Abstract
The theatrical debut of Voltaire’s Merope marked the beginning of a dispute with the author of the previous version of Merope, Scipione Maffei . From the myriad of polemical writings, this article focuses on Claude Godard D’Aucour’s satirical fable, La Naissance de Clinquant, which was also translated into Italian. The analysis aims to frame the French fable within the specific context of the dispute between Maffei and Voltaire regarding Merope and within the much broader perspective of ‘ancient vs modern’, within which the French text seems easily to fit. Lastly, attention is paid to the limited reception in Italy of the French fable, highlighting the different role held by fables in the French and Italian literary traditions of the 18th century.
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