JOURNAL ARTICLE

Erotic Pets and Metapoetic Dildos in Marcus Argentarius, Anyte, Meleager, and Catullus.

  • Published In: American Journal of Philology, 2025, v. 146, n. 1. P. 105 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Kronenberg, Leah 3 of 3

Abstract

This article argues that Marcus Argentarius' epigram on Myro's dead grasshopper and cicada (Anth. Pal. 7.364) provides an obscene interpretation of Anyte's model (Anth. Pal. 7.190) by transforming Myro's paignia ("playthings") into sex toys. Like Catullus (2, 3), he builds on Meleager's eroticization of Anyte's poem in Anth. Pal. 7.195, 196, 207, as well as Herodas Mimiambs 6 and 7, which combine the themes of metapoetic dildos, female poets, and the Demeter/Persephone myth. Finally, I show that an acrostic (ALIA , 7.364.1–4, "fruitless, idle") ties together the poem's erotic and metapoetic themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:American Journal of Philology. 2025/03, Vol. 146, Issue 1, p105
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0002-9475
  • DOI:10.1353/ajp.2025.a953885
  • Accession Number:184131805
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of American Journal of Philology is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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