"Człowiek i jego Priap". Analiza Priapejów pod kątem relacji między Priapem, a "chłopami"

"The man and his Priapus". Analysis of Priapea in terms of the relationship between Priapus and the "peasants" An anonymous collection of Roman epigrams titled Priapea dating back to the first century AD has become the subject of much research. The extremely rubbishy poems tell the story of the Priapus, a Greek fertility god characterized by a disproportionately large phallus, with the use of which he protects the village vegetable garden from intruders. These works provide valuable material for the study of issues such as Roman morality and humor. Almost all works devoted to them have one common feature - they focus on Priapus himself. I try to look at Priapea from a slightly different perspective. I analyzed the author’s portrayal of people working on the land. In view of the terminological difficulties arising from the vagueness of the Latin terms, as well as some flaws in the Polish translation, I use the collective term „peasants”. Considering, I tried to show the diversity of the Roman rural community of the early imperial era shown in Priapea. I discuss each of the listed groups in terms of their social position, economic importance and changes they underwent. In the further part of my work I show the relationship between the „peasants” and Priapus through the prism of specific situations, that is: the creation and destruction of the idol statue, working together on the land and making sacrifices. I point out the character and attitude of the human characters towards the deity - they are sly, cunning, simple-minded and inept. They do not care about Priapus, who is unable to provide them with good crops. They are forced to buy produce at the market.Thus, the author places his characters in opposition to the traditional noble, thrifty, honest farmer - a model of Roman virtues. This is an important element of the commentary contained in Priapea on the author’s contemporary reality, in which traditional Roman values (symbolized by vegetable gardens cultivated with their own hands) give way to modernity bringing with it the moral weakness of citizens increasingly enamored of luxury and laziness.