"Morphogrammata" / The Lettered Art of Optatian: Figuring Cultural Transformations in the Age of Constantine

"This volume explores one of the most complex, multifaceted and momentous of all western cultural transformations: the refashioning of the Roman principate under Constantine in the early fourth century AD. It does so through the kaleidoscopic lens of one of antiquity's most fascinating (and maligned) artists: Publilius Optatianus Porfyrius. Optatian's works are little known among classicists and historians. Nevertheless, his picture-poems uniquely reflect, figure, and shape the cultural dynamics of the period. By bringing together different disciplinary perspectives the volume demonstrates how the poems give unique form to the various political, intellectual and cultural currents of the age. Contributors champion Optatian as a uniquely creative artist - and one who anticipated some of our most pressing literary critical, art historical and philosophical concerns today."--Front inside flap of cover Acknowledgements 9 Abbreviations 12 List of black and white illustrations (Figures) 13 List of colour illustrations (Plates) 18 A new typographic presentation of Optatian’s figurative poems / MICHAEL SQUIRE 21 Optatian and his lettered art: A kaleidoscopic lens on late antiquity / JOHANNES WIENAND 55 Publilius Optatianus Porfyrius: The man and his book / JAN KWAPISZ 121 Optatian and the order of court riddlers / ANNA-LENA KÖRFER 165 'Lector ludens': Spiel und Rätsel in Optatians Panegyrik / MEIKE RÜHL 191 Vielschichtige Palimpseste: Optatians Gedichte und die Möglichkeiten individueller Lektüren / MARIE-ODILE BRUHAT 227 The treatment of space in Optatian’s poetry / PETRA SCHIERL & CÉDRIC SCHEIDEGGER LÄMMLE 257 Herrscherbilder: Optatian und die Strukturen des Panegyrischen / IRMGARD MÄNNLEIN-ROBERT 283 'Morphogrammata' – Klangbilder? Überlegungen zu Poetik und Medialität bei Optatian / MARTIN BAŽIL 319 'Elementorum varius textus': Atomistisches und Anagrammatisches in Optatians Textbegriff / AARON PELTTARI 341 A lexicographical approach to the poetry of Optatian / THOMAS HABINEK 369 Optatian and his oeuvre: Explorations in ontology / SOPHIE LUNN-ROCKLIFFE 391 The power of the jewelled style: Christian signs and names in Optatian’s 'versus intexti' and on gems / JESÚS HERNÁNDEZ LOBATO 427 Conceptual poetry: Rethinking Optatian from contemporary art / JAŚ ELSNER & JOHN HENDERSON 461 Envoi: A diptych 495 Abstracts 517 Notes on contributors 525 Plates 531