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THEMINIATUREEPICINVANDALAFRICAANDTHEHERITAGEOFA.NON-GENRE’
Asithasbeenmentionedabove,AlessandroPerutelliarguesconvincinglythatthe
Latinminiatureepicisspecificpreciselyforitsbeingthenarrazionecommentata,”astory
alwaysaccompaniedbythenarratorialvoice,thevoiceofthecommentator,theinter-
preter,and(aboveall)thejudgeofthemythicalzevents,
.Fromthisperspective,theItalian
scholardescribesacertainzevolution,thatthegenrewentthroughinLatinliteraturefrom
thelateRepublicantothelateAugustanera(whichwasprobablytheperiodofitslongest
uninterruptedpresenceinRomanpoetry).Perutellianalyzesthree,inhisviewparticu-
larlyinteresting,examples:Catullus,scarm.64,theCiris,andselectedOvid,snarrations
intheMetamorphoses(theScyllastory,8.6f.,theMyrrhaepisode,10.298f.,andthree
minormotifs:Ioin1.588f.,Ariadnein8.169f.,andEuropain2.846f.).Asheshows,
comparingthethreezcases,onecannoticechangesinthenarrator,sapproachtowardthe
zmythicalstory,herecountsandtherolethatthismythicalstoryshouldrepresentforhis
contemporarypublic.Catullusincarm.64pointstotheageoftheheroesastheidealeraof
virtusanddes,thusthezlyrical,coloringofhisnarratorialinterventions,emphasizingthe
nostalgiaforthisidealremotepast54thatshouldhaveaparadigmaticvalueforthepresent
times.Hencealsotheseverejudgment,acensureindeed,ofthecontemporarieswhohave
despisedreligionandbanishedjustice,cherishedinthemythicalageofinnocence.55
IntheCiris,thefocusofthenarratorialcriticismshifsfromthezreal,world,ac-
cusedofmoraldegradation,totheverymythicalstoryitself.Tenarratorstillspeaks
asazjudge,
,asamoralist,however,whathejudgesnowisthetale,theplothenarrates
assuch,andthebehaviorofitsprotagonists.Hiscommentsfolloweverymomentofthe
action:heexpresseshiscompassionfortheMegarianswatchinginvaintheirking,slock,
thewholecountryofMegara,and,especially,thefatherbetrayedbyhisowndaughter.56
HealsotriestounderstandthemotifsbehindScylla,sact,wonderingwhethersheshould
ratherbeseenasinfelixordemens.57YetwheneverhisattentionconcentratesonNisos,
heemphasizesthatthekingisaninnocentvictimofadaughterwhoviolatedthefamilial
maticodelmitosimanifestainformediverse,mainnestasempreunaproblematicaseriaegrave,
rispettosainqualchemododelladignitàcheaRomaavevasemprerivestitol,epos.”
54Seecarm.64.22-24:onimisoptatosaeclorumtemporenati/heroes,salvete,deumgenus!
obonamatrum/progenies,salveteiter<um.../vosegosaepe,meovoscarminecompellabo.
55Seethestronglyemotionallymarkednalofthecarmen(382-408),wherethepoetpaintsin
verydarkcolorsthemoralityofhiscontemporaries,opposingtheirbehaviortothatofthemythi-
calheroeswhodulyrespectedthegodsandwerevisitedbythemintheirhomes.Fortheanalysis
ofthenarratorialinterventionsincarm.64,seePerutelli1979:44-68.Certainly,Perutelli,sreading
couldbeinsomerespectsjuxtaposedwithethicalinterpretationsofCatullus,scarm.64,seeno-
tablyKonstan1977.Catullus,sethicalinvolvementincarm.64isalsoemphasizedbyStyka(1994:
163-166;1995:227-229)who,ontheotherhand,pointsouttheinterdependenceofethicaland
aestheticattitudeofthepoetnoticeableinthisepyllion.
56SeeCiris,129-132:necverohaecvobiscustodiavanafuisset/(necfuerat),niScyllanovocor-
reptafurore,/Scylla,patrismiseripatriaequeinventasepulcrum,/onimiumcupidisMinoainhiasset
ocellis.Inl.129,IreadvobisasproposedbyPerutelli1979:80-81.
57Seell.181-194;thefollowingpassageseemsparticularlyinteresting:namquehaeccondicio
miseraeproponituruna,/siveillaignorans(quisnonbonusomniamalit/crederequamtantisceleris
damnarepuellam?);/heutameninfelix:quidenimimprudentiaprodest?(ll.187-190).