Classical tradition and mythology: survival of the myth of Cyibele in some Mediaeval and Renaissance Latin texts

Abstract

The figure of Cybele remains of interest for Medieval and Renaissance mythographers, although without the political implications it certainly had for the Augustan classics. They evidently follow their predecessors, to whom they are clearly indebted, since they do not offer new approaches or insights into the topic that generate true innovation. The attachment to traditional texts explains their maintaining the same facts and symbolic interpretations. The transmission of the texts produces nonetheless some quaint changes in Boccaccio. Among the humanists under consideration, Gyraldi strives to diversify the classic sources, although he is unable to fully abandon the Medieval tradition. The vulgariser Catari seems to open up new perspectives in his narrative. On the other hand, the scholar Pierio Valeriano only exploits the great classic authors and manages to provide an appealing interpretation of Virgil’s text. His use of ancient iconographic sources (coins, sculptures) as the basis for his interpretation is perhaps his most significant contribution.