The literary language of Hipponax

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to revisite the features of the literary language of Hipponax, both from the view of the history of the language, including its social dimension, and from the view of the history of literature. We take into account the literary elements borrowed from epic and iambic poetry; the parody of literature itself, even that more close to the religious cults; the non-literary elements; and, finally, the loans from other languages. Style and metrics are not neglected, insofar as they afford a major contribution to a specific linguistic and literary model. The conclusion suggested does not support the view that the character of the Hipponactean poetry is exclusively literary; the view that it must be read just as a simple reflection of a personal behaviour and/or a social milieu. It should be understood as a literary language based on the primacy of the aim for amphibology and contrast.