© 2017 Lyndy Danvers ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THE TIES THAT BIND: PSEUDO-VERGILIAN POEMS IN ANTIQUITY By LYNDY DANVERS A dissertation suBmitted to the Graduate School-New Brunswick Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Classics Written under the direction of Serena Connolly And approved By _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ New Brunswick, New Jersey October 2017 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION The Ties that Bind: Pseudo-Vergilian Poems in Antiquity by LYNDY DANVERS Dissertation Director: Dr. Serena Connolly My study investigates the connections between the poems that are attributed to Vergil but were most likely not written by him. I systematically traverse these poems, beginning with the writings ascribed to Vergil in the biography of Donatus (i.e. the Culex, the Ciris, the Lydia, the Dirae, the Catalepton poems, and the Priapeia poems); followed by those added in the biography of Servius (i.e. the Aetna, and the Copa); and finally the remaining works transmitted in the biographical tradition and also those remaining in the so-called “Appendix Vergiliana” (i.e. the “Ballista” epigram, Vergil’s epitaph, the pre-proem to the Aeneid, Elegiae in Maecenatem, and the “Helen Episode” from the Aeneid). These poems were probably written by different authors, in different time periods, and across different genres. They nevertheless display a concatenation of similar topoi. Most previous scholarship in this area has focused on issues of authorship, and when scholars have addressed the purely poetic aspects of these works, they have done so by focusing on individual poems. By looking at these poems as a group, we are able to look for and find similarities between them. My dissertation argues that these pieces of pseudepigrapha draw upon and react to the authentic works of Vergil in very ii similar ways. More specifically, that the authors of these poems engage directly with the Vergilian biography, Vergil’s authentic poems, and Vergil’s literary predecessors, amongst other topics, to create an almost unitary reception of the author and his works. In addition, each poem references the Eclogues, the Georgics, and the Aeneid, usually obliquely and in close succession. We can infer from these references, along with mentions in both biographies, that there was some question of the authenticity of Vergil’s works. Moreover, I argue, we can discover a purpose for the writing of pseudepigrapha: recognition of Vergil’s authentic canon. My study also has broad significance for the reception of Vergil’s authentic works. Scholars on Vergil and, more specifically, on the reception of his works and their afterlife can now begin to view these poems as mirrors into what ancients believed were the most important elements of Vergil’s biography and works. iii Acknowledgements First and foremost I would like to thank my advisor, Serena Connolly, for supporting me tirelessly in this endeavor. Serena first introduced me to the Appendix Vergiliana while I was trying to decide what to focus on for my Ph.D. special exams, before I even knew much, if anything, about it; she then persuaded me to write about it for my dissertation. Her undying encouragement and support serves as an inspiration to me as a scholar and advisor. I would also like to extend a very warm thank you to the members of my dissertation committee. Leah Kronenberg set sail on this topic with me so many years ago as my special topic advisor and has continued always to give me insightful guidance. Scott McGill has generously provided me with his knowledge on the subject as well as constant positive reinforcement. Corey Brennan has offered his endless enthusiasm and insights. Katherine Wasdin too has been kind and giving with her help and support. Thank you to everyone as well who has helped and guided me through this process in an unofficial capacity. Martha Davis and Karen Hersch have nurtured me from the very beginning of my Classical journey, from my time as an undergraduate to today. They have served as role models and constant sources of knowledge and support throughout it all. Raymond Capra, my colleague of the past seven years, has gifted me with his friendship and guidance, which has meant more to me than I can ever express. iv Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank my friends and family without whom I would not have been able to make it through this journey. My fellow graduate student at Rutgers, Kate Whitcomb, has been a faithful and generous source of advice and support. My trio of editors and friends, Amanda Frankel (who was always there in a pinch), Christy Wallover (who was always there to lend a helping hand), and Leksa Nall (who was the prophetes to my Pythia at times), deserve eternal thanks for their tireless help and unwavering encouragement. Finally, my mother, Lynda Danvers, has been there with me every step of the way, through the good, bad, and the in-between. Thank you for being my rock -- I never would have made it here without you. v Table of Contents Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………………….….ii Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………………...iv Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………………………....vi Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………...pg. 1 Chapter One ……………………………………………………………………………………………pg. 17 Chapter Two …………………………………………………………………………………………...pg. 69 Chapter Three …………………………………………………………………………………………pg. 145 Chapter Four ……………………………………………………………………………………….…..pg. 184 Chapter Five……………………………………………………………………………………….…... pg. 219 Chapter Six ………………………………………………………………………………………….…..pg. 261 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………….…...pg. 293 Appendix A ……………………………………………………………………………………….……..pg. 305 Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………………………….. pg. 311 vi 1 Introduction “Picasso had a saying: ‘good artists copy; great artists steal.’” (- Steve Jobs)1 Scholarly Framework and Approach When listing the works of Vergil, one would surely name the Eclogues, Georgics, and Aeneid. However, those are not the only works transmitted to us from antiquity under the name of Vergil. In fact, there are more than twenty additional works, mostly poems but one prose text, which are said to have been written by Vergil, but are considered inauthentic by scholarly consensus today. These compositions are found apart from the authentic works in the manuscript tradition: some are transmitted in biographies, some only mentioned in other ancient texts, while others are preserved among scholastic rewritings. The authorship of these poems may never be securely established; the time period during which they were 1 Steve Jobs often quoted this line when confronted with accusations of and lawsuits concerning the theft of ideas in the creation of Macintosh computers. This quotation is also applicable to the discussion of ancient pseudepigrapha in this dissertation. When good artists simply “copy” another’s work, it is usually apparent because of a lack of creativity. This derivative work may be aesthetically pleasing but it is unoriginal and uninspired—any value is derived from the original version. But when great artists “steal,” they do so through interpretation and reuse of previous material in their own new work. While traces and influences of the originals will remain, great artists will create an innovative and inspired work. There are many forms of pseudepigrapha, some more successful than others in their purposeful reuse of previous material. In some instances, we as readers find the pseudepigraphic works to be mere copies of a previous work; but in others, we find them to be masterful “thefts” of original material, reinterpreted in a new way. I also find this quotation interesting because, even though Jobs repeatedly attributed it to Picasso, no one seems to be able to find the original attestation. This fact adds an additional layer of meaning: as with some pseudepigraphic texts, one author may not have intentionally written in the guise of another, but instead a work was misattributed to that other author later on. While Jobs meditates on the nature of the reuse of ideas and material, he is making a mistake common to the field of pseudepigraphic studies as well. This quotation has taken on various forms throughout the years but it seems that the original sentiment comes from T.S. Eliot who said "immature poets imitate; mature poets steal." 2 written may never be identified; the motivations behind them may never be known. The one thing that ties these works together is their attribution to the great poet Vergil. The scholarship on these poems and on literary fakes, or pseudepigrapha, in general has followed two paths: discussions of authorship and examinations of individual texts.2 First, much of previous scholarship began with a question of the authenticity of the texts. The most basic methods to determine authorship and/or time period are through the examination of language,3 style,4 and meter,5 a so-called aesthetic approach. However, authors may experiment from one work to another and therefore many elements may not be consistent through a whole oeuvre. Moreover, the aesthetic approach tends to be flawed because analysis of style may be highly subjective and therefore an inaccurate indicator of authenticity.6 Scholars have attempted to use external evidence as well, including the manuscript tradition, scribal