'The poetics of Babrius' Mythiambi: a fabulous journey in alphabetical order

01/10/2022 to 30/09/2023

The doctoral dissertation offers the first comprehensive analysis of Babrius’ Mythiambi as one of the oldest artfully designed fable collections in Western literature. This study argues that the fabulist adopted the alphabetical order and transformed it into a poetic device to arrange his compositions. Through an investigation of the disposition of Babrius’ fables, the dissertation explores the architectural complexity and the literary artistry of the Mythiambi. The analysis of the fables’ concatenation is complemented by a discussion of the literary value of Babrius’ fables, addressing the following questions: What concept of poetry underlies the Mythiambi?