Athens in Rome, Rome in Germany: Nicodemus Frischlin's 1586 Translations of Aristophanes
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Athens in Rome, Rome in Germany: Nicodemus Frischlin's 1586 Translations of Aristophanes by Patrick Lucky Hadley A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Classics University of Toronto © Copyright by Patrick Lucky Hadley 2014 Athens in Rome, Rome in Germany: Nicodemus Frischlin's 1586 Translations of Aristophanes Patrick Lucky Hadley Doctor of Philosophy 2014 Department of Classics University of Toronto Abstract This thesis presents a critical analysis of Nicodemus Frischlin's 1586 Latin translations of Aristophanes' Plutus, Clouds, Acharnians, Frogs, and Knights. This analysis uses criticism from the fields of translation studies to get to the heart of the cultural milieu for which Frischlin produced these translations. One major question this thesis will seek to answer is why, exactly, a German humanist would think it a good idea to translate and popularize the works of an author typically thought to be too obscene and topical to be of any value to the Christian readers of the European Renaissance. This thesis answers this question by undertaking the necessary analyses of the rapidly shifting political, religious, and educational boundaries in Frischlin's Holy Roman Empire at the close of the 16th century. Within this fragmented state, Frischlin's work reached many different groups and effected them in different ways, and so this thesis also attempts to trace these varied reactions through the different political and cultural contexts in which Frischlin worked at different stages, exposing the literary and poetic expectations of the multiple audiences who read and happily re-published his work. Chapter one introduces the subject, with basic background information on the general consensus concerning Aristophanes at the time Frischlin began his work. Chapter two handles the question of translation directly, establishing the methods Frischlin employed in producing his translations, and the means by which we can best criticize and understand them. Chapter three examines Frischlin's relationship to the educational curricula of his day, and the purpose his translations served within those evolving curricula. Chapter four analyzes the relationship of Frischlin and his translation to the governmental structures within which he had to work and seek patronage. Chapter five seeks to establish what lasting impact Frischlin's approach to Aristophanes had on later generations of scholars and artists. Chapter six concludes the ii dissertation by summarizing the preceding arguments and suggesting directions that similar research can and should take in the future. iii Acknowledgments This thesis could never have been written without the patient help and encouragement of far too many people to name here. Among these people, however, pride of place must go to Martin Revermann. By allowing me to develop this project on my own initiative when possible, holding me to a higher standard than I held myself, encouraging me at every step of the way, and always making time in his busy schedule to provide in-depth and invaluable feedback in his typically unassuming manner, Martin has been the ideal Doktorvater. His tremendous expertise, sharp eye, and insightful criticisms have improved every single page of what follows, and have rid this thesis of many infelicities and not a few embarrassing blunders. My own stubbornness and foolishness alone are to blame for those that remain. Kenneth Bartlett and Domenico Pietropaolo both generously took time out of their very busy schedules not only to be part of my committee, but to extend to me the sort of friendship, advice, and rigorous, helpful criticism that most doctoral students can only dream of getting from their committee members. Without their patient guidance, I would have been truly lost in dealing with this topic. In the Fall of 2012 I received a very generous fellowship from the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Neo-Latin Studies in Innsbruck, Austria, where I first sat down to write the central chapters of this dissertation. For the kindness, camaraderie, and invaluable scholarly advice and academic acumen they put at my disposal during the critical early stages of this project, I will be forever in the debt of my Tyrolean colleagues, whom I think of often and fondly. Victoria Wohl was very supportive in approving of a dissertation topic that other graduate coordinators in Classics might well have scorned away. I am very grateful to her for this, and to the University of Toronto Classics Department as a whole for providing me with the funding and support necessary to bring this thesis to its conclusion in a timely manner. Last but certainly not least, my family has shown endless support in the face of several cases of writer's block and self-doubt. My parents embraced an encouraged a nascent love of what might seem a silly topic, while my brothers spared me many (but not all) of the beatings that a weakened state, brought on by too many weekends alone in the library, made all too easy to administer. Finally, my fiancée, Karen Maybury, has stood by my side throughout this entire process, tolerating every lapse in patience, confidence, and hygiene that dissertating has entailed. iv I know that being able to call myself her partner will prove to be of far greater value in the years to come than being able to call myself a highfalutin Doctor of Philosophy. v Contents Chapter I: Introduction ............................................................................................................1 Chapter II: Translation Theory and Translation as Interpretation in Frischlin's Aristophanes ..............................................................................................................................8 Theorizing Translation ................................................................................................................9 Frischlin's Distillation of Humanist Theories of Humor...............................................................17 Modern Theorizations of Humor ............................................................................................... 19 Applying Translation Theory and Humor Theory to Frischlin's Translations of Aristophanic Humour..........................................................................................................................................24 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 52 Chapter III: Education and Rhetoric in Frischlin's Translations ......................................... 55 Plutus ........................................................................................................................................ 61 Clouds....................................................................................................................................... 73 Frogs ........................................................................................................................................ 85 Rhetoric and Reality .................................................................................................................. 92 Chapter IV: Nationalism and the Politics of the Holy Roman Empire in Frischlin's Translations ............................................................................................................................. 96 Knights ................................................................................................................................... 110 Acharnians .............................................................................................................................. 121 Frischlin's Approach to the Politics of Dramatic Reception ..................................................... 127 Chapter V: The Reception of Frischlin's Aristophanes ....................................................... 130 Frischlin and the Developing Academic Aristophanes ............................................................. 130 Frischlin and the Developing Political Aristophanes ................................................................ 136 Frischlin and the Evolving Place of Obscenity......................................................................... 141 Frischlin and the Developing non-Academic Aristophanes ...................................................... 145 Chapter VI: Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 149 Appendix: The Likely Source of Frischlin's Greek Text ..................................................... 153 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................... 155 vi Translations and Editions of Aristophanes ............................................................................... 155 Secondary Material ................................................................................................................. 156 List of Appendices 1. The Likely Source of Frischlin's Greek Text. p. 153 vii 1 Chapter I Introduction The eleven plays of Aristophanes that survive today were preserved through the Middle Ages because they were believed to present the Byzantine student of rhetoric with a rich and complex example of the classical Attic Greek that every member of the imperial civil service and the higher echelons of the clergy was expected to master.1 When Byzantine exiles, diplomats, and