Journalartikel

Jahr der Veröffentlichung: 2004

Seiten: 421-444

Zeitschrift: Mnemosyne: A Journal of Classical Studies

Bandnummer: 57

Heftnummer: 4

ISSN: 0026-7074

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1163/1568525042226084

Verlag: Brill Academic Publishers

Abstract: 
In the first part of the article, the question of Theocritus' treatment of magic in the "2nd Idyll" is being discussed. The authors view is that Theocritus not only accurately depicted the contemporary magical practices, but that the very composition of the poem was influenced by the magical texts. The second part of the paper pays attention to a special class of magical texts, the defixiones influenced by the prayers for justice. The author argues that Simaetha's confession to Selene bears close resemblance to the prayers for justice and that Simaetha's argumentative strategy in the description of her short love affair with Delphis serves the purpose of portraying her as the betrayed party, thus enabling her to put the blame on Delphis and demand of the goddess that the justice (e.g. the return of Delphis to Simaetha) should be done. Finally, the effect of Simaetha's magical practice and her prayer is being discussed. Since the motif of pharmokos connects the 2nd with the 11th Idyll, a comparison between Simaetha and Cyclops is called for and some general conclusions about the motif of healing properties of poetry in the Theocritean corpus are suggested.

Harvard-Zitierstil: Petrovic, I. (2004) Pharmakeitria with the pharmakon -: Reflections on the composition of Theocritus' '2nd Idylll', Mnemosyne: A Journal of Classical Studies, 57(4), pp. 421-444. https://doi.org/10.1163/1568525042226084

APA-Zitierstil: Petrovic, I. (2004). Pharmakeitria with the pharmakon -: Reflections on the composition of Theocritus' '2nd Idylll'. Mnemosyne: A Journal of Classical Studies. 57(4), 421-444. https://doi.org/10.1163/1568525042226084