The purpose of this article is to find classical references in Jan Kochanowski’s amorous foricoenia, as yet not systematically studied. Scholars have focused on the meaning ofthe title Foricoenia (Szatyńska-Siemion) or on the ancient references (e.g. the presence of Terence in some epigrams or the translations from Greek, studied by Głombiowska), but have not studied the amorous epigrams as a whole.

At the beginning the author indicates some topoi that are typical of elegiac poetry (recusatio or the heroes treated like elegiac lovers). Firstly, the author shows that Kochanowski uses elegiac material and topoi in his epigrams, presenting to the reader a little epigrammatic collection Ars Amatoria, based on Ovid’s model. Secondly, he argues that even when Kochanowski translates epigrams from Greek, he chooses those that are more appropriate to his literary project, i.e. the “elegization” of the epigrams. Conclusions: Kochanowski “elegizes” his epigrams, first of all presenting a small Ars Amatoria, and then writing his texts according to the elegiac tradition, both in terms of topoi and textual imitations.

Having singled them out, I propose an interpretation of Kochanowski’s choices: I argue that he engages in a long-distance dialogue with Ovid’s Ars amatoria and, in more general terms, with the whole ancient amorous-elegiac tradition, which he sometimes denies. I bring forward a few examples, starting from a comparison between Kochanowski’s epigram XVI and Ovid’s Remedia amoris 501–502 and Ars amatoria I 45–48 (i.e. the hunter caught in his own nets). Epigram V, In paellas venetas, introduces a particular instance of Ulysses described as amorous, a lover rather than an epic hero, patterned exactly after the Ovid’s model of this character. Furthermore, writing epigram LXIX to his friend Torquato, Kochanowski assures him he can make people fall ill with love, as well as cure his friend of such a “disease;” similarly, Ovid teaches how to make people fall in love (Ars amatoria) and how to recover from love (Remedia amoris).

* The translation and publication was financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Poland) and the Faculty of Polish Studies, Jagiellonian University (Cracow, Poland) under Grant 643/P-DUN/2018 2. The first version of this paper was published in Italian in Giornale Italiano di Filologia 65 (2013). I would like to thank Prof. Carlo Santi and the editorial board of the journal for their consent to publish a slightly altered Polish version supplemented with some biographical details. The Polish version of the paper: F. Cabras, “Elegijność Foricoeniow miłosnych Jana Kochanowskiego –wzorce Owidiańskie,” Terminus 16 (2014), pp. 39–53.

The purpose of this article is to find classical references in Jan Kochanowski’s amorous foricoenia, as yet not systematically studied. Scholars have focused on the meaning ofthe title Foricoenia (Szatyńska-Siemion) or on the ancient references (e.g. the presence of Terence in some epigrams or the translations from Greek, studied by Głombiowska), but have not studied the amorous epigrams as a whole.

At the beginning the author indicates some topoi that are typical of elegiac poetry (recusatio or the heroes treated like elegiac lovers). Firstly, the author shows that Kochanowski uses elegiac material and topoi in his epigrams, presenting to the reader a little epigrammatic collection Ars Amatoria, based on Ovid’s model. Secondly, he argues that even when Kochanowski translates epigrams from Greek, he chooses those that are more appropriate to his literary project, i.e. the “elegization” of the epigrams. Conclusions: Kochanowski “elegizes” his epigrams, first of all presenting a small Ars Amatoria, and then writing his texts according to the elegiac tradition, both in terms of topoi and textual imitations.

Having singled them out, I propose an interpretation of Kochanowski’s choices: I argue that he engages in a long-distance dialogue with Ovid’s Ars amatoria and, in more general terms, with the whole ancient amorous-elegiac tradition, which he sometimes denies. I bring forward a few examples, starting from a comparison between Kochanowski’s epigram XVI and Ovid’s Remedia amoris 501–502 and Ars amatoria I 45–48 (i.e. the hunter caught in his own nets). Epigram V, In paellas venetas, introduces a particular instance of Ulysses described as amorous, a lover rather than an epic hero, patterned exactly after the Ovid’s model of this character. Furthermore, writing epigram LXIX to his friend Torquato, Kochanowski assures him he can make people fall ill with love, as well as cure his friend of such a “disease;” similarly, Ovid teaches how to make people fall in love (Ars amatoria) and how to recover from love (Remedia amoris).

* The translation and publication was financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Poland) and the Faculty of Polish Studies, Jagiellonian University (Cracow, Poland) under Grant 643/P-DUN/2018 2. The first version of this paper was published in Italian in Giornale Italiano di Filologia 65 (2013). I would like to thank Prof. Carlo Santi and the editorial board of the journal for their consent to publish a slightly altered Polish version supplemented with some biographical details. The Polish version of the paper: F. Cabras, “Elegijność Foricoeniow miłosnych Jana Kochanowskiego –wzorce Owidiańskie,” Terminus 16 (2014), pp. 39–53.