Through an examination of paratextuality in late antique literature, this collection of essays reconsiders the importance of the written material that appears in the margins of ancient poetic texts.
Paratexts such as headings, prefaces, letters et al. have largely been skimmed over or completely disregarded in favour of the main ancient work. However, there is now a new wave of scholarship that takes into consideration the reading of books in line with the different 'margins', or 'frames', and the structures (de-)constructed by them.
A salient feature of late antique poetry is the presence of the paratextual. For example, the prefaces of Ausonius, Claudian, Avianus, Sidonius Apollinaris, and Venantius Fortunatus are studied in their own right by the contributors, who present new understandings and interpretations of the aims of these late antique writers. In keeping with its subject matter, this volume presents a multitude of approaches intended not only to look at, but rather to read and take seriously the paratextual material. The result is a reframing of our appreciation of the marginal matter, which has up until this point been overlooked.
Examines the presence of paratextual material in late antique literature, focusing particularly on poetic texts.Arvustused
The papers assembled here advance scholarship on many aspects of the paratexts that survive around the poetry of Late Antiquity, as these contributions show that professions of simplicity and rusticity continue to trip up modern readers who are all too ready to ignore the contributions of Late Antiquity. -- Aaron Pelttari, Senior Lecturer of Latin Literature, University of Edinburgh, UK
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Examines the presence of paratextual material in late antique literature, focusing particularly on poetic texts.
List of Contributors
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
A Paratext
Introduction. Stumbling at the Entrance: Late Antique Paratexts between
Discursive Enrichment and Interpretive Challenge (Markus Kersten, University
of Basel, Switzerland)
The Framework of a Tradition: Paratexts from Ausonius to Sidonius
Chapter
1. Everyones a Critic: Ausonius on His Coterie and Its Etiquette
(Brian Sowers, Brooklyn College, USA)
Chapter
2. Ausonius' Commentary on His Own Work (Étienne Wolff, Paris
Nanterre University, France)
Chapter
3. Legere or tegere? Reflections on a Key Question for the Late
Antique Author and his Readers (Luciana Furbetta, University of Trieste,
Italy)
Chapter
4. Poetics of Conclusion in Sidonius' Letters (Books 7-9, Epist.
9.
12-16) (Annick Stoehr-Monjou, Clermont-Ferrand University, France)
Core Issues: Repetition, Revision and Collection
Chapter
5. Revising Rewriting: Eudocia, the Cento, and Distributed Authorship
(Scott McGill, Rice University, USA)
Chapter
6. Quoting Quotations: Multi-layer Intertextuality in Late Antique
Poetry (Claudia Schindler, University of Hamburg, Germany)
Chapter
7. The Disparaging Assessments, Topical Modesty, and Awkward
Intertextuality of the Fables of Avianus (Christopher Poms, Graz University,
Austria)
Chapter
8. Claudians carmina minora: A Collection of Short Pieces by a
Stumbling Poet? (Adrien Bresson, University of Lyon, France)
The Tradition of Framework: Paratexts in Venantius Fortunatus and Beyond
Chapter
9. Venantius Fortunatuss vecors otium in His Letter to Bishop
Syagrius (Enno Friedrich, Graz University, Austria)
Chapter
10. De modicis minimus: Venantius Fortunatus and the Value of His
Life of Saint Martin (Elena Castelnuovo, University of Milan, Italy)
Chapter
11. The Politics of Rusticitas in Late Antique Hagiography (Raphael
Schwitter, University of Zürich, Switzerland)
Chapter
12. The Legacy of Late Antique Paratexts in Early Modern Literature
(Christian Guerra, University of Basel, Switzerland)
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Christian Guerra teaches Latin at the University of Bern and Italian at the Gymnasium Muttenz, Switzerland.
Markus Kersten is a Professor in Classics at the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
Ann-Kathrin Stähle teaches Latin and Greek at the Gymnasium Liestal, Switzerland.
