BORGES, PETRONIUS AND CURIOSA FELICITAS

CARMIGNANI, M. F.

GHENT

Congreso; Sixth International Conference on the Ancient Novel (ICAN VI); 2022

UNIVERSITÉ GHENT

I will examine in particular the quotation of a Petronian phrase that appears in two different places in Borges’ works: the expression curiosa felicitas. From this, first, I will try to study what degree of knowledge Borges had of Petronius’ work; second, where Borges could have taken Petronius’ phrase from; and, finally, what really Borges thought aesthetically and artistically about the Satyricon. This will be contrasted with some of the opinions that Bioy Casares collects in his monumental and polemical diary Borges.