Symphosius The Aenigmata: An Introduction, Text and Commentary

Description

The post-classical compilation known to modern scholarship as the Latin Anthology contains a collection of a hundred riddles, each consisting of three hexameters and preceded by a lemma. It would seem from the preface to this collection that they were composed extempore at a dinner to celebrate the Roman Saturnalia. The work was to have a defining influence on later collections of riddles; yet its title (probably the Aenigmata) has been debated, and almost nothing is known about its author: questions have even been asked about his name (Symphosius?) and date (4th-5th centuruy AD?). In this edition of the riddles, the Introducion discusses the work's title and its author's identity: as well as his name and date, it considers his national origin (North African?) and intellectual background (a professional grammarian?), and argues that he was not Christian, as has been suggested. It examines the Saturnalian background to the work, setting it in its sociological context, and discusses the author's literary debts – especially to Martial. The Introduction also explores the author's ordering and arrangement of the riddles, discusses his literary style, Latinity and metre, and comments briefly on his Nachleben. It concludes with a survey of the textual tradition. The commentary on each riddle includes a translation, general notes on the object it describes (with reference, as necessary, to museums and artefacts), and discussion of how it fits into the ordering of the collection, of variant readings and, with suitable illustration, of literary, stylistic and metrical considerations. Other areas, such as history and mythology, are also covered where relevant. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents Preface and Acknowledgements List of Tables Select Bibliography Introduction 1 Author and title 2 Date 3 The collection (a) Martial, Symphosius, Riddles and the Saturnalia (b) Order and arrangement (c) Literary style (d) Latinity and metre (e) Literary debts 4 Nachleben 5 The text (a) Sigla (b) Differences with Shackleton Bailey’s 1982 Teubner text Latin Text Commentary 1 A stylus 2 A reed pen 3 A ring with a jewel-stone 4 A key 5 A chain 6 A tile 7 Smoke 8 Cloud 9 Rain 10 Ice 11 Snow 12 A river and a fish 13 A ship 14 A chick in an egg 15 A viper 16 A bookworm 17 A spider 18 A snail 19 A frog 20 A tortoise 21 A mole 22 An ant 23 A fly 24 A weevil 25 A mouse 26 A crane 27 A crow 28 A bat 29(31) Phoenix 30(29) A hedgehog 31(30) A louse 32 A bull 33 A wolf 34 A fox 35 A nanny goat 36 A pig 37 A mule 38 A tiger 39 A centaur 40 A poppy 41 A mallow 42 A beet 43 A gourd 44 An onion 45 A rose 46 A violet 47 Incense 48 Myrrh 49 Ivory 50 Hay 51 A mill 52 Flour 53 A vine 54 A hook 55 A needle 56 A boot 57 A hobnail 58 A hair 59 A ball 60 A saw 61 An anchor 62 A bridge 63 A sponge 64 A trident 65 An arrow 66 A whip 67 A lantern 68 A window pane15 69 A mirror16 70 A water-clock 71 A well 72 A pipe 73 Bellows 74 A stone 75 Lime 76 Flint 77 Wheels 78 A ladder 79 A besom 80 A bell 81 A flask 82 Seasoned wine 83 Wine turned to vinegar 84 An apple 85 A ham 86 A hammer 87 A pestle 88 A bronze strigil 89 A bathhouse 90 A die 91 Money 92 A woman who has given birth to twins 93 A gouty soldier 94 A one-eyed garlic seller 95 A tight-rope walker 96 Words22 97 A shadow 98 Echo 99 Sleep 100 A memorial Appendix: Attributions to Symphosius General Index Index Verborum