Work

Trajan’s Nose: Anthologia Palatina 11.418 and Plutarch’s Regvm Et Imperatorvm Apophthegmata 172e

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Anth. Pal. 11.418 is traditionally attributed to Trajan. The distich mocks a man’s large nose and is a typical example of a scoptic epigram. Even though the attribution to Trajan looks suspicious, scholarship has been inclined to accept his authorship. However, it is possible that the poem was written about the emperor instead, which would also explain the misattribution. This hypothesis, if correct, sheds light on the surprising opening anecdote of Plutarch’s Regum et imperatorum apophthegmata (172E), which is dedicated to Trajan.

Source: The Classical Quarterly

DOI: 10.1017/s0009838824000648

Author: Laurens van der Wiel

Institution: University of Warsaw

Language: English

Topic: Classical Antiquity Studies

Subfield: Anthropology

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450

Funder: Narodowym Centrum Nauki