litora feruere late /prospiceresarceexsummatotumqueuideres /miscerianteoculostantisclamoribusaequor! /ImprobeAmor,quidnonmortaliapectoracogis! /Ireiterum in lacrimas, iterumtemptareprecando /cogituretsupplexanimossubmittereamori, /nequid inexpertum frustramoriturarelinquat.41OnVirgilssubjectivestyle,seeOTIS1964,p.4196.42Cf.Med.135136,whereMedeasaysshesforcedbythecrueltyofLove:etnullumscelus/iratafeci;saevitinfelixAmor.ButwemustnotforgetthatSenecahasinhisturntakensomethingfromVirgilsDido(FANTHAM1975,p.810).43HARDIE2007,p.174.


9

MaybeweshouldascribetoHosidiusintentionalsotheomissionoftheepithetinfelix

(unhappy,orbetter unfortunate44),which isused seven times forDido (Aen. 1.712,

749;4.68,450,529,596;6.456)andisanearlyformulaicexpression,thatcriticsunderlineas

extremelysignificantofVirgilsattitudetowardstheheroine45.ItisnoteworthythatHosidius

neverreusesthisadjective:thismightdependonHosidiusaimtodepictatotallynegative

Medea46.

Now,letsturntotheIIIepisode,themostSenecanofthecento,including:(1)the

rhesisofthemessenger,tellingthechorusaboutMedeaswitchcraftandherencounterwith

Allecto(321373);(2)theapparitionofAbsyrtusumbraandthemurderofMedeaschildren,

slaininfullview(383407).IntheinterpretationofthesetextsIthinkweshouldattributeto

fragmentscomingfromAeneidVIIaloudervoicethanthatofotherVirgilianreferences.

Quoferor?Undeabii?pavor,ossaqueetartus

perfudittotoproruptuscorporesudor[=Aen.7.458ex459],

genualabant,oculosstuporurgetinertis 315

arrectaequehorrorecomaeetvoxfaucibushaesit.(...)

ExhincGorgoneisAllectoinfectavenenis[=Aen.7.341] 345

exsurgitfacemadtollensatqueintonatore:

Respiceadhaec;adsumdirarumabsedesororum,

bellamanuletumquegero[=Aen.7.454455].

Taliacernentemtandemsicorsavicissim[=Aen.7.435]:

Venistitandem,mecumpartirelaborem, 350

tu,dea,tupraesensanimisinlaberenostris.

Dissicecompositampacem,serecriminabelli[=Aen.7.339]

(namquepotes),coluivestrossisemperhonores.

TalibusAllectodictisexarsitiniram[=Aen.7.445]

horrendumstridensrabidoquehaecaddiditore[=Aen.7.451] 355

Ogermanamihi,mittehancdepectorecuram,

nuncsibellareparas,etluctumiscerehymenaeos

44WLOSOK1999[11976],p.165.45OTIS1964,p.50speaksofitasoneoftheaspectsofVirgilssubjectivestyle,afingerpointingepithet;cf.alsop.61:infelix isakeyword...,thatforeshadowsfuturetragedyandatthesametimeexpressessympathy: itistheword for thosewho oppose fate orwhom fate opposes, but are yetworthy of true pity.Cfr. also, e.g.,MUECKE1983,p.138141;LAPENNA2003,p.158;FERNANDELLI2002,p.145;CRISTANTE20032004,p.255256.46Onthecontrary,OvidsMedeaaddressesherselfasinfelixinmet.7.18(aboutthispassage,cf.BMER1976,p.204adloc.).


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funereasqueinferrefaces[=Aen.7.337]etcingereflamma,

quicquidinartemeapossum,meminissenecesseest

quantumignesanimaequevalent;absisteprecando. 360

Dixerat:adtollensstridentisanguibusalas,

ardentisdarevisafaces[=Aen.7.561562]superardualinquens47.

ThemainVirgilianhypotexthereisofcoursetheepisodeoftheFuryAllecto:but,if

wewanttounderstandthearrangementoftheVirgilianmaterial,wemustcompareSenecas

homologous scene48ofMed.670739,namely the rhesisof thenutrix,narratingMedeas

witchcrafts: there Medea gathers terrifying snakes, herbs, and poisons of all kind,

pronouncingmagic carmina. It is a crescendo of horror, towhich presumably only verses

comingformVirgilsAllectoepisodecanbeaptinHosidiuseyes.

The second section, the slay ofMedeas children, contains both Didonian and

Allectian elements. Ifwewant to understand the inspiration of this scene,wemust

compare it with Seneca again, without forgetting that the problem of the relationship

betweenSenecaandHosidiusiscomplicatedbythefactthatsomesimilaritiesbetweenthem,

whensharedbyOvidian textsaboutMedea (esp.met.7andher.12),mightbeandhave

been explained as depending on both Senecas andHosidius imitation of Ovids lost

tragedyMedea: e.g., the themeswe find in this passage ofMedeas children like inferiae

offered to theManesofAbsyrtus,andof theirresemblance to the father,whomakes them

deservetheirmothershatred,makesthemdeservetodie49.

MEDEA.Heustirpeminvisametfatiscontrarianostris[=Aen.7.293]

Hucades,oformosepuer,quispiritusilli!

sicoculos,sicillemanus,sicoraferebat!

Perfidus[=Aen.7.362]!etcuperemipseparensspectatoradesset. 385

FILIUS.Parcepiassceleraremanus!autquotibinostri

pulsusamor?siiurismaternicuraremordet,[=Aen.7.402]

natisparcetuisautnosrapeinomniatecum!

Quorescumquecadunt,unumetcommunepericlum.

47Inwhatfollows(363373),MedeamakesupthecrownshewillgiveasaweddinggifttoCreusa,whichisgoingtodevourbothJasonsnewbrideandherfatherCreoninitsflames.48Onsceneomologhe,cf.PAOLUCCI2006,p.XXXIXXL.49Cf.BESSONE1997,p.216217(aboutOv.her.12.160,Sen.Med.967971,Hos.392394);p.256258(aboutOv.her.12.189,Sen.Med.2326,Hos.382,385).


11

ABSYRTUS.Aspicenos!Adsumdirarumabsedesororum[=Aen.7.454] 390

infelixsimulacrum,laniatumcorporetoto:

quiddubitas?audendumdextra,nuncipsavocatres.

[MEDEA]Auctoregoaudendi,fecundumconcutepectus[=Aen.7.338]

Siconcessapeto,sipoenasorereposco,

nullumincaedenefas:amornontaliacurat. 395

FILIUS.Hostisamare,quidincrepitasmeatristiafata?

MEDEA.Suggeretelamihifinemqueimponelabori!

Sanguinequaerendireditus.

FILIUS.Nectenosteramor[=Aen.4.307];pietasnecmitigatulla,

necvenitinmentem[=Aen.4.39]natorumsanguinematrem 400

commacularemanus[=ecl.8.4748]?nostritibicurarecessit

etmatripraereptusamor[=Aen.4.516].

[HerefollowtheverseswhichaccompanytheassassinationofMedeaschildren50]

Wemust remember twodifferent Senecan scenes:notonly, as it isquiteobvious,

Sen.Med.958977,whereMedeakillsthefirstofherchildrenandAbsyrtusappears,together

withtheFuries,asavision inMedeasoverheatedmind(just likehedid inEuripides),but

alsotheprologusofSenecasThyestes,whichisfirstpronouncedbytheghostofTantalus,and

thencontinuesinadialoguebetweenTantalusandtheFury51.Themostinterestingquotation

isinfactthatofAen.7.338(fecundumconcutepectus),thewordswithwhichJunourgesAllecto

tomakethewarbetweenTrojansandLatinibreakout:Allectoshouldrouseherownpectus,

fertile inwoes. InSeneca,whodependsonVirgil, theFury intimatesconcute insano ferum /

pectustumultu(Thyest.8586)toTantalusghost,whohas justbeentakenoutoftheInferiin

ordertoupsetthehouseofhisdescendants,causingAtreustocommitahorrendumnefas(the

murderofThyestes sons);pectus ishere thatofTantalusdescendants52. In thatprologue

Tantalusghostforeseesthathisoffspringinausa audeat (20)andinthespeechoftheFury

werepresentedwiththeterriblecrimeswemightexpect:

nihilsitiraquodvetitumputet:

fratremexpavescat frateretgnatumparens

50Seeabove,n.6.51Sen.Thyest.1121.Aboutthisprologue,seePARATORE1992.52 In fact,behind theprologueofSenecasThyestes,besideEuripidesHerakles,we findVerg.Aen.7.323371,asobservedbyMONTELEONE1980.


12

gnatusque patrem,liberipereantmale,

peiustamennascantur;immineatviro

infestaconiunx...(3943).

In Hosidius, as Absyrtus umbra53 speaks, different literary echoes crowd in the

memory of the supersaturated and suspicious reader, inclined to the fashionable

pursuitof tracing literaryhistories through intertextuality54.TheSenecanscene isevoked

alsobythetwoprecedingVirgilianhalfverses(Audendumdextra,nuncipsavocatres=Aen.IX

320: itbelongs toNisusexhortation toEurialus,before theybegin to slay theirenemies;

Auctor ego audendi =Aen.XII 159),where the repetition of the verb audere reminds us of

Seneca(cf.inausaaudeat);anditisSeneca(cf.expavescat...gnatusquepatrem)whoforeshadows

thecrimewhichwilltakeplaceonthestageinHosidius(aparentkillingherchildren).

So:Hosidius imitatesbothVirgil and Senecahere,orbetter:Virgil in the lightof

Seneca;andmaybethisformula,SenecathroughVirgil,couldbethesyntheticdefinition

ofhispoeticratio.

2.Hos.Med.,191:itstextandpossibleNachleben

A further examplewill shade light onwhatwe could callHosidius scholastic

poeticskill.

Medea is mentioned expressly only once in the cento, by means of a citation

tendancieuse55 (191192). Jason is speaking with a satelles, expressing his fears about

Medeasuseofherbsandpoisonstoavoidhissecondmarriage:

Mediaferttristissucos,nigris[que]56infectavenenis,

quothalamumeripiatatqueossibusimplicetignem57.

Thetwoversescomefromthecombinationofgeorg.2.126,whichcontainthepraiseof

citrontrees58, andAen. 7.341 (EximGorgoneisAllecto infecta venenis)59, the last verse being

53AndnotMedea(cf.LAMACCHIA1958b,p.315316).54CosHARDIE2007,P.174(supersaturatedmustrefertotherichpoeticmemory,sharedbyreaderandwriter).55DESBORDES1990,p.101.56Iproposetheexpunctionofque,asIwillshowinfra.57SeealsoCOLAFRANCESCO1999,p.118119.


13

quotedinfullinHos.345.ThewordnigrisqueturnsouttobeanadditiontotheVirgiliantext.

Even if the combination is so awkward that it results in a sevenfoot hexameter60,which

wouldbecome regularwith the removalofoneof the twowords,nonethelessLamacchia

preservesbothMedia andnigrisque inher edition, judging thisverse a resultofHosidius

metricalnaivety61.

VirgilsMedia, the regionwhich bears tart juices, is transformed byHosidius into

Media(=Meda=Meda62),thewitchwhoproducesevilpoisons.

On closer inspection, despite the semantic shift the name undergoes here, its

originaryVirgiliancontext interfereswith thenewone. In fact, in theGeorgics thepassage

concernsthepraiseofcitrontrees,growinginMedia,asanantidotetothepoisonsusedby

cruelnovercae63:whileinHosidiusanotherMediaproducestristissucos,eviljuices,awoman

whoweareimplicitlytoldshouldbeconsideredanovercamorethanamother.

Then,MedeasnameplacedatthebeginningoftheversehasalsosomethingSenecan

initself.InfactinSenecasMedeathenameoftheheroineoccursinfirstpositionintheverse

eleventimes64,andonlythreetimesinadifferentposition65;andthisfactistraditional,asin

EuripidesMedea thenameof theprotagonist () isalways found in firstposition66,

exceptforverse5267.

Moreover, the wordplay is based on the link the mythological tradition has

established between the name of thewoman and that of the region, either directly68 or

58126130:Mediaferttristissucostardumquesaporem/felicismali,quononpraesentiusullum,/poculasiquandosaevaeinfecerenovercae,/[miscueruntqueherbasetnoninnoxiaverba]/auxiliumvenitacmembrisagitatravenena.59DESBORDES1979,p.99.60See apparatus inLAMACCHIA 1981 ad loc.: some scholarshave removedMedea (Wakkerus),othersnigrisque(BurmannandSalanitro:cf.alsoCONSOLINO1983,p.142),whileLAMACCHIAhasmantainedtheirregularverse.61AboutversesinHosidiuswhicharelongerorshorter,cf.DANE1950,p.75,whospeaksofmetricalinfelicities,whicharenumerous;PALLA1983,p.288290;andmostofallLAMACCHIA1981,p.24,whopresentsa listoftheseinfelicities.62Thenameoftheregion,Meda,isreferredtotheheroine(MedaorMeda,withcorreptioofthevowele/i).Similarsemanticshiftsarecommon in thecentosandhappen toPelias,who isa friendofAeneas (Aen.2.436)andbecomes the father of the Peliades, killed byMedea, inHos. 252; toCreusa,Aeneaswife (Aen. 2.778),whobecomesJasonsnewbrideinHos.243.SeeDESBORDES1979,p.102104.63Seeabove,n.58.64Inv.166,171,179,496,518,524,675,867,892,910,934.65Inv.8,362,567.InOvidmet.andher. itneverappears infirstpositionexceptforher.6.151152(withregularscansion):Medamtimui;plusestMedanoverca;/Medaefaciuntadscelusomnemanus.66Inv.7,272,363,402,663,1122,1295.67AbouttherelevanceofMedeasnameandofthequotationofnamesintragedies,seeTRAINA1979,p.273275andSEGAL1982,p.241242.68AsitisinHerodotus(7.62)andPausanias(2.3.8):cf.MASTRONARDE2002,p.49.


14

throughMedus: hewas the son ofMedea andAegeus (Medea havingmarried him after

Jason),kingofAthens,whokilledPerses,andhisstorywastoldbyPacuvius(inhisMedus69)

andHyginus,andishintedatbytheps.Probus70.Atraceofthescholastictraditionlinking

Meda with the nearly homonymous regionMeda can be found in the Periegesis of the

AfricanPriscianus(whosefloruitwasabouttheyear500),inthevv.940945,devotedtothe

Medi.ThereMeda(thewoman)occursagainatthebeginningoftheverse71:

Armeniosmontessilinquensibisadortus,

Medicanosceturtibitellus;cuiusadaxes

GelisuntMardique,virisimulAtropateni.

AdnotoninclinantMedorumruratenentes:

Medahuicfugiensdederatcognominaterrae;

hincMedivariosususnovereveneni72.

WemightwonderwhetherthemetricallyawkwardMedaoftheAfricangrammaticus

Priscianus,placedatthebeginningoftheverse,couldbereminiscentofHosidius.

Andwhataboutnigrisque?Wheredoes itcomefrom?Wedontfind it inVirgil,at

leastinthetwoVirgilianversesconflatedintoHos.191.Butwefindsomethingsimilarinthe

episodeofDidorecurringtoartesmagicaebeforeherdeath(Aen.4.500521),anepisodewhich

togetherwithDidosspeechtoAnna(Aen.4.478499)isalsousedelsewhereinHosidius.

Dido,during themagic ritewhichprecedeshersuicide, throwson the firepubentesherbae,

nigri cum lacteveneni (Aen.4.514):note that thewordsnigri...veneniareplaced just in the

samepositionasnigrisque...venenisinHosidius;andinfecta,actuallycomingfromAen.7.341,

somehow evokes also the sound of cum lacte73. So that in Aen. 4.514 we could find an

69OnPacuviusMedus,seeARCELLASCHI1990,p.104106.70Adgeorg.2.126:ParsParthorumMediaestappellataaMedo, filiusMedeae etAegei,utexistimatVarro [scil.VarroAtacinus],quiquattuorlibrosdeArgonautisedidit(=COURTNEY2003,p.253);Hygin.fab.27.5:MedusreauditaPersen[thesonoftheSun,Aeetasbrother]interfecitregnumqueavitumpossedit;exsuonomineterramMediamcognominavit.Cf.MALTBY 1991, p.373 (s.v.Media).A hint at the possible aetiologicalmeaning of themention ofMedia inHosidiusisfoundalreadyinCONSOLINO1983,p.142.71Theonlyoccurrence inLatinpoetry,as faras Icould find in thedatabasePoetriaNova:aCDROMofLatinmedievalPoetry(6501250A.D.),byP.MastandreaL.Tessarolo,Firenze,Impruneta,2001.72Ed.VANWOESTIJNE1953 (atv.517we find thenameMedeawith regularscansion:Has [scil.Absyrtidas]olimColchitenuereferoces,/lassidumfrustraMedaefurtasequuntur).ThecorrespondingsectionofDionysiusPeriegesis(10161029)doesntcontainatallthenameoftheheroine,whoisonlysaidtohavecometoahomonymousland(,v.1026).73We could here repeat what said by CONTE, BARCHIESI 1989, p.101103, about one of the examples theyconsidered in their study of intertextuality: Leco attraente senza essere del tutto razionalizzabile: viconcorrononumerosifattorimetricoverbali,nessunodeiqualiperlaveritunicoeincontrovertibile(p.102).


15

argumenttosupportthepointthatnigrisque,althoughnotcompletelyVirgilian,nonetheless

couldhavebeen inspired toHosidiusbyVirgil.ThatswhyIwouldalso like topreserve

likeLamacchianigrisque,thoughcorrectingitintonigris.

Theexpunctionofqueisduetotworeasons.First,queisnotnecessaryforthesense

of the sentence (Medeaproducesevil juices, stainedofblackpoisons)74.Second, que is

absentfromtheforminwhichthehalfverseseemstobealludedtoinDracontius.Thehalf

versenigris infectavenenis is in factattested (afterHosidius,presumablynot independently

from him) inDracontius,who knowsHosidius, as he proves in hisMedea (Romul. 10)75.

DracontiuscouldsobeawitnessforanancientvariantofHosidiustext,unlesswethinkthat

nigrisinfectavenenismighthavebeencreatedexnovobythetwopoets,independently.

DracontiusquotationcomesfromtheIIIbookoftheDelaudibusDei.Therethepoet,

afteracondemnationofhumangreedforrichness,summonsuphisarguments,sayingthat

nilopusestpraeferreDeo,Deusomnisamorsit/anteanimamque(9293).Thenhepresents

uswithaseriesofambiguousexempla,takenfromtheGreekandRomantradition,ofpeople

whoforthesakeofglorylosttheirownlivesorkilledtheirrelatives(257261):

historiascurramDanaumgentisqueQuirini,

quiprolaudesuauelquiproregnoalieno

mentibusinfectisanimosaecladisamore

ausiomnessceleraremanusdemortesuorum 260

autcertedestragesua.(...)

Amongthem,thetwoCarthaginianbrothersPhilaeni(297321),who,whentheirtown

struggledwithCyrene about aboundary76, sacrificed themselves anddied to establish an

advantageousboundaryfortheirtown;intheplaceoftheirburialliethearaePhilaenorum.In

thedescriptionoftheLibycaeharenae,whichwereboththetheatreoftheepisodeofthetwo

Philaeniandtheobjectoftheirgreed77,weread(302304):

74Cf.alsoCONSOLINO1983,p.142.75DracontiusseemstohaveknownHosidiuswork,aswecanarguefromhisownMedea:cf.QUARTIROLI1947,p.22;BRIGHT1987,p.72andpassim;WOLFF1996,p.188;KAUFMANN2005,p.52andpassiminthecommentary.76TheirstoryistoldinVal.Max.5.6ext.4,asanexampleofpietasergapatriam.77Cf.SIMONS2005,p.124125.


16

portiotelluristantumconcessaMedusae78,

solisadustarotis,nigrisinfectavenenis79,

ignibusaethereis,gelidisobsessacerastis.

HereMedea, the characterwhom this hemiepes is linkedwith inHosidius,doesnt

seem to be involved. But wemust remark that, in the preceding and in the following

passagesofDelaudibusDei,thereareatleasttwohintsather.

We find the first one in the section devoted toDaniel, one of the biblical heroes

praised for their fides (togetherwithAbraham, Isaac, the threechildren in the furnace, the

apostlePeter).ThankstohisplenafidesDanielwasabletokillthelionsand,asaservantof

the trueGod, issaid tobedifferent from thepriestsof thecruelvirginDiana,whoenjoys

humansacrifices(217221):

Ille(scil.Daniel)Deifamulusfuerat,nonforteDianae,

quaesoletinsontumfusogauderecruore,

sanguinishumaninumquamsatiatacatervis

hospitibuscaesis;humanatabemadescens 220

TauricaperColchos80crudelisvirginisara.

TheseversesremindusofMedea81,who,accordingtoDracontius(cf.esp.Romul.10.9

10),wasapriestessofDianaandusedtosacrificestrangers82.

The second elementwhichmightbe reminiscentofMedeaoccurs in the following

section, that ofpagan exempla.Among thosewhomRomanus amor (lamoreperRoma,

according to CORSARO 1962) forced to kill their offspring, such as Brutus (324343) and

Torquatus(362397),DracontiusspeaksofVerginius(34436183),whokilledhisdaughterso

thatshewouldntbeviolatedbythedecemvirAppiusClaudius(34835184):

78It isfromthebloodofMedusa,killedbyPerseus,thattheserpentsoftheAfricandesertaresaidtobeborn:cf.MOUSSY1988,p.8384.79NoreferencetoHosidiusintherichapparatusoflociparallelipresentedbyVOLLMER1905,p.100(whoquotesjustVerg.Aen.7.341).NotethatvenenisistranslatedreptilesbyMOUSSY1988,velenibyCORSARO1962.80ForthedifficultyofthepresenceofTauricaandperColchos,weshallassumethatDracontiuseitherconfusesthetwo places or rathermeans theColchian (namely: located inColchis) altars of the goddessDiana,who isworshiped in Chersonesos Taurica (Dianas cult demanded the immolation of strangers: see themyth ofIphigenia).Cf.MOUSSY1988,p.76;KAUFMANN2005,p.61,n.196.81SoKAUFMANN2005,p.54,n.163.82AboutthethemeofMedea,priestessofDiana,seeBRIGHT1987,p.5455;KAUFMANN2005,p.48;p.50;p.53.83Whoisnotmentionedexpressisverbis.84Fortheanecdote,seeVal.Max.6.1.1andmostlyLiv.3.4448.


17

Causapudicitiaenaturaeiuradiremit,

libertatisamorvicitpietatisamorem.

Immemorhincgenerisfactus,nonimmemorUrbis, 350

Sanguinisoblitusfecitdepatrenovercam.

In this catalogue of impious parents,whomurdered sons and daughters,Medea

wouldeasilycometomindtoanyone;besidethat,v.351issimilartowhatDracontiussays

elsewhereabouther:quando cruentatam fecitdematrenovercam /mixtusamore furor (Romul.

10.2223).

So:forthehalfversenigrisinfectavenenisinDracontiuswemightassumeaHosidian

origin.Dracontiusmight have readHosidius cento as itmust have circulated inRoman

Africa, before being copied into the poetic anthology preserved by theCodex Salmasianus

abouttheyears53353485.

Moreover, a somehow analogous expression appears in a description of the Fury

Tisiphone (Iohann. 3.111115)86 by Corippus,who knew Dracontius87 andwhose Iohannis

mustdate to theyears following JohnTroglitas expedition against theMauri rebels (546

54888). In the long speech delivered by the tribune Caecilides Liberatus, asked by John

TroglitatoexplainthereasonforthedifficultiesofAfrica,LiberatustellsthestoryofAntala,

sonoftheMaurusGuenfan,whosomeyearsbeforehadrebelledwithhisFrexesagainstthe

Vandals, causingBelisariusmilitary intervention inAfrica.Afterhisbirth, a sacerdos told

Guenfan89 thatAntalawasbound to cause the ruinofbothVandalsandMaurs,and that,

duringhisyouth,theFuryTisiphoneraged:

FlammeaTisiphonetortissaevirechelydris

incipit,erexitquerigentesverticecrines

arapervacuum,nigrisinfusavenenis

oramadent,foedantoculislinguisquetrisulcis

temperiem,diroquehorrescunttemporatabo. 115

85Cf.TARRANT1983,p.913;CONSOLINO1999,p.7173.86Abouthim,cfr.CONSOLINO1999,p.8286.87MOUSSY,CAMUS1985,p.99100;KAUFMANN2005,p.4748andn.126.88TOMMASI2001,p.42;ZARINI2003,p.141.89Thissceneisprobablymeanttocriticizethebarbarianspaganism:cf.ZARINI2003,p.117121,whopointsoutCorippusstigmatisationofthetromperieammoniaque.


18

Nigris infusa venenis might come from a conflation of the two Virgilian

abovementioned loci (Aen. 7.341 and 4.514), without presupposing the knowledge of

Hosidius90.ButshallwesuspectatleasttheknowledgeofDracontius?

Hence Iwould also retain nigris inHosidius: a nigriswhich, during the last two

decades of the V century, would come down to Dracontius, and then perhaps to

Corippus.

Tosumup,ifwepreserveMedia,wellhaveHosidiususetheVirgiliantext:first,to

offerbothanallusion to thepassageof theGeorgicsandawordplaybasedonaetiology;

second,toevokethetragicheroine,usingthetraditionalpositionofhernamewithintragic

verses(atleastinSenecaandinEuripides).Atthesametime,thepossibleNachlebenofthe

second hemiepes (nigris infecta venenis) suggests we should preserve nigrisque, though

correctingitintonigris.

Conclusion

Hosidiusscholastic tragedy,writtenprobably for something likeadeclamatioat

schoolorinarecitinghall91,hadtofaceadoublechallenge:(1)thatofchangingtheliterary

genre,convertingVirgilsnarrativedramaticepic(cf.Servius)intoapurelydramatic

text; (2) that of aiming to build up a Senecan tragedy by means of Virgilian raw

materials.

IfProbawascapableofmakingeveryVirgilian fragmentevoke itsoriginalcontext

letting it shade lighton itsnew context92,Hosidius seems tobe a little less skilful in this

90SeeTOMMASI2001,p.150,accordingtowhomCorippusSecondolasolitadinamica,...rifondeleformulazionidiVerg.Aen.IV,514,nigricumlacteveneni(nellinvocazionecheDidonefaaglidiinferiprimadimorire)ediAen.VII,341,ottenendounasovrabbondanzadistampomanieristico.Infectacouldhavebeenchangedintoinfusaonthebasisofanotherhypotextofthepassage(Lucan.I64748):cf.ibidem,150151,ad113115.91WecanarguethatsuchtextswereperformedinthiswayalsofromtheanecdotewhichclosesMavortiuscentoDeecclesia,where thepoet,afterrecitinghiscento, isproclaimedasMaro iunior (for therecitingroomwereprobably composed tragedies since the Augustan age: TARRANT 1978, p.260); SCHMIDT 1978, p.35, definesHosidiusMedea as a carmen theatricum.Hosidiuswrites a recitationdrama according toLABUA 2006(cf.alsoDANE1950,p.77).Wehave tonote that inHosidiusallmarkersofdramaticperformanceare lacking:MCGILL2005,p.36.92Cf.CORSARO2007;MORETTI2008.


19

aspect;nonethelesshisattemptbearswitnessnotonly toVirgilspopularity93,butalso to

Virgilsreceptionasatragicauthor inantiquity,areceptionwhich inHosidius,at least

wasstronglyinfluencedalsobytheSenecantragicmodel.

Letme concludeby remarking that fecundum concute pectus (Hos. 393),namely the

words Absyrtus ghost says to Medea, exhorting her to dare to kill her children, are

interpreted by Hardie as an image of the poets high degree of metapoetic self

consciousness94:thecentonistseemstobeconsciousofthefactthat,inhisdismembering

and remembering of Virgil95, he is daring to undertake a difficult if not impious

enterprise.AndperhapsnotonlytheanonymouspoetofHippodamia,whoreusesthesame

hemiepes in theproemial sectionofhis cento, referring it tohispoetic inspiration96,would

agreewithHardie,butalsotheothercentonists,whomusthavebeenconsciousoftheactof

hybris they were making when they transformed Virgils parole in a langue they could

manipulateintoexpressingwhatevertheyliked.

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