Alfredo Mario Morelli

This paper focuses on Mart. V 44, its literary background, and its role within the arrangement of the poetic book. The ego asks the parasite Dento about his strange behavior (he does not more accept ego’s invitations to dinner); he gradually understands that Dento got a new patronus, and foretells him a very quick coming back ‘home’ to his ancient host. The topic is skillfully patterned on the ‘falling-in-love enthymema’, which has its origins in Callim. AP XII 71 and 73 or in Theocr. Id. 14 (the ego argues from someone’s unusual behavior that she/he fell in love with some other). Themes and language concerning ego’s ‘jealous’ attitude towards the parasite are variously picked up in other poems within the V book (see esp. 46-47, 50, and 83-84).