Sul motteggio velato in Cratino e Aristofane. Emphasis e loidoria nella teoria comica dell'aristotelismo antico

Aristophanes (Nub. 551-560, Pax 43-48) considered covert abuse a means to raise the level of ὀνομαστὶ κωμῳδεῖν. This same idea is at the basis of Aristotle’s comic theory (Arist. Poet. 1149a 2 ss., 1451b 12 ss.) and of its later developments. In the Tractatus Coislinianus (7) covert abuse realized through ἔμφασις is regarded as more acceptable than overt and trivial abuse (λοιδορία). Such an aesthetic interpretation of covert abuse should also be applied to the final sentence of the Hypothesis to Cratinus’ Dionysalexandros (Cratin. Dionysalex. test. i [P.Oxy. 663], rr. 44-48 K.-A. κωμωι|δεῖται δ᾿ ἐν τῶι δράματι Πε|ρικλῆς μάλα πιθανῶς δι᾿ |ἐμφάσεως), which, otherwise, would remain cryptic in its meaning. The Prolegomena de comoedia, on the other hand, offer a different political interpretation. Covert abuse, here indicated as αἰνιγματωδῶς κωμωδεῖν, ψόγος κεκρυμμένος etc., and not as δι᾿ ἐμφάσεως κωμῳ- δεῖν, is considered merely a useful strategy to avoid reactions from people mocked by comic poets.