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Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

Minor Latin poets; with introductions and English translations

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THE FABLES OlAVIANUSparaphrase now in the Bodleian. Probably, if ourBabrius were conriplete, we should be able to accountfor all Avianus' fabidae. In most cases Avianus'version is longer than that of Babrius. Avianusexp<strong>and</strong>s his Babrian material, sometimes to make analteration in the story (e.g. 32, 35, 36), but more oftento elaborate the descriptive element <strong>with</strong> poeticaldiction which contains frequent echoes of Virgil orOvid. Thus a strained, even grotesque, artificialitydisplaces the simple directness of Babrius. For aforcible instance, one may examine fable 7, which isbased on Babrius lO-i. Here Avianus takes four lines(3-6) to paraphrase XdOprj klW eSaKve, virtuallyrepeats in lines 9 <strong>and</strong> 10 the preceding couplet, <strong>and</strong>introduces the Virgilian crepitantia aera, perhaps as atardy recognition of ^a\K(.v(Ta

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