Three Women in Martial
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9665141 |
|---|---|
| Authors | L C Wartson (The University of Sydney, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1983 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 258-264 |
| Publication date | 1983-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Classical Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0009-8388 • E-ISSN: 1471-6844 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0009838800034443 |
| OpenAlex | W2146749889 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 8 |
‘Ein vÖllig unverständliches Wortspiel’, said Friedlander. There have been many attempts to solve the riddle. The older commentators, following Domizio Calderini, offered a fantastic solution: Athenagoras was a doctor specializing in leprosy (⋯λφ⋯ς): ‘porro ducta uxore coepit lingere cunnum...unde factus est olficius, hoc est olfacit cunnum’! H. C. Schnur emended to Olbius (ὅλβιος): Albius Athenagoras (Greek cognomen with Roman nomen gentilicium ), by marrying a rich wife, became Olbius. This explanation deprives the name ‘Albius’ of any point; nor is it particularly witty to say that Albius married money. The most popular solution points to the biblical ⋯γώ εἰμι τ⋯ Ἄλφα κα⋯ τἈ 'Σ [sc. ⋯ πρ⋯τος κα⋯ ⋯ ἔσ×ατος] it can be shown with some plausibility that the expression was known to the Romans of Martial's time – and to Martial's phrases ‘alpha paenulatorum’ (2. 57. 4, 5. 26. 1) and ‘beta togatorum’ (5. 26. 4). Before marriage Athenagoras was A in his house; now he is last, in other words, henpecked. ‘Paenulatorum’ and ‘togatorum’, however, give ‘alpha’ and ‘beta’ a context which plain Alphius and Olphius do not possess. Moreover, in all the other passages which scholars quote in support of the A–Σ hypothesis,9 a letter of the alphabet becomes a byname for an individual, and is not incorporated in another name, as would be the case with Alphius and Σlphius. The presence of two names points to an etymological, not alphabetical, jeu des mots
Alphabet · Art · Context (archaeology · Linguistics · Literature · Theology · Wife · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classics · Historical and Linguistic Studies · History · Linguistics and language evolution · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,06 |
| Citation span | 1994 - 2009 (16) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |