Bruno's Spaccio and Hyginus' Poetica Astronomica

Abstract

The narrative framework of Giordano Bruno’s dialogue Lo spaccio de la bestia trionfante was inspired by Lucian of Samosata and his dialogue The Parliament of the Gods. In this article it is argued that Bruno, within that framework, developed an abundant imagery of astrological constellations inspired by the Poetica astronomica, a text ascribed to the Roman mythographer and astronomer Gaius Julius Hyginus (2nd century AD). Already in Lucian’s dialogue, astrological constellations were incorporated into the narrative framework, and precisely this union was imitated in the Renaissance by Leon Battista Alberti and Niccolò Franco to express moral judgements in symbolic form. In this article it is argued that in Lo Spaccio Bruno carried on this literary form, applying the imagery and mythology from Poetica astronomica to express his ethical agenda
Original languageEnglish
JournalBruniana e Campanelliana
Issue numberDel 1
Pages (from-to)57-77
Number of pages23
ISSN1125-3819
Publication statusPublished - 2000

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