A Poet and His Fault: Meta-Literary Hints in Dracontius’ Satisfactio

Thanks to its peculiar occasion and content, Dracontius’ Satisfactio contains several references to the poet’s literary activity. In most of them, the author employs both conscious argumentative strategies and deliberate lack of clarity. The primary aim of this paper is to collect and analyse the verses related to Dracontius’ self-representation of his literary fault and those containing hints at his literary abilities: vv. 19-26; 31-52; 93-98 and 105-106. Moreover, it will be shown how ambiguity and the conscious avoidance of clarity in these passages are not oversights but rather deliberate rhetorical strategies.