The Versatile Needle: Hosidius Geta’s Cento "Medea" and Its Tradition

Description

The cento-tragedy Medea usually attributed to Hosidius Geta was transmitted in the Codex Salmasianus (now Codex Parisinus 10318). This is a comprehensive study and reevaluation of the text against the background of the ancient cento tradition, also providing a new English translation. After developing a new definition of the ancient conception of the cento in general, Geta’s cento technique and his use of the Vergilian text as well as his relation to the Greek and Roman models for his Medea are examined. It is shown that his play is innovative and sophisticated in both technique and content. Prolegomena 1 Origin and Development of the Cento 1.1 The Greek Cento 1.1.1 Precursors of the Greek Cento: Rhapsody and Pastiche 1.1.2 The Beginnings 1.2 The Latin Cento 1.3 Summary 2 What is a Cento? 2.1 Technique 2.2 Original context 2.3 The Establishment of the Primary Text 2.4 Why Write a Cento? 2.5 The Ancient Vergilian Centos: A Brief Overview 2.6 Summary 3 Hosidius Geta, Medea: an Introduction 3.1 Geta’s Medea : The Latin Text 3.2 The Plot 3.3 Transmission 3.4 The Author 4 Hosidius Geta’s Medea : Form and Technique 4.1 Meter 4.2 “Cheating” – Changing the Vergilian Text 4.3 Reinterpreting the Primary Text Semantically and Grammatically 4.4 Summary 5 The Relationship Between Cento and Primary Text 5.1 Prologue (1-24) / First Choral Song (25-51) 5.2 Medea – Creon (52-103) / Second Choral Song (104-147) 5.3 Medea – Nurse (148-180) 5.4 Jason – Medea (181-283) / Third Choral Song (284-312) 5.5 The Messenger’s Report (313-373) 5.6 Medea – Nurse (374-381) / Infanticide Scene (382-407) 5.7 The Final Scene: Medea’s Departure (408-461) 5.8 Summary 6 Hosidius Geta’s Place in the Medea Tradition 6.1 Verbal Allusions 6.2 Alexandrian Footnotes 6.3 Imitatio and Aemulatio: Innovations in Geta’s Play 6.4 Conclusion Bibliography Indices