Storie di "poeti vaganti" a Delfi. Quando il viaggio nasconde un imprevisto

Epigraphy attests to the movements and performances of  the itinerant professionals of  the arts who, throughout the Hellenistic period, travelled all over the Greece searching for glory, honours, and rewards.The epigraphic testimonies allow us to trace the artistic routes that the travelling artists (the so-called poeti vaganti) attended, depending on their specialties, professionalism, and social status, and testify to Delphi as one of  the most vital centres of  the Hellenistic itinerary of the arts. As the abundance of  documents spans throughout the Hellenistic period, several professionals travelled to Delphi to show off in various competitive and demonstrative occasions. In this panorama, two particular inscriptions capture our attention on the unexpected situations that two poeti vaganti – Satyros from Samos, a virtuoso on instruments and voice, and the χοροψάλτρια Polygnota from Thebes – had to tackle once arrived to Delphi to participate to the  γῶνες. These documents allow us to add some significant element to our knowledge of  the cultural and performative life of  the Hellenistic Delphi.