The goal of this thesis is to show how the Roman elegists Horace and Propertius adapted the poetic theme of the paraclausithyron (the lament of the locked-out lover) to be a humorous criticism of other elegiac poets and lovers by employing inversions, reversals and parody into their poems. At the time of writing, this was a topic not covered adequately by commentators of the works, if discussed at all. Humour in particular has been greatly overlooked by the academic community in regards to these poems. The work is based upon my own close readings of the primary texts in addition to secondary scholarship. My hope is that this helps to change the way these poems are viewed: instead of seeing them as serious outpourings of emotion, they should be viewed as light-hearted, comedic works. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Yale University, 1916.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Cornell University, 1914.

Thesis (PH. D.)--Cornell University, 1914.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In his Odes, Horace pays particular attention not only to the subject in hand, but also to the reader as his audience, or the addressee, who is usually mentioned at the beginning of the poem. As this kind of communication draws the poet into his own creation, it is useful to refer to him in that context, as the speaker. It is evident from the manner of communication with the addressee that Horace conveys the message of each poem not solely by means of statements, but by implying certain facts, through this interaction between speaker and addressee. The specific addressee for each ode - to whom the speaker's attitude is a reaction - is therefore chosen with great care, in order to underline a specific subject or support a point of view. Just as each ode is different, and contains a variety of differing emotions, Horace's speakers display a myriad of different attitudes. His deeper sentiments do however remain constant. This brings one to the realisation that Horace applies a number of "roles", in order to obtain the desired effect in each poem. Eventually the interaction is not between the speaker and the addressee, but between the poet and the reader. Some of the poems do not give the names of addressees, only the roles Horace plays as the speaker. These roles are termed personae, and represent the poet on a number of realistic and super-realistic planes. In this study, a selection of personae was analysed and the effects examined, in order to establish in what way the persona might influence the interpretation of the poem. Initially a collective overview of several personae was planned, for the purpose of a synthesis of those personae, possibly leading to the discovery of a central Horatian persona. It was however, found, in the complex perfection of his work, that that central person is Horace: the poet. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Horatius se Odes, gee hy dikwels spesifieke aandag nie net aan die onderwerp nie, maar ook aan die leser as sy gehoor, of die aangesproke persoon, wat dikwels in die begin van die gedig genoem word: Omdat so 'n kommunikasie die digter in sy eie skepping intrek, is dit sinvol om na hom in daardie konteks as die spreker te verwys. In die wyse waarop daar dan met die aangesprokene gekommunikeer word, word dit duidelik dat Horatius die boodskap van sy gedig nie slegs deur middel van stellings oordra nie, maar dat hy ook deur middel van die wisselwerking tussen die aangesprokene en die spreker, sekere feite impliseer. Die aangesproke persoon, waarop die spreker se houding dan'n reaksie is, word dus vir elke ode gekies om 'n sekere onderwerp of siening te ondersteun. Soos wat elke ode dus verskil, en'n verskeidenheid emosies bevat, verskil Horatius se houdings teenoor sy aangesprokenes drasties. Sy dieper oortuigings bly egter dieselfde. Dit lei die leser tot die besef dat Horatius 'n verskeidenheid "rolle" aanwend om in elke gedig die gewensde effek te verkry. Die werklike wisselwerking is nie tussen die spreker en die aangesprokene nie, maar tussen die digter en die leser. Sommige gedigte bevat geen name van aangesprokenes nie; slegs die rolle wat Horatius as die spreker gebruik. Hierdie rolle word personae genoem en verteenwoordig die digter op 'n aantal realistiese en bo-realistiese vlakke. Die effekte van 'n seleksie personae word in hierdie studie deur middel van analise ondersoek om vas te stel hoe die toepassing van die persona die interpretasie van die gedig beïnvloed. 'n Gesamentlike beskouing van 'n aantal digterlike personae is aanvanklik beplan, met die oog op 'n sintese van die personae, wat moontlik tot die ontdekking van 'n sentrale persona by Horatius sou kon lei. Daar is egter bevind dat die sentrale persoon wat in die komplekse perfeksie van sy werk self sit, dié is van Horatius as digter.

Texte remanié de: Th. Ph. D.--Berkeley--University of California. / Bibliogr. p. 255-268. Index.

Texte remanié de: Dissertation--Institut für klassische Philologie der Philosophischen Fakultät--Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 2007. / Bibliogr. p. 148-154.

Thesis (doctoral)--Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-131).

Inaug.-Diss.--Heidelberg. / Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Scholarship on Roman satire has been dominated for nearly fifty years by a rhetorical approach that emphasizes the artifice of the poet. Consequently, it has been unsure what to do with the philosophical material in Horace's Sermones. In my dissertation, I argue for the importance of Epicurean philosophy in the interpretative scheme of Horace's satiric oeuvre. Epicurean ideas appear prominently and repeatedly, mostly in a positive light, and respond to the concerns and philosophical prejudices of Horace's closest friends. In the prologue, I explore how Horace himself inscribes the process of interpreting and responding to a satire into S. 2.8. He frames his reading circle as key observers in the satiric scene that unfolds before them, suggesting the importance of the audience to satire. Chapter one builds upon this vision by emphasizing reader response as a key element of satiric theory. Satire, as a participant in the cultural debates of its day, orients itself toward a like-minded group of readers who are expected to grasp the satiric thrust of the text and understand its nuances. It orients itself against outsiders who respond seriously to the text in some fashion, often failing to realize that satire is even occurring. I term this process the satiric effect. Chapter two demonstrates that Horace's closest friends in his reading circle share connections to Epicureanism. The social dynamics of reading circles reinforce my theoretical emphasis upon the satiric audience. Vergil, Varius, Plotius Tucca, and Quintilius Varus studied with the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus whose treatises also offer insight into the social dynamics of an Epicurean circle. Chapter three explores how Sermones I articulates itself toward Horace's reading circle. Given the Epicurean biases present within Horace's reading circle, I explore an interpretation through the lens of these Epicurean preferences. Chapters four and five emphasize that the philosophical themes initiated by Horace in the first book also run through the second, making it more cohesive than previously thought, but only become apparent when we consider them from the particular mindset of the reading circle. I conclude by noting possible extensions for my literary theory in other authors. / text