La tradizione dell’epillio in Silio Italico

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating the residual evidence of the so-called epyllion in Latin epics of the 1st century C.E. In spite of its thematic unity, Silius’ poem about the Second Punic War fits well the purpose, because it shows digressive character as well as special interest in exploring the ways the different narrative levels reciprocally interact. The analysis focuses on two episodes, from Book VII (Fabius Maximus’ rescue of Minucius and his troops) and Book VI (the insert tale of Regulus’ African deeds), which respectively enact opposite kinds of relationship (viz. the typical ‘mirroring’ of epyllia) with their Virgilian model (the digression about Hercules’ fight against Cacus) and other related intertexts such as the end of Lucan’s Book IV (Curio’s tragic death in Africa). Then, the embedded mythological aition of the old Falernus (Punica VII) is taken into account as an example of the new function attributed to a traditional frame-situation of Greek and Latin epyllion (the poor hospitality offered to heroes and gods).