JOURNAL ARTICLE

A Learned Dog: Roman Elegy and the Epitaph for Margarita.

  • Published In: Classical Journal, 2024, v. 119, n. 3. P. 320 1 of 2

  • Database: Art Source Ultimate 2 of 2

Abstract

The epitaph for Margarita (CIL 6.29896) consists of six elegiac couplets in Latin engraved on a small marble plaque in commemoration of a domestic dog. It was discovered in Rome and likely made in the second century CE. In this paper I examine its allusions to Augustan elegy and verse epitaphs for humans, arguing that it humorously applies eroticizing and literary language to a dog. I then consider Margarita’s status as an import from Gaul, arguing that the epitaph fits into a broader tendency of Augustan elegy to use foreign luxuries to eroticize and naturalize Roman imperialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Classical Journal. 2024/03, Vol. 119, Issue 3, p320
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:0009-8353
  • DOI:10.1353/tcj.2024.a919681
  • Accession Number:175552493
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Classical Journal 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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