Translations as Repertoires of Antiquity: the Mythographic Collection of Palaephatus, between Erudition and Greek Learning

The paper fucuses on the Greek mythographic tradition, by investigating the fortuna of Palaephatus’ On unbelievable tales. In the early Renaissance, this collection met a great reception already in its original language, as the wide number of Greek manuscripts written between XIVth and XVth Centuries (well studied by Vitelli and Festa) witnesses. It was translated into Latin just at the beginning of XVIth Century by three different scholars: Angelo Cospi, Filippo Fasanini, and by another interpres, still unknown. Special attention is given to the Bononiense gymnasium at the end of Quattrocento, with which almost the translations are connected; to the reception of the Suidae lexicon, that determined the fortuna of Palaephatus; and to the Soncino edition (Pesaro, 1511), which provided the first, anonymous, Latin translation. Synoptic schemas on Palaephatus’ reception, and two Filippo Fasanini’s texts are published in Appendices.