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- Title
Aufsätze / Essays. Autogenerazione della divinità: Da Crizia (frammenti 3 e 4 Snell-Kannicht) al dio cristiano.
- Authors
Alvoni, Giovanna
- Abstract
The adjective αὐτοφυὴς, which is well attested as an epithet of the Christian God, appears also in the pagan oracles (see Lactantius, Divinae institutiones 1,7,1 [28,15-17 H./W.]). The most ancient source in which αὐτοφυὴς is used in relation to the highest god goes as far back as the 5th century B.C.E. This adjective is in fact present in fragment 4 Snell-Kannicht. The fi ve anapaests in fragment 4 Snell-Kannicht belong to the lost tragedy Pirithous, which has been attributed to Euripides, but was probably composed by Critias. The identity of the god addressed in this fragment has been disputed and is problematic. According to the most widely-accepted hypothesis, this god (in what corresponds to an orphic view) ought to be identifi ed with Time who is called τίκτων αὐτὸς ἑαυτόν in a different fragment (3 Snell-Kannicht) of the same work. Supported by Satyrus, Vita Euripidis fragmentum 37 I, II and III (92-94 S.), the author suggests that the Pirithous writer very deliberately chose not to identify the god addressed in fragment 4 Snell-Kannicht. Regarding the concept of the god's self-generation, which is present in both the fragments from Pirithous, the author emphasizes the great importance this has for the transmission of these fragments by Clement of Alexandria.
- Subjects
EPITHETS; ORACLES; GOD; EURIPIDES, ca. 480 B.C.-406 B.C.; ANCIENT civilization
- Publication
Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum / Journal of Ancient Christianity, 2012, Vol 16, Issue 3, p477
- ISSN
0949-9571
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1515/zac-2012-0028