Fetonte e le ‘due astronomie’.: Un’incoerenza della poesia antica

• Autores: Pietro Janni
• Localización: Geographia antiqua: Rivista di geografia storica del mondo antico e di storia della geografia, ISSN 2035-6293, Nº. 34, 2025, págs. 93-106
• Idioma: italiano
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• Resumen

  • The two main poetic versions of the Phaeton myth, that of Ovid and that of Nonnus of Panopolis, both contain an obvious contradiction. In his recommendations to his unwary son, Sol first speaks of a permission to drive the great solar chariot for a day, from sunrise to sunset, which responds well to the intention of a poet who wants to describe a cosmic catastrophe, taking place in a very short time. Surprisingly, Sol’s initial recommendations are followed by others that clearly contradict the first ones referring to a difficult journey through the signs of the zodiac, that is in a whole year, and that in both poems. The article examines this contradiction in depth, and discusses the opinions of the main commentators, who have either paid insufficient attention to it, or have tried to remedy it, with unconvincing results. It then seeks to explain the poets’ proceeding in the light of what is to be expected from someone who is dealing with a cosmic myth of this character.