Autour d'un double-sens d'anus: une affaire scabreuse ou un jeu littéraire? Enquête sur Pétrone, Sat. 138
| Résumé |
This paper offers a new reading of the salacious episode of
therapeutic sodomy performed by Oenothea in Petronius' Satiricon
(138). Is this scene only pornography? A closer examination shows
that Petronius deliberately uses puns and plays with literary and
scenic references. In this very short narrative, the word anus
occurs twice, once with its rare anatomical meaning, and once with
the more common comic sense of 'old woman'. Another pun lies in the
use of fenzine, underlining the per-version of sexual roles: the
woman plays a dominant role, empowered by the phallic attribute.
This female predominance and the use of a leather dildo have
literary precedents in Herodas' Mimiambs 6 and 7, where women used
this artefact for their own sexual satisfaction. Greek and Roman
iconography also provides abundant parallels. The final discussion
is illuminated by the murder of the priapic goose in Sat. 136:
dildo and goose are both used for sexual pleasure. Once again, the
Greek mime and iconographic representations of phallic birds,
especially in Apulian vase-painting, offer telling parallels. In
conclusion, Petronius' narrative is essentially a literary play and
a verbal masquerade, aiming to provoke the reader's laughter. |
| Mots-clés |
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| Citation | Chappuis Sandoz, L. (2006). Autour d'un double-sens d'anus: une affaire scabreuse ou un jeu littéraire? Enquête sur Pétrone, Sat. 138. Mnemosyne, 59(4), 564-577. |
| Type | Article de périodique (Français) |
| Date de publication | 29-6-2006 |
| Nom du périodique | Mnemosyne |
| Volume | 59 |
| Numéro | 4 |
| Pages | 564-577 |