The figure of the stepmother (noverca) was frequent in the declamations, and, in recent times, this subject has received particular attention from scholars who have emphasized not only the traditionally negative elements in the characterization of the noverca, but also the intertextual references to mythical and literary figures. At the end of this declamatory tradition stands Ennodius with the Dictio 15; he addressed the theme with innovative and original solutions compared to previous examples. In Ennodius, the stepmother is accused of having killed not only her stepson but also her husband. The fictive declaimer plunges his indictment into dark and pathetic atmospheres, through constant stylistic tension, and he becomes the spokesman of the entire community, which is the ultimate target of the noverca’s murderous action. Therefore, Ennodius re-proposes and takes to extremes a traditional theme as an example of both rhetorical and moral teaching.

Il nomen tragicum di matrigna: l’esito estremo di un motivo declamatorio (Ennod. dict. 15) / A.A. Raschieri (NUOVA BIBLIOTECA DI CULTURA ROMANOBARBARICA). - In: Ennodio di Pavia: cultura, letteratura, stile fra V e VI secolo / [a cura di] F. Gasti. - Firenze : Sismel-Edizioni del Galluzzo, 2022. - ISBN 978-88-9290-212-1. - pp. 147-158

Il nomen tragicum di matrigna: l’esito estremo di un motivo declamatorio (Ennod. dict. 15)

A.A. Raschieri
2022

Abstract

The figure of the stepmother (noverca) was frequent in the declamations, and, in recent times, this subject has received particular attention from scholars who have emphasized not only the traditionally negative elements in the characterization of the noverca, but also the intertextual references to mythical and literary figures. At the end of this declamatory tradition stands Ennodius with the Dictio 15; he addressed the theme with innovative and original solutions compared to previous examples. In Ennodius, the stepmother is accused of having killed not only her stepson but also her husband. The fictive declaimer plunges his indictment into dark and pathetic atmospheres, through constant stylistic tension, and he becomes the spokesman of the entire community, which is the ultimate target of the noverca’s murderous action. Therefore, Ennodius re-proposes and takes to extremes a traditional theme as an example of both rhetorical and moral teaching.
Ennodius; stepmother; rhetoric; declamation; controversia
Settore L-FIL-LET/04 - Lingua e Letteratura Latina
Settore L-FIL-LET/05 - Filologia Classica
2022
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/965337
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