The paper investigates chromatic variation in late antique ekphraseis, showing that polychromy is not merely a decorative descriptive feature but a fully fledged interpretative device. Passages from Porphyry and Synesius, together with an Orphic fragment on Osiris–Dionysus, are used to illustrate the association between variegated garments, cosmic harmony, and the structure of the cosmos, and to clarify the semantic density of the terms ποικίλος/ποικιλία and δαιδάλεος: chromatic variety, variety of the real, and, at the same time, stylistic varietas and authorial ingenuity. Epigraphic mosaic examples (Apamea, Gerasa) reveal the wider circulation of this ideology of colour, which links material splendour with doctrinal value. In high literature (Paul the Silentiary, Procopius), and above all in Nonnus of Panopolis, chromatic display becomes a hallmark of the jeweled style and a powerful exegetical tool. In conclusion, in late antiquity colours not only “represent” the world but actively guide its interpretation and open access to further layers of meaning.
Il contributo indaga il “cangiantismo” nelle ekphraseis tardoantiche, mostrando come la policromia non sia un semplice ornamento descrittivo, ma un dispositivo interpretativo. Passi di Porfirio e Sinesio, insieme a un frammento orfico su Osiride-Dioniso, consentono di illustrare l’associazione fra veste variopinta, armonia e cosmo, e di chiarire la densità semantica dei lessemi ποικίλος/ποικιλία e δαιδάλεος: varietà dei colori, varietà del reale e, al tempo stesso, varietas stilistica e ingegno d’autore. Gli esempi epigrafici musivi (Apamea, Gerasa) mostrano la circolazione di questa ideologia del colore, che lega splendore materiale e valore dottrinale. Nella letteratura “alta” (Paolo Silenziario, Procopio) e soprattutto in Nonno di Panopoli, il cromatismo diventa cifra del jeweled style e strumento esegetico. In conclusione, nella tarda antichità i colori non solo “rappresentano” il mondo, ma ne guidano la lettura e l’accesso a significati ulteriori.
Il cangiantismo nelle ekphraseis tardoantiche: alcune prospezioni
Gianfranco Agosti
2026-01-01
Abstract
The paper investigates chromatic variation in late antique ekphraseis, showing that polychromy is not merely a decorative descriptive feature but a fully fledged interpretative device. Passages from Porphyry and Synesius, together with an Orphic fragment on Osiris–Dionysus, are used to illustrate the association between variegated garments, cosmic harmony, and the structure of the cosmos, and to clarify the semantic density of the terms ποικίλος/ποικιλία and δαιδάλεος: chromatic variety, variety of the real, and, at the same time, stylistic varietas and authorial ingenuity. Epigraphic mosaic examples (Apamea, Gerasa) reveal the wider circulation of this ideology of colour, which links material splendour with doctrinal value. In high literature (Paul the Silentiary, Procopius), and above all in Nonnus of Panopolis, chromatic display becomes a hallmark of the jeweled style and a powerful exegetical tool. In conclusion, in late antiquity colours not only “represent” the world but actively guide its interpretation and open access to further layers of meaning.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
