Le Pérégrinos de Lucien: un spectacle de la mort peu édifiant

Abstract

This paper on Lucian's De morte Peregrini aims to analyse Peregrinus's extravagant suicide of in contrast with the significance of the death of heroes in epic poetry, as well as with the death of citizens. The death of those who died fighting for their city was a sign of identity of the Athenian polis - at least in so far as it is remembered by oratory during the classical period. I identify certain compositional elements and structural features that Lucian uses to build a satire on Peregrinus Proteus as a literary character, and, through his account, to convert Peregrinus' death into an unworthy and ridiculous act.