The Virgilian Cento Progne et Philomela (Anth. Lat. 13 R): Towards a Solution of a Mythological Riddle
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| Year of publication | 2017 |
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| Description | The paper dealt with the twenty-four-line mythological epyllion Progne et Philomela, an anonymous Virgilian cento marked by considerable obscurity. The author discussed some of the most intriguing parts of the poem, especially the extended talking-blood-metaphor (vv. 15-22), claiming that the general ambiguity of the cento is, to some extent, an intentionally adopted authorial strategy rather than a by-product of the cento technique. Hence, it was proposed that the poem might have been written as a sort of mythological riddle to be solved by its readers. |