On the Text of Achilles Tatius

Abstract

A deeper examination of the edition by J.-P. Garnaud was the starting point for this article, which is devoted to issues concerning the critical treatment of Achilles Tatius’ text. The first part of it (§§ 1–4) briefly illustrates the sources of Achilles’ novel, along with some major problems related to its textual tradition; also, this section aims to elucidate Garnaud’s own attitude to them. In the second part (§§ 5–6) a number of individual passages of the novel are discussed to some length, even touching upon topics such as hiatus, Atticism, Achilles’ usus scribendi, and so on.

Claudio Consonni graduated in 1991 from the Universityof Milanunder Prof. G. Guidorizzi and Prof. G. Zanetto, he currently works as teacher in Latin in an Italian high school. He published an Italian translation of the Lucianic treatises Somnium, Gallus and [Asinus] (Milan 1994) and a translation with a brief commentary of a selection from Aristaenetus’ Love Letters (Bari 2000). His main interests are focused on late Hellenistic and imperial Greek language, literature, and civilization.