Greek Comedy’s Food-Related Imaginary and the Criticism of New Music

What is it about?

The article aims to present an analysis on lines 26-8 in Pherecr. fr. 155 K.-A., arguing that they may refer to Philoxenus of Cythera’s poetics by exploiting a simile derived from comic food-related imagery. The use of food metaphors to express literary criticism is consistent in comic drama: in particular, mentions of sophisticated dishes can either denote the self-promotion of the comedian’s art, or criticise the excess of kainotēs in other genres, such as tragedy and new dithyramb. In Pherecrates’ fragment, Mousikē is compared to a rhaphanos, a green usually consumed in frugal meals, stuffed by Philoxenus with kampai (‘caterpillars’, but also ‘modulations’ according to the New Music’s lexicon), possibly describing the poet as an innovative chef. Parallels with other comic fragments and later accounts of Philoxenus’ fame as a glutton and cook may offer a further reading of the lines and shed new light on Greek comedy’s criticism of New Music.

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