Ancient Fables and Literary Genres: Texts, Contexts, Interactions

Ancient Fables and Literary Genres: Texts, Contexts, Interactions

Edited by: Ursula Gärtner and Lukas Spielhofer

 

Ancient fables have come down to us in many forms: They were published as fable collections both in prose and verse or embedded in literary works of other genres. The contributions to this volume shed light on the interaction between fables and these literary genres and give an overview of fables from early Greek to medieval literature. They seek to ask what role fables play in individual genres, and which genres in turn find an echo in fables.

In the case of fables embedded in other genres, the contributions ask as to which fables are chosen for which theme or genre and how they relate to it, how fables are adapted in other texts, how these embeddings are marked at a textual level, and what purpose they serve. In the case of other genres influencing fable collections, the volume illustrates how fables deal with the question of genre more generally but also with specific works or authors, how they approximate and, at the same time, distinguish themselves from these influences, what the aim of this approximation might be and through which means references to genres are made.

The 21 contributions by internationally renowned fable scholars provide, for the first time, an overview of the interaction of fables and other genres.

eBook published on:

December 4, 2025

eBook ISBN:

9783111181936

Hardcover published on:

December 4, 2025

Hardcover ISBN:

9783111179889

Front matter:

9

Main content:

458

Illustrations:

1

 

Frontmatter

Open Access

	I
Preface Open Access

	V
Contents Open Access

	VII
In cothurnis prodit Aesopus nouis: Ancient Fable and the Literary Genres Ursula Gärtner and Lukas Spielhofer Open Access

	1
Part I: Fable and Epic
Hesiod’s Fable of “The Hawk and the Nightingale” (Op. 202–212) Bruno Currie Open Access

	19
Taming the Lion/Feeding the Beast: Homeric Fables and the Ethics of Epic Keating P. J. McKeon Open Access

	45
Part II: Fable and Elegy
The Fables of Avianus: Intersection of Genres and Textual Criticism Giovanni Zago Open Access

	67
Peruigil ante fores, irrita uota gerens: Avianus’ Fables and Roman Love Elegy Christopher Poms Open Access

	81
Part III: Fable and Comedy
Not For Beetle Brains: Fables in Aristophanes Babette Pütz Open Access

	101
Comedy in Phaedrus’ Fables: seruus, meretrix, anus, iuuenis, miles in fabula Ursula Gärtner Open Access

	117
Phaedrus and the Latin Mime: Preliminary Remarks Caterina Mordeglia Open Access

	143
Part IV: Fable and Prose Genres
Clever Creatures: How Phaedrus Parallels Natural History in His Fables Hedwig Schmalzgruber Open Access

	157
The Ideal Philosopher as “Fabulator”: Socratic-Platonic Variations on Aesop in the Phaedo Claudia Luchetti Open Access

	181
From λόγος to μῦθος: Babrius’ Fabulous Poetics Vittorio Bottini Open Access

	203
The Use of Animal Fable in Ancient Oratory: Reality or Fiction? Damian Pierzak Open Access

	229
Nemo aliquid ualet sine suis: Classical and Medieval Latin Versions of “The Belly and the Members” across Literary Genres Simona Martorana Open Access

	249
Part V: Fable and Ancient Novel
Crossings between Fable and Novel: Some Examples from Phaedrus and Apuleius Silvia Mattiacci Open Access

	269
Part VI: Fable and Epigram
Of Lions and Eunuchs: The Fables of Babrius between Epic and Epigram Lukas Spielhofer Open Access

	299
Epigrammatic Elements in the Fables of Avianus Margot Neger Open Access

	327
Between Babrius and Ignatios, between Fable and Metaphrasis: Rephrasing in Byzantine Dodecasyllables Federica Scognamiglio Open Access

	349
Part VII: Fable and Christian Genres
St. Gregory of Nazianzus and Fables: Between Epistles and Epigrams Maria P. Christodoulou Open Access

	371
“And Jesus Told Them a Fable”: On Methods and Motivations for Embedding Fables in the Gospels Justin David Strong Open Access

	389
The Role of Animals in the Acta Thomae Montserrat Camps-Gaset Open Access

	415
List of Contributors Open Access

	435
Index of Passages Licensed
General Index Licensed