POEMS INTRODUCTION
Of the poems which follow, 1–17 are found in the cod. Vossianus L. Q. 86, a
MS. of the 9th century. They follow a number of epigrams attributed to Seneca and
are not attributed by the MS. to Petronius. But 3, 1 and 13, 6–9 are
quoted by Fulgentius (myth. I, 1, p. 31 and III, 9, p. 126) as from Petronius, while
the general resemblance to Petronius led Scaliger to attribute the remainder to the
same author. Though absolute proof of the correctness of this attribution is
lacking, most readers will feel little doubt that Scaliger was right.
18–29
1 were contained in a MS. once at Beauvais and now lost. The
contents of this codex Bellovacensis were published by Claude Binet in 1579. The
last two poems were not, according to Binet, given to Petronius by the MS., and I
have included them with some hesitation. But as Binet saw, the resemblance to the
style and tone of Petronius is considerable, and they are therefore given here. The
six poems which followed in this MS. are given by Baehrens (
P.L.M. iv. 103–8) to Petronius. But they have no particular
affinity with the work of Petronius, and as they have inserted among them in Binet's
book a number of poems which are admittedly by Luxorius (see Baehrens,
op. cit. App. Crit. on
P.L.M. iv.
104), they are not included here.
[p. 341]
The remaining two poems are found in cod. Vossianus L.F. 111, a MS. of the 9th
century. They are attributed to Petronius by the MS., and follow two poems found in
the MSS of the novel (c. 14 and c. 83). Their general resemblance would betray their
authorship.
For a discussion of these MSS. see Baehrens,
Poetae Latini
Minores, vol. iv, pp. 11, 13 and 19. Also p. 36 ff.
SIGLA
Cod. Voss. L.Q. 86=
V.
Cod. Bellovacensis =
W.
Cod. Voss. L.F. 111 =
E
H.E.B.
