A History of Lost Tablets

摘要: Abstract This study examines a recurrent scenario in Roman poetry of the first-person genres: the separation poet from his writing tablets. Catullus9 tablets are stolen (c.42); Propertius9 lost (3.23); Ovid9s ( Am . 1.11––12) consigned to disuse and decay by their disappointed owner. Martial, who does not reproduce specific narrative loss, nonetheless engages with tradition within fiction of festive gift-exchange Apophoreta (14.1––21): rather than losing or rejecting tablets, he gives them away guests/readers at Saturnalian party. I argue that representation writing and loss is involved production authorial presence. The scene demonstrates how poet retains capacity for poetic speech even when deprived aid material medium. ostensibly accidental sometimes lamented poet9s thus contributes sophisticated strategy self-representation. do not so much stand literary text as provide focus metapoetic concerns with voice writing, author text, presence absence, immortal ingenium expendable materia Examination shifting Catullus Martial will insight into invention poetic author.