Le Fr. 41 (Ernout) de Pétrone (= Anth. 465 [Riese]): Un poème et ses intentions

Abstract

This paper focuses on Anth. 465 (Riese), a short poem which is believed to be a fragment from Petronius’ works, since Scaliger first attributed it to the author of the Satiricon. An in-depth analysis of the form and content of this small piece helps to identify the craft of the poet who wrote the lines and better understand its intentions. An internal review of the poem and a comparison with other texts tend to confirm the attribution to Petronius and allow to go beyond the strictly parodic or satirical purpose that some critics have attributed to the fragment.