Phaeacians at the birthday party: A.P. 11.44 (Philodemus) and its epic background

Abstract

In his famous invitation poem to Piso, Philodemus explicitly refers to the Homeric Phaeacian episode when he describes the pleasures awaiting his guest. As a consequence, the discussion of epic allusions in Philodemus’ poem has mostly focused on the lavish banquet on Scheria. This article argues that along with the Phaeacian model, Philodemus also evokes Odysseus’ stay in Eumaius’ humble hut. The allusion to the two adjacent Homeric hospitality scenes helps to underscore the combination of material and immaterial goods characteristic for Philodemus’ prospective feast. The allusion to Homer also underscores the poetical implication of the epigram in general and, more specifically, helps to clarify the much debated meaning of verse 7.

Keywords

• epigram
• Eumaius
• Hellenistic poetology
• Odissey
• Phaecians
• Philodemus