Presenze omeriche e oraziane negli Elegiarum libri quattuor di Jan Kochanowski. L’Iliade e i Carmina oraziani nell’elegia 3.7

Abstract

Contrary to what critics have stated, the Polish poet Jan Kochanowski appears to be more interested in a direct imitation of the Homeric poems than an imitation of Latin poets such as Propertius or Ovid, who tried to “re‑write” Homer in their poems. This article discusses the connection between Kochanowski’s elegy 3.7 and Homer’s Iliad. It also shows how the imitation of Homer serves a specific purpose: by quoting Horace, Kochanowski reflects upon the ability poetry has to eternize its dedicatees. The Homeric heroes are still known thanks to Homer’s poems; Ossolinski, the dedicatee of the elegy, will be known forever thanks to Kochanowski’s verses.