An ideo magus quia poeta? Frammenti di poesia latina nell’Apologia
Abstract
In the Apologia, Apuleius constructs his self-defense not only with the sharp tools of rhetoric but also through several Latin poetic insertions. Thanks to his testimony, we possess fragments of Ennius, Laevius and Hadrian, as well as references to the preneoterics Valerius Edituus, Porcius Licinus, and Lutatius Catulus, together with three of his own poems. These quotations illuminate the refined and erudite taste of Apuleius’ largely lost poetry, rooted in archaic and minor models yet linked to contemporary poesia novella. Above all, fragments 3‑4 Bl. (=4‑5 Str.-Corc.) reveal how rhythm, repetition, and the evocative power of names form, for Apuleius, a bridge between poetry and magic.
Submitted: Nov. 8, 2025 | Accepted: March 20, 2026 | Published June 26, 2026 | Language: it
Keywords Apologia • Poetic fragments • Apuleius • Divination • Magic • Latin poetry
Copyright © 2026 Cristiana Pasetto. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/Lexis/2724-1564/2026/01/009