La mimèsi in Filodemo di Gadara

Recent studies have pointed out that it is not possible to find in Philodemus of Gadara such a complex notion of mimesis (μίμησις) as that Aristotle had worked out (Poet. 9,1-2), because Philodemus uses mimesis mainly to express the simple imitation of a particular reality, or of a previous author; sometimes he gives μιμεῖσθαι the generic meaning of «composing poetically». We will analyze a very important and difficult passage of the V Book of Poetics (cols. XXV 30-XXVI 20), in which Philodemus gives aims for excellence in poetic diction and content, and asks the diction «to imitate the diction which teaches beneficial things in addition». Soon after he speaks of imitation in relation to the poiema (ποίημα, «the poem»), no longer to the diction, saying that «poem is that which imitates as much as possible» (or «insofar as it can»). We will show that Philodemus does not want to propose a complex notion of mimesis, and, generally speaking, is not so accurate in define mimesis, since what he asks the good poet is not a peculiar representation of reality, but the choice of a rational subject and the good and rational disposition of the facts in accordance with the disposition of words.