Fabvlae Aviani

Tradition manuscrite §

• 137 manuscrits recensés. Voir la liste établie (en ligne) par Michael Baldzuhn.

Éditions modernes (xv^e-xviii^e s., sélection – par ordre chronologique) §

• Ca. 1476-1477 – Steinhöwel, Heinrich, [Buch und Leben des hochberühmten Fabeldichters Esopi], Ulm, J. Zainer (GW 351). Édition princeps d’une sélection de vingt-sept fables d’Avianus (n^os 1-3, 5-9, 11, 13-15, 17- 20, 22, 25-29, 31, 33, 35 et 41-42).
• 1494 – Apologus Aviani civis Romani adolescentulis ad mores et latinum sermonem capescendos utilissimus, s. l. [Cologne, Heinrich Quentell], 1494.09.10 (GW 3110). Ex. : Munich, BSB [4 Inc.s.a. 360 a#Beibd.2] (en ligne) ; autres ex. : cf. ISTC nº ia01414000. Édition du recueil complet (édition princeps des n^os 4, 10, 12, 16, 21, 23-24, 30, 32, 34, 36-40).
• 1572 – Poelman, Theodor, Aviani aesopicarum fabularum liber a Theod. Pulmanno Craneburgio ex membranis in lucem editus, Anvers, Ch. Plantin, 1572.
• 1590 – Pithou, Pierre, Epigrammata et poematia vetera, Paris, D. Duvallius, 1590, p. 311‑334. Ex. : Munich, BSB [A.lat.c.6] (en ligne).
• 1610 – Nevelet, Isaac-Nicolas, Mythologia Æsopica (…) Adjiciuntur insuper Phaedri, Avieni, Abstemii, fabulae (…), Francfort, Nic. Hoffmannus, p. 453‑485 (fables n^os 1‑42) et 658‑667 (notes). Ex. : Vienne, ÖNB [38.L.30] (en ligne).
• 1731 – Cannegieter, Hendrik, Flavii Aviani fabulae cum commentariis selectis Albini scholiastae veteris, notisque integris Isaaci Nicolai Neveletii et Caspariis Barthii, quibus animadversiones suas adjecit Henricus Cannegieter. Accedit ejusdem dissertatio de aetate et stilo Flavii Aviani, Amsterdam, M. Schagen, 1731 [reprint Osnabrück, 1976].

Pour un recensement (incomplet) des éditions modernes du recueil d’Avianus, voir aussi L. Hervieux, Les fabulistes latins…, t. III : Avianus et ses anciens imitateurs, op. cit., p. 123‑144 (inventaire de trente-sept éditions entre 1494 et la fin du xvii^e s.).

Illustration (enluminures, gravures – par ordre chronologique) §

• x^e s. – Paris, BnF [Ms. lat. nouv. acq. 1132]. Cf. Omont 1922 ; Goldschmidt 1947.
• Trèves, Stadtbibliothek Trier, [1108/55 4°]. Cf. Embach 2008.
• Ca. 1476-1477 – Gravures sur bois du recueil de H. Steinhöwel.

Éditions contemporaines (xix^e-xxi^e s.) et traductions (sélection – par ordre chronologique rétrograde) §

• 1980 – Gaide, Françoise (éd. & trad. fr.), Avianus. Fables, Paris, Les Belles Lettres, « Collection des Universités de France », 1980.

C.R. : J. Küppers, Gnomon, nº 53, 1981, p. 239‑245.

• 1968 – Herrmann, Léon (éd. & trad. fr.), Caius Laetus Avianus. Œuvres, Bruxelles, Latomus, « Latomus (96) », 1968. 177 p.
• 1958 – Guaglianone, Antonio (éd.), Aviani Fabulae, Turin, Paravia, « Corpus Scriptorum Latinorum Paravianum », 1958. lxiv‑122 p.

C.R. : Jean G. Préaux, L’Antiquité classique, vol. 28 (nº 2), 1959, p. 435‑437 (Persée).

• (1934) 1961 – Duff, John Wight, & Duff, Arnold Mackay (éd. & trad. angl.), « Avianus. Fables », [in] Minor Latin Poets, Cambridge (Mass.), Harvard University Press, « Classical Library », (1934) 1961, p. 667-749.
• 1894 – Hervieux, Léopold (éd.), Les fabulistes latins depuis le siècle d’Auguste jusqu’à la fin du Moyen Âge, t. III : Avianus et ses anciens imitateurs, Paris, Firmin‑Didot, 1894 [reprint Hildesheim/New York, G. Olms, 1970]. iii‑530 p.
• 1887 – Ellis, Robinson (éd.), The Fables of Avianus, Edited with Prolegomena, Critical Apparatus, Commentary, Excursus and Index, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1887 [reprint Hildesheim, Olms, 1966]. xvii-151 p.

C.R. : John E. B. Mayor, The Classical Review, vol. 1 (nº 7), 1887, p. 188‑193 ; Walter Ashburner, The American Journal of Philology, vol. 9 (n^o 3), 1888, p. 359‑362 ; O. Crusius, Jahrbücher für classische Philologie, nº 139, 1889, p. 641‑656.

• 1883 – Bährens, Emil (éd.), « Aviani fabulae », [in] P‌oetae latini minores censuit et emendavit Aemilius Baehrens, Leipzig, Teubner, « Bibliotheca Teubneriana », vol. 5, 1883, p. 31-70.
• 1862 – Fröhner, Wilhelm (éd.), Aviani Fabulae XXXXII ad Theodosium. Ex recensione et cum instrumento critico Guilelmi Froehner, Leipzig, Teubner, 1862.

Nomenclature des fables §

Remaniements et adaptations (par ordre chronologique) §

• Ca. 1100 – Poète d’Asti, Novus Avianus Astensis (adaptation en distiques élégiaques léonins des 42 fables d’Avianus)
• Fin xi^e s.-déb.xii^e s. – Novus Avianus de Venise (latin)
• xii^e s. – Novus Avianus de Vienne (latin)
• Fin xii^e s. – Alexandre Neckam, Novus Avianus (remaniements latins des 6 premières fables d’Avianus, dont une sous trois formes différentes)
• Fin xii^e s.-déb. xiii^e s. – Anti-Avianus (latin)
• Fin xii^e s. – Avionnet de York (adaptation française de 8 fables d’Avianus)
• xii^e s.-xiii^e s. – Novus Avianus de Darmstadt (latin)
• xiii^e s. – Isopet-Avionnet de Milan (comporte une adaptation franco-italienne de 30 moralités d’Avianus)
• Ca. 1300-1350 – Isopet I-Avionnet (comporte une adaptation française de 18 fables d’Avianus)
• Ca. 1350 – Ulrich Boner, Der Edelstein (comporte une adaptation allemande de 22 fables d’Avianus)
• xiv^e s. – Avianicae fabulae (adaptation en prose de 38 fables d’Avianus)
• xiv^e s. – Apologi Aviani (paraphrase en prose latine des 42 fables d’Avianus)
• xiv^e s. – Super Aviani fabulis rhythmicae moralisationes (remaniements des fables d’Avianus en quatrains de vers rythmiques latins)
• xiv^e s. – Super Aviani fabulis metricae moralisationes (remaniements des fables d’Avianus en quatrains de distiques élégiaques léonins)
• Ca. 1476-1477 – H. Steinhöwel (comporte une adaptation allemande de 17 fables d’Avianus) et ses dérivés européens (Macho, Caxton, Leeu, Biernat de Lublin…).
• 1508 – Érasme, Adagiorum Chiliades tres, Venise, A. Manuce, 1508, I, 729 (« Ex eodem ore calidum et frigidum efflare »), f. 86r (éd. A.S.D., nº 730) : « Natum ex Apologo quopiam Aniani [sic] fabulatoris… ». Paraphrase en prose latine de la fable nº 29/42, reprise sous le titre « De satyro et rustico Aniani [sic] fabula, Erasmo quoque interprete » dans la plupart des éditions de l’Æsopus Dorpii à partir de 1513 (« Apologi ex Chiliadibus adagiorum Erasmi desumpti », nº 9/9) et dans le recueil de Camerarius à partir de 1538 (« Erasmicæ fabulæ » ou « Erasmi fabulæ », nº 9/9).
• Avant 1509, éd. 1513 – Guillaume Hermans de Gouda, « Aniani [sic] fabulae Guielmo Hermanno (…) interprete » (remaniements en prose néolatine de 38 fables d’Avianus)
• 1512 – Adriaan van Baarland (Barlandus), « Aniani [sic] fabulae Hadriano Barlando interprete » (remaniements en prose néolatine de 9 fables d’Avianus, dont 4 seulement seront reprises en 1513 et dans les éditions ultérieures).

Études (bibliographie critique par ordre alphabétique d’auteurs, éventuellement subdivisée en sections thématiques) §

Lenghty discussion of the twenty-seven fables from the Avianus collection that Steinhöwel chose and translated for his 1476-1477 Ulm edition. Textual problems as well as the choice of fables are discussed with an analysis of those fabular motif in Avianus, which had already appeared in early sections of Steinhöwel’s collection. Tables of concordance and keys to Halm. Extensively discussed are P70 (« The Oak and the Reed » (A-T 28C ; TMI J832) and P525 « Bald Man and the Fly » (TMI J2102.3) (P.C.).

The medieval rewritings and prose paraphrases of Avianus during the Middle Ages are discussed. The use of Avianus in schools as a medium for the instruction of Latin is highlighted (P.C.)

Avianus is confirmed as the proper name of the fourth-century fable-poet, the carrier of the Babrian tradition, very popular during the Middle Ages. Fairly extensive analysis of the arguments for and against the name and reasons for the many variants of the name found in the manuscript tradition. Good bibliography (P.C.).

Comparative study of the use of various differing terms within specific semantic categories results in a very specific close relationship between the two poets. There can be no doubt of the influence of Babrius on Avianus, the author concludes although the exact nature of this influence is not yet definable (P.C.).

An attempt to reconstruct the social and artistic milieu for the classical fabulists : Phaedrus, Babrius, and Avianus by means of lexical frequency counts (P.C.).

This article attempts to describe and evaluate the interpersonal relationships in the fables of Phaedrus, Babrius, and Avianus by means of a close analysis of the nouns used in the fables which describe or otherwise contain information about the nature of various relationships. A clear idea of the social-psychological atmosphere of each poet is determined by a construct of nine types of relationships among which the lexical items are distributed. The authors suggest that this work is potentially important for research in other Problems connected with these fabulists (P.C.).

Dating Avianus is aided by Claudian’s De bello gildonico (398) : Theodosius identified with Macrobius. Cameron suggests that Avianus used a Latin translation of Babrius (by Julius Titianus), which solves many Problems. Contains a good survey of the cluster of problems of Avianus’ name and concludes that the proper form is Avienus. (P.C.)

Very comprehensive review of Ellis’ Oxford edition of Avianus. Crusius praises Ellis although he suggests that Ellis might have spent more time with the manuscripts and should have provided an overview on the comparative relationship between Avianus and Babrius. Crusius sees an intermediary of Titian’s Latin prose paraphrase between Avianus and Babrius. Long list of emendations, corrections. (P.C.)

Treated Avianus and his dates and the « apologi » fables. The paraphrase of Avianus, for which Heidenhain had claimed a more complete text had been used, is demonstrated to be a relatively simple paraphrase of Avianus from a text that basically the same of our received text. Therefore we can learn little to help the Avianus tradition itself. Ends with a number of notes for the Avianus fables. (P.C.)

Various theories of the time and person of Avianus are discussed, including an extensive reviex of the ideas of Ellis and Cannegieter. The 42-fables Avianus collection is described in terms of its relationship to Babrius, followed by a summary of the life of the collection and its diffusion. (P.C.)

Various notes on the verse forms of Avianus’ fables as reconstructed in part from the corrupt received forms. (P.C.)

Der dritte Band der « Kostbarkeiten der Stadtbibliothek Trier » stellt den « Trierer Äsop » vor, eine reichlich illustrierte Handschrift aus der Zeit um 1380. Der Kodex enthält illustrierte Ausgaben der Fabeln des Äsop und des Avian, jeweils in mittelalterlichen Bearbeitungen sowie ausgestattet mit knappen Auslegungen. Text und Illustrationen verweisen auf eine Verwendung im Bereich der Schule. Man vermutet, dass der Kodex im Unterricht der Trierer Abtei St. Matthias eingesetzt wurde, wo er auch entstanden sein könnte. Die Fabeln des Äsop gehören der Rezension des « Romulus » an. Sie repräsentieren den ältesten vollständig erhaltenen Überlieferungsträger dieser Rezension aus dem Mittelalter. Die Trierer Handschrift fällt in eine Phase starker Überlieferung des Äsop. Zahlreiche Handschriften und Inkunabeln aus Trierer Klöstern bezeugen eine intensive Rezeption des Textes im 14./15. Jahrhundert, sowohl in Versform wie in Prosa, kommentiert oder glossiert, als reine Textausgabe wie mit Illustrationen versehen. Darüber hinaus dokumentiert der « Trierer Äsop » exemplarisch die Transformation paganer Literatur in einen christlichen Verwendungszusammenhang (présentation d’un libraire).

Investigates the sources of Babrius and his relationship to Aesopic tradition. Babrius’ connection to Phaedrus and to Avianus is outlined. Now superseded by Perry and Küppers (P.C.).

A study of a Carolingian manuscript (Ms. lat. nouv. acq. 1132 in the BN) used as the basis for the study of various illumination techniques for fables from the fifth through the fifteenth centuries. The manuscript itself is described in detail : 40 folios, written in Carolingian miniscule, with a seventeenth- or eighteenth-century binding, unknown earlier history. Full illustrations in facsimile and Goldschmidt has added headings to facilitate study with comparisons drawn from various illuminated manuscripts and the Bayeux Tapestry. (P.C.)

Discusses the twenty-two Avianus fables in Boner to demonstrate that, in opposition to Schönbach, Boner did not depend upon the prose paraphrases, the Apologi Aviani, rather used the fables in the received form (P.C.)

An edition of the epimythia of Avianus with extensive commentary and notes in an attempt to determine their authenticity. (P.C.)

This essay begins with a survey of the direct tradition and the quoted and paraphrased tradition of Avianus’ fables and therewith establishes the existence of two separate recensions of the fables. These two traditions, however, show a tendency to recombine in the late Middle Ages. Guaglianone provides a list of the known manuscripts in two categories, according to the recension to which they belong. (P.C.)

A note on the relationships among the Bruxelles 11193, BM Add. 33781, and Parisinus Lat. 1594 manuscripts of Avianus. (P.C.)

The apologi Aviani are prose reworkings of the fables of Avianus, found in two manuscripts of the Bibliothèque Nationale (Cod. Lat. 347 A and B) without nos. 19, 25, 26 and 38. Often the paraphrases are somewhat better motivated than the originals. Heidenhain feels he has found an older tradition than the verse fables in the received tradition. Avianus 9, P65 « Travelers and the Bear » (A-T 179 ; TMI J1488), for example, has a lion in the paraphrase, which is taken as evidence of an earlier tradition (P.C.).

Assumes that Avianus used a text as his source that was fundamentally the same as that we have today and deduces from that that a more « complete » text of Avianus lies at the basis of the text we have received. The author uses Greek loan words and seemed to know the « Romulus » tradition, having used the latter at the end of P230 « Turtle and the Eagle » (A-T 225A; TMI J512, J657.2). (P.C.)

Collation of MSS 340 and 140 of the Musée Plantin-Movetus (P.C.)

The comedy of Querolus is supposed to be the last work by the fabulist Avianus (P.C.)

The « Œuvres » of Avianus consist not only of the fables but also of the comedy Querolus and some poems. The fables are discussed in detail in the introduction in which the authenticity of the morals is also dealt with. (P.C.)

—, « Notes sur le texte d’Avianus », Latomus, nº 28, 1969, p. 669-680.

A series of notes to his edition of Avianus. The first section comprises various textual notes to the fables; the second on the putative authorship of Querolus ; and the third on the « poems » of Avianus (P.C.).

Avianus’ Preface and some twenty-nine fables are found in Karlsruh Codex LXXIII from the tenth Century. The manuscript appears to have no new variant readings, but the collation has value for determining the family tree of a group of manuscripts. (P.C.)

Presents variant readings of distiches from Avianus 22, 10-16; 21, 22; 31 and 32. (P.C.)

Works out a complex classification scheme to categorize and evaluate the known manuscripts of Avianus. (P.C.)

Suggests the possible identification of Avianus with Flavianus, who was supposedly in favor with the Emperor Theodosius, to whom the fables of Avianus appear to have been dedicated. (P.C.)

Küppers spends much energy in reordering Avianus research by setting aside the previous work of Ellis and Herrmann especially, and to a lesser extent, Crusius and Cameron, as well as Jones and Thraede. Küppers deals with all the major issues : the name of the poet, the Theodosio problem, and the origin of the fables themselves. Küppers deals with the divergences from the Babrian original as Avianus’ own artistic contribution and argues for Avianus’ translation as Coming directly out of the Greek, rather than through a Latin intermediary. Full and useful bibliographies and indices. (P.C.)

Textual notes to P325 « Lark and Farmer » (A-T 93; TMI J1031). (P.C.)

Notes on various manuscripts of Avianus’ fables (P.C.)

Contains, among much eise, an extensive listing of the manuscripts of Avianus and evaluates their availability at various times and places during the Middle Ages, especially the ninth Century. Lists and describes six manuscripts from the ninth Century, five from the tenth, seven from the eleventh, nine from the twelfth and seven from the thirteenth. (P.C.)

This posthumously-appearing work lists those classical authors mentioned in library catalogs from the Middle Ages to 1933. Lists Phaedrus and « Aesopus » (i.e. the Romulus tradition), with special attention given to the very widespread Avianus tradition. (P.C.)

Textual notes to a passage in Avianus; concludes that no reading is clearly indicated but that some are more difficult to support. (P.C.)

Traces the history of Avianus scholarship, with particular regard to the establishment of the corpus. Lists numerous manuscripts and the Heinrich Steinhöwel’s Esopus which contains twenty-seven fables from Avianus and which is the first known (partial) edition, as well as a number of florilgeia and other collections. Five newly noted medieval texts and introductions to Avianus are described as are six collections of imitations and paraphrases. (P.C.)

Lists materials not found in Hervieux or incompletely described there. Issues a cali for a systematic bibliography of Avianus, including all incunabula and prose re-workings during the Middle Ages. (P.C.)

Builds on Rand’s assumption that the Codex Leidensis Vossianus Lat. Q 86 came from Fleury. Oldest known manuscript comes from St. Gallen from which emanate three branches in the manuscript tradition. (P.C.)

The author and editors present here the text of the Walter of England collection of sixty-five fables in Latin verse accompanied by a French translation from the fourteenth Century, presented in three clearly related manuscripts called Isopet I. That portion which stems from the Avianus tradition is treated separately and called the Avionnet. The collection dates ultimately from the twelfth Century. The lengthy introduction contains an extensive discussion of the history of the fables and their interrelationships as well as a description of the manuscripts and their illustrations. With tables of correspondences, an index of proper names, a Latin glossary, and a series of illustrations from the manuscripts. (P.C.)

A concise survey of Avianus’ life and works insofar as these facts are known. Avianus’ forty-two fables are characterized as coming from Babrius. Bibliographical notes. The article is followed by a note by Kurt Ranke (P.C.)

The manuscript used for this edition was chosen as the best representative of the group of medieval Avianus commentaries, some 47 in number, that cannot be resolved to a single text. After statements of editorial principles, Avianus’ position in education and the intellectual life of the middle ages is discussed, as well as the specific uses of the fable in various medieval forms and by various authors. (P.C.)

Satan’s boast from Isaiah and Piers Plowman in paraphrase is also to be found in commentaries on Avianus, specifically on fables two and four, with the paraphrase found twenty-nine times. The use of the paraphrase is discussed in terms of the importance of Avianus in medieval culture. (P.C.)

Text and commentary on the Apologi Aviani [sic], now for the most part superseded by Küppers and Gaide. (P.C.)

On the poet’s name and time (suggested dates are not past the fourth Century) ; relationship between the fables of Babrius and Avianus. Reviews the textual Problems, the medieval paraphrases. Extensive bibliography. (P.C.)

Textual notes on two fables in Avianus. (P.C.)

Sees a unifying consistency of theme and form for each of the four collections. Phaedrus used his fables for literary polemic; Avianus’ collection is seen as a program for an individual’s advance toward self-improvement. Marie de France is characterized as writing fables as court propaganda. La Fontaine’s collection as a whole comprises a « theater of the world » filled with constant surprise. (P.C.)

The Avianus collection as a whole forms a structure the design of which is revealed in the intellectual milieu in which they were produced. Neoplatonic, anti-Christian, but intellectual is the poet. (P.C.)

Unrein, Otto, De Aviani aetate. Dissertation, Universität Jena, 1885. 64 p.

Unrein concludes that Avianus lived at the end of the fourth Century or the beginning of the fifth Century A.D. The most important evidence is Avianus’ relationship to Titianus, but linguistic evidence is evaluated as well. Excellent survey of critical literature up to his time. (P.C.)

Aesop’s fables’ popularity as a subject for illustrations is here attributed to the popularity of the form itself and its “fitness to pictorialization.” The article provides a cursory overview of picture cycles that demonstrate illustrated Aesop manuscripts in classical antiquity. P1 « Fox and Eagle » (TMI K2295) and P158 « Wolf and Nurse » (TMI J2066.5) are shown in various illustrations. (P.C.)

Suggests that Lachmann’s dating of Avianus ought to be put down. Earliest possible date seems to be the second half of the fourth Century because of the metrics the poet used. (P.C.)