Cércidas sobre la creación poética (Mel. III Livrea)

Abstract

The authors start by accepting the reading of the papyrus πιμελοσαρκοφαγῶν, instead of Mayer's correction -φἁγων, and then propose a new interpretation of Cercidas’ third meliambus. The poet describes his poetical skill through cynegetical metaphors; he admits the patronage of the Muses but reverses the traditional poetic relation with the sorrows, which do not exert pressure on the poet and impel him to compose, but are, on the contrary, dominated by him.