Hermes 149 (3):364 (
2021)
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Abstract
The aim of this paper is to examine the relation between the ascertainable facts of the life of Babrius, a writer of Greek fables, and the persona depicted in his poems. The primary focus will be on the prologues to the two volumes of his work, the “Mythiambi”, on the basis of which a definite idea can be obtained of Babrius’s literary authorial identity. An analysis of these texts will highlight literary devices employed in Babrius’s oeuvre for authorial self-representation, and juxtapose the author’s depicted identity with factual evidence on his life. The results show that some of the assumptions about the empirical author’s life - widely accepted though they are by now - have been inferred from these prologues, which can be proven not to refer to an actual person but rather to depict a persona created by said author, thereby illustrating the deconstruction of an authorial figure.