Posidippus of Pella and Epigram collections in hellenistic Greece: study and translation

• Grant number: 20/15536-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2021
• End date: March 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Literature - Classical Literatures
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Rodrigues Junior
• Grantee: José Leonilson Fontes Filho
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Discovered in 1992, the so-called Milan Papyrus (P. Mil. Vogl. VIII 309), dating from the late 3rd century B.C., has revealed a collection of 112 Hellenistic epigrams, some of which entirely preserved, distributed in 9 thematic sections identified by titles. According to recent studies on Greek epigrammatic poetry, the collection, credited to the Macedonian poet Posidippus of Pella (c. 315-240 BC), constitutes the oldest extant copy of a Hellenistic poetry book. This master's research project proposes a presentation and a full translation to the epigrams and fragments attributed to Posidippus in this corpus, preceded by a study on the genre of epigram and epigram collections in Hellenistic Greece (c. 323-31 B.C.). In order to analyze the relationship between the Milan Papyrus' epigrammatic corpus and the poetry of Posidippus of Pella previously known, it is also proposed a translation to the other about 30 poems preserved under his name, most of them transmitted through the Greek Anthology, so as to provide, for the first time in Portuguese, an overview of the oeuvre of one of the most prominent Greek epigrammatists of the Hellenistic age. By considering the epigram in its specificity, this work aims to contribute to the discussions about the poetic genres in Antiquity and their transformations over time. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

FONTES FILHO, José Leonilson. Posidippus of Pella and epigram collections in Hellenistic Greece: study and translation. 2024. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH/SBD) São Paulo.