Poétique au seuil de l'alexandrinisme : l'idylle 16 de Théocrite

Abstract

English summary: Poetics at the Threshold of Alexandrinism: Theocritus ' Idyll 16. Theocritus' Idyll 16 is often read as a poem of praise and/or request addressed to Hieron II of Syracuse. However, the existence of a double title, Charites or Hieron, suggests that such a reading does not do justice to the intrinsic complexity of the poem. By analysing the function of the charites within the text and by comparing the tradition of praise poetry before Theocritus, it can be shown that Idyll 16 rather tries to define the social role of the poet in post-Classical Greek (and Sicilian) society. Unlike his contemporaries in Alexandria, Theocritus does not champion a concept of « l'art pour l'art » ; instead, while using the same strategies of allusion, he justifies more traditional ideas about the functions of poet and poetry. By adopting such a mediating stance, Idyll 16 represents an important link between Classical and Hellenistic poetry.