Publication: Nevio inventore del saturnio in una testimonianza di Diomede
Date
2006-08-23T06:57:08Z
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Abstract
In 1836 Richard Bentley wrote «The first that used the Saturnian verse among the Latins was Naeuius, an old poet Ennius before time». Bentley supported his statement with a passage from the third book Diomedes’ Ars grammatica, in which Naeuius is proclaimed ‘inuentor’ of the Saturnian verse. It is not easy just to understand what was the source of Diomedes. No ancient source known to us refers to the primacy of Naeuius, although many authors associate his name to the Saturnian verse. Diomedes, who in his description retraces two traditions, one accredited by Varro, and that of Cesius Bassus – with technical character – deduces, in a totally arbitrary way, that the inventor of Saturnian verse was Naeuius. Hence the mistake - twelve centuries later – made by Richard Bentley.
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Nevio, saturnio, Diomede, Naevius, saturnian verse, Diomedes