Le poète aux semelles de plomb. Les métaphores de la légèreté et du poids dans la tradition biographique sur Philitas de Cos

Pataki, Elvira (2013) Le poète aux semelles de plomb. Les métaphores de la légèreté et du poids dans la tradition biographique sur Philitas de Cos. Acta Antiqua, 53 (1). pp. 1-32. ISSN 0044-5975

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Abstract

The paper deals with the biographical anecdotes of Philitas of Cos, who was not only extremely thin as a result of his laborious philological activity, but according to Aelian and Athenaeus, the poet leptoteros even had to wear lead weights to keep his balance against the wind. In order to support the highly discussed metaphorical interpretation of the second story, the article focuses on a possible analogue not yet examined. After the reconsideration of the sources, including the scoptic epigram, the comedy, the statue of Philitas, we analyse a zoological paradox of Hellenistic origin transmitted also by Aelian: the bees also have to carry stones as counterweight against the wind. This indirect association of the poet with the melissa, a traditional poetological metaphor, would fit well into the tradition about Philitas: he is known to have had a particular interest in nature, as among his glossographical and poetical fragments several items concern the life of bees. Moreover, contemporary critical assessments on Philitas’ œuvre are based on a very similar zoological imagery.

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