33:
268:. The scazon poems are arranged two in the 3rd group, two in the 4th, and two in the 5th. The last ten poems consist of a coda of 4 poems in elegiac couplets, 3 in hendecasyllables, 2 in scazons, and 1 poem in elegiac couplets. Kloss argues that if the poems were a miscellaneous anthology, they would presumably have contained poems in other metres too, such as the iambic (84 and 87), aeolic (85, 89) or hexameter (95) metres used in the "extra" poems in Smithers and Burton's edition.
67:. They are believed to date from the 1st century AD or the beginning of the 2nd century. A traditional theory about their origin is that they are an anthology of poems written by various authors on the same subject. However, it has recently been argued that the 80 poems are in fact the work of a single author, presenting a kind of biography of Priapus from his vigorous youth to his impotence in old age.
368:) and complains that the neighbouring women give him no rest. In poem 33, on the other hand, he complains that he is compelled to relieve himself with his own hand for want of female companions among the nymphs. Towards the end of the book the problems multiply. In poem 56 he is mocked by a thief and shown the middle finger (
575:) are also Priapic. In the first, the god describes his sufferings in the winter; in the second he describes his guardianship of the farm throughout the seasons, and demands respect from a passer-by; in the third, he warns some boys not to steal from his farm but to go to the neighbour's farm instead.
376:
on him all night. In poem 76 we learn that
Priapus is now old and grey-haired and only good for penetrating old men. In 77 he complains that because of a hedge round the garden he is no longer getting any sex. Finally, in 79, an anonymous speaker informs Priapus that he is no better endowed than "our
263:
Among these arguments are the following. First, the poems seem to have been carefully arranged according to metre. Only three metres are used. There appear to be 5 groups of 14 poems each. The first fourteen poems alternate between elegiac couplets and hendecasyllables. In the second to fifth groups
103:
by
Priapus himself. In them the god congratulates and praises himself for the size and virility of his sexual parts and issues fearful warnings to those who would trespass upon his garden or attempt to steal its fruits, threatening such miscreants with various punishments of a sexual nature, such as
139:
in 1962, the theory has gained ground that they are the work of a single poet illustrating
Priapus's decline from a vigorous youth to an impotent old age. The first two poems are a dedication by the author and the last one is a prayer to Priapus to increase the sexual prowess of the poet himself.
95:
that stood in the midst of gardens as the protector of the fruits that grew in them. These statues, usually carved from wood, were in the form of a man with a huge phallus, carrying a sickle in one hand. The statues, painted red to signify sexual prowess, also promoted the gardens’ fertility.
578:
In the fourth poem, the anonymous poet addresses
Priapus and chides him for causing him to become impotent when sleeping with a boy. Both this and the short prayer to Priapus to protect a farm (no. 83 in Smithers and Burton) are sometimes, but for no good reason, attributed to Tibullus.
271:
Further, in the second dedicatory poem, the poet announces that he has written (not collected together) the poems: "Playfully, without taking too much trouble, I have written these poems, which as you can witness, Priapus, are more suitable for a garden than for a book of poems":
564:) is a 50-line poem in hexameters in which Priapus recounts how the garden he was guarding, a former graveyard, was plagued by witches until suddenly the wood of his backside split open with a loud farting noise and scared them off.
360:, show the course of an affair from its beginning to its end. In the first group of fourteen poems, Priapus is shown as boastful and vigorous, but gradually problems set in. In poem 26 he confesses that he is worn out by sex (
393:("foolish ... of the place") which occurs in poem 3.8 in connection with a girl who offers her backside to her husband on her wedding night instead of the usual place. The same phrase, in a similar context, is quoted in
1096:. Contains 95 poems, with a translation by Leonard C. Smithers and Sir Richard Burton (1890), with notes. (The first poem is unnumbered in this edition, so the numbering of the poems differs from Kytzler's text.)
372:) because his phallus is only made of wood, and he is reduced to calling on his master to perform the punishment. In poem 70 he has become so impotent that he has to endure the humiliation of a dog performing
486:
to argue that the poems must date from after
Martial's time. Kloss (2003) is less certain, but thinks that the poems date at the earliest to Nero's time, but more probably to a period after Martial.
417:
simply imitates a lost poem of Ovid, rather than being the first instance of its use. The same poem contains a number of other literary echoes of phrases used by Ovid, Virgil, and Horace.
260:
Although even today some scholars hold that the
Carmina Priapea are anthology of poems by different authors, others support the arguments for the single authorship of all 80 poems.
333:
On the other hand, the poet also clearly aims at variety. For example, in the first group of 14 poems, the god's oversized phallus is referred to in a number of different ways (
585:
1.4 is part of a series of 3 elegies about
Tibullus's love for a certain boy called Marathus. In this 82-line poem, Priapus gives advice to the poet on how to seduce boys.
161:), who provided numerous glosses concerning the sexual practices and proclivities that are referenced in the poems. These explanatory notes address such diverse topics as
330:) in 79.4, all meaning "endowed with a larger penis", at the beginning, middle, and end of the collection, with the last two words both in the last line of a scazon poem.
286:
A third argument is based on the observation that pairs of consecutive or near-consecutive poems are often linked by the repetition of a word. For example, the rare word
596:, as well as Martial 1.40, in which the poet asks Priapus to guard a grove of trees from thieves, threatening to use the statue of the god for firewood if he fails.
439:
A number of arguments from prosody have also been put forward by H. Tränkle (1998) in an attempt to date the poems. For example, it has been argued that the long
539:
Three poems in the collected works of
Catullus (16, 47, and 56) are also judged to be Priapic in character. Catullus's famous threat to "sodomise and irrumate" (
157:
498:
are by no means the only poems which survive from the ancient world in honour of
Priapus. Kytzler's edition contains 37 poems in Greek excerpted from the
220:, the Sacred Bull, adored the generative Power of Nature," adding that "the Phallus was the ancient emblem of creation, and representative of the gods
1152:
389:
is still disputed, though is generally assumed to be in the 1st century AD. One piece of evidence for the date of the collection is the phrase
356:
Another argument concerns the subject matter of the poems themselves, which like the collections of love poetry of the poets of the time of
1162:
201:, and sexual terminology, but are not always accurate scholarly reflections of ancient Roman practices. A more recent translation titled
264:
the alternation is not so regular, but each group contains exactly 7 poems in hendecasyllables and 7 poems in either elegiac couplets or
314:
in 3.7, and so on. There are also possibly wider links between the poems. For example, Laure Sandoz sees a connection between the words
59:) is a collection of eighty (in some editions ninety-five) anonymous short Latin poems in various meters on subjects pertaining to the
992:
949:
436:
or later. Assuming that all the poems are by a single author, then the whole collection can be dated to the time of Nero or later.
91:. Many of the epigrams are written as though they were to be engraved on the walls of a shrine containing a statue of the god
960:
541:
32:
467:
is usually short. However, Kloss points out that this argument is weak, since other writers later than Ovid, such as
405:("that Ovidian phrase"). Some scholars have assumed therefore that poem 3 of the collection at least was composed by
135:, were thought to have added more verses in imitation of the originals. However, since a study by the German scholar
1038:"PRIAPUS FORMOSUS:" DENKT PRIAP ÜBER LEXIK, FORM UND GESTALT NACH? Carmina Priapea 36-39-75 und Adjektive auf -osus"
75:
Not counting the last few poems, which seem not to be part of the original collection, the
Priapeia consists of 80
112:. The poems are notable for their use of obscene words and ideas in combination with refined and elegant diction.
1075:
1157:
1147:
190:
1081:
568:
1080:
ed. Bernhard Kytzler (Zürich/München 1978), in Latin with a German translation by Carl Fischer. (
513:
of various types, some of which are added as poems 83–95 in Smithers and Burton's edition of the
212:, Smithers and Burton claim that "The worship of Priapus amongst the Romans was derived from the
152:
123:, amusing themselves by writing tongue-in-cheek tributes to the garden Priapus. (Maecenas was
1105:
988:
945:
394:
148:
1127:
1085:
980:, 133. Jahrg., H. 3 (2005), pp. 368–381. (Reviews recent scholarly views on the Priapeia.)
592:
addressed to or written about Priapus; they include 85 and 90–94 in Smithers and Burton's
499:
472:
291:
84:
80:
136:
1099:
520:
The earliest extant Priapic poem in Latin (no. 89 in Smithers and Burton) appears to be
225:
930:
1141:
1084:). (It contains 80 poems, and also has a section with Greek Priapeia taken from the
545:) his friends Aurelius and Furius (Catullus 16) is imitated in the passive voice in
524:
fragment 1, which is written in the "Priapean" metre (a type of aeolic). It begins:
194:
178:
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410:
953:
942:
Ancient Obscenities: Their Nature and Use in the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds.
198:
170:
1132:
217:
182:
174:
105:
100:
468:
132:
1019:
131. Jahrg., H. 4 (2003), pp. 464–487. (See Holzberg (2005) for a summary.)
377:
poet" – who, it appears from the final poem, has an unusually small penis.
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582:
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357:
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88:
76:
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432:("sexual desire") and so on, are not used until writers of the time of
249:
128:
92:
64:
60:
41:
17:
998:
905:
420:
Another piece of evidence is that certain words in the poems, such as
970:"Impotence? It Happened to the Best of Them! A Linear Reading of the
237:
186:
124:
109:
37:
245:
233:
213:
31:
1001:. A review of Studien zum Corpus Priapeorum by Vinzenz Buchheit.
571:(nos. 86, 87, 88, and 84 of Smithers and Burton's edition of the
560:
1.8 (included as no. 95 in Smithers and Burton's edition of the
433:
406:
241:
1031:
The Garden of Priapus: Sexuality and Aggression in Roman Humor
733:
Buchheit (1962), Kenney (1963), Kloss (2003), Holzberg (2005).
987:. Urbana and Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press.
119:
were the work of a group of poets who met at the house of
413:
argues that this is not necessarily so. It could be that
502:
dating from the 3rd century BC to the 6th century AD.
79:(average length 6 to 8 lines) mainly written in either
931:"Richard W. Hooper (ed.) The Priapus Poems." (Review)
533:"I dedicate and consecrate this grove to you, Priapus"
1010:"Überlegungen zur Verfasserschaft und Datierung der
985:
The Priapus Poems: Erotic Epigrams from Ancient Rome
620:
See Holzberg (2005) for a review of the literature.
1043:, Neue Folge, 154. Bd., H. 1 (2011), pp. 87-110.
1108:(ed.), Berolini, apud Weidmannos, 1904. (The
868:Parker (1988); cf. Uden (2007), p. 4, note 9.
8:
926:(Zetemata, 28). Pp. viii+ i59. Munich: Beck.
459:) is closer to Ovid's practice than that of
1054:, Vol. 128, No. 1 (Spring, 2007), pp. 1-26.
940:Dutsch, Dorota and Ann Suter (ed.) (2015),
482:Buchheit (1962) found sufficient echoes of
205:has been carried out by Richard W. Hooper.
158:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night
155:(the latter of whom also freely translated
36:Woman painting a statue of Priapus, from a
1065:". In Dutsch and Suter (2105), pp. 255–82.
1033:. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press.
944:Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
529:hunc lūcum tibi dēdicō cōnsecrōque, Priāpe
965:. University of Pennsylvania PhD thesis.
99:Most of the poems in the collection are
1005:Vol. 13, No. 1 (Mar., 1963), pp. 72–74.
604:
1061:: The Art of Speaking Crudely in the
954:Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2017.05.46
7:
1101:Petronii saturae et liber priapeorum
115:In the past one theory was that the
556:Among works of other poets, Horace
962:The Poetics of the Carmina Priapea
25:
1052:The American Journal of Philology
1041:Rheinisches Museum für Philologie
983:Hooper, Richard W. (ed.) (1999).
705:The Priapeia Index - Sacred Texts
279:hortō carmina digna, nōn libellō,
277:lūdēns haec ego teste tē, Priāpe,
1024:Priapea: Poems for a Phallic God
952:. Reviewed by Jeffrey Henderson
659:Holzberg (2005) p. 370, note 14.
646:But sometimes of marble: Virgil
588:There are also some epigrams of
147:were translated into English by
1153:Ancient Roman erotic literature
1036:Sandoz, Laure Chappuis (2011).
686:Kenney (1963); Holzberg (2005).
208:In their "Introduction" to the
185:, sexual positions, eunuchism,
823:Kloss (2003), p. 466, note 11.
455:(in 11 out of 13 cases in the
409:. However, the German scholar
127:’s patron.) Others, including
1:
999:"Review: Corpvs non ita Vile"
924:Studien zum Corpus Priapeorum
611:Kloss (2003); Kenney (1963).
567:Four anonymous poems in the
542:pēdīcābo ego vōs et irrumābō
401:1.2.22), where it is called
281:scrīpsī nōn nimium labōriōsē
1163:Works of unknown authorship
1179:
1057:Young, Elizabeth (2015), "
959:Elomaa, Heather E. (2015)
935:Bryn Mawr Classical Review
922:Buchheit, Vinzenz (1962).
629:Kloss (2003), p. 468; cf.
551:pēdīcāberis irrumāberisque
968:Holzberg, Niklas (2005).
751:Kloss (2003), pp. 470-71.
294:) in 46.8 is repeated in
216:, who, under the form of
27:Collection of Latin poems
929:Butrica, J. L. (2000).
841:Kloss (2003), pp. 481-2.
787:Holzberg (2005), p. 373.
769:Kloss (2003), pp. 474-6.
760:Kloss (2003), pp. 467-8.
677:Elomaa (2015), pp. 9-10.
475:also preferred the long
1048:"Impersonating Priapus"
908:The Appendix Tibulliana
248:, who were all Phallic
1029:Richlin, Amy (1992 ).
1022:Parker, W. H. (1988).
1008:Kloss, Gerrit (2003).
724:cf. Uden (2007), p. 8.
505:In Latin, outside the
191:religious prostitution
44:
1082:Bibliotheca Augustana
1026:. London: Croom Helm.
904:Butrica, J.L. (1992)
859:Kloss (2003), p. 485.
850:Kenney (1963), p. 72.
805:Kloss (2003), p. 465.
778:Sandoz (2011), p. 96.
742:Kloss (2003), p. 472.
364:) and thin and pale (
302:in 45.3 is echoed by
87:, with a few also in
35:
1046:Uden, James (2007).
1003:The Classical Review
997:Kenney, E.J. (1963)
906:Review of Tränkle's
494:The 80 poems of the
366:macerque pallidusque
310:in 2.5 reappears as
1112:begin on page 150.)
650:7.35; Martial 6.72.
569:Appendix Vergiliana
509:there are about 23
490:Other Priapic poems
895:Uden (2007), p. 7.
886:Uden (2007), p. 2.
877:Uden (2007), p. 6.
814:Uden (2007), p. 8.
326:(or in some texts
300:Maurae ... puellae
153:Sir Richard Burton
45:
972:Corpus Priapeorum
668:See Young (2015).
635:templī parietibus
507:Corpus Priapeorum
428:("painted red"),
370:impudīcum digitum
203:The Priapus Poems
16:(Redirected from
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315:
311:
307:
304:puella Mauro
303:
299:
295:
287:
285:
276:
270:
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207:
202:
195:aphrodisiacs
179:masturbation
156:
144:
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116:
114:
98:
74:
55:
54:
49:
48:
46:
29:
937:2000.02.03.
447:words like
415:inepta locī
391:inepta locī
328:fascinōsior
324:sarcinōsior
320:mentulātior
224:, Priapus,
199:pornography
171:cunnilingus
1142:Categories
1133:Priapea 68
600:References
426:rubricatus
316:membrōsior
256:Authorship
183:bestiality
175:irrumation
106:irrumation
101:monologues
469:Petronius
362:effutūtus
306:in 46.1;
298:in 47.6;
214:Egyptians
133:Petronius
1117:See also
1093:Priapeia
648:Eclogues
594:Priapeia
583:Tibullus
573:Priapeia
562:Priapeia
522:Catullus
515:Priapeia
445:spondaic
422:circitor
374:fellatio
358:Augustus
318:in 1.5,
288:erucarum
230:Hercules
210:Priapeia
167:fellatio
163:oral sex
145:Priapeia
121:Maecenas
117:Priapeia
77:epigrams
71:Overview
50:Priapeia
1123:Priapus
1110:Priapea
590:Martial
558:Satires
547:Priapea
511:Priapea
484:Martial
461:Martial
430:prūrīgo
351:columna
335:mentula
266:scazons
250:deities
222:Bacchus
129:Martial
93:Priapus
89:scazons
65:Priapus
61:phallic
42:Pompeii
18:Priapea
1017:Hermes
991:
978:Hermes
948:
631:Priap.
399:Contr.
343:inguen
296:erucis
292:rocket
238:Osiris
187:phalli
125:Horace
110:sodomy
38:fresco
633:2.10
449:virgō
347:tēlum
339:partī
246:Asher
234:Shiva
989:ISBN
946:ISBN
549:35 (
471:and
453:ergō
451:and
434:Nero
407:Ovid
381:Date
244:and
242:Baal
218:Apis
169:and
151:and
131:and
108:and
63:god
53:(or
47:The
553:).
443:in
252:."
173:),
83:or
40:at
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1088:.)
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517:.
479:.
477:-ō
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441:-ō
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337:,
240:,
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197:,
193:,
189:,
181:,
177:,
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