Between Plato and Cicero: a hypothesis on Ennius’ Epicharmus

The aim of this paper is to suggest that, like the Πολιτεία of the pseudo- Epicharmus, Ennius’ Epicharmus also belongs to a tradition of ethical-political reflection, a tradition that includes Plato’s Πολιτεία and Cicero’s De re publica, particularly with respect to two key episodes in those works: the myth of Er and the Somnium Scipionis.