Unity and Parody, or how to read a Menippean Satire: On Martianus’ De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii

Abstract

The present paper aims to propose the study of Martianus Capella’s De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii from a literary perspective, combining Theory of Genres and Functionalist Discourse Analysis. In order to disarticulate previous opinions on the work—which reduce menippean molds to a minimum, considering De nuptiis a didactic text—we state two main categories that work as axes in our interpretation: the unity of the work, and the presence of parody as the dominant register and unifying bond. In this framework, "De nuptiis" is no longer a failed encyclopedia, but a perfect Menippean satire