Fabulae
Also known as: Genealogies, Myths, Fabulae (Hyginus), Myths of Hyginus
A compact Latin handbook of Greek and Roman myths, Fabulae presents hundreds of brief narratives and genealogies, likely compiled in the early Roman Empire under the name Hyginus. It distills popular mythic cycles into succinct entries for reference and instruction.
Description
Fabulae is a terse mythographic compendium attributed to the Augustan-era scholar Gaius Julius Hyginus. Structured as short prose notices, it surveys divine and heroic genealogies, famous transformations, heroic labors, foundation legends, and tragic lineages. Rather than extended storytelling, it offers mnemonic summaries—names, relations, motives, and outcomes—often aligned with the needs of students, declaimers, or readers seeking quick mythic orientation. Its arrangement includes catalogues (e.g., Argonauts, Seven against Thebes), variant accounts, and cross-references to theatrical or epic treatments. The surviving text, transmitted in a single, corrupt medieval manuscript, preserves a unique snapshot of Roman-era mythographic organization and sometimes preserves details otherwise lost.
Historiography
The Fabulae survives primarily through a single late medieval manuscript tradition that is lacunose and error-prone, leading to emendations and scholarly reconstructions. Authorship remains uncertain; the work is attributed to Hyginus, an Augustan librarian, but may reflect later compilation or abridgment. Modern editors note inconsistencies and conflations, yet the handbook preserves variant mythic data otherwise unattested. Mary Grant’s English translation and several Latin editions underpin current use; digital transcriptions facilitate access but inherit manuscript defects.
Date Notes
Commonly dated to the Augustan/Tiberian era; authorship and exact dating are debated and the transmitted text is heavily corrupt.
Themes
Archetypes
Major Characters
- Zeus
- Hera
- Heracles
- Theseus
- Perseus
- Athena
- Apollo
Myths
- The Theban Cycle
- The Trojan Cycle
- The Labors of Heracles
- The Argonauts
- Transformations and Founders’ Tales
Facts
- Fabulae is a concise Latin mythographic handbook attributed to Hyginus of the Augustan age.
- The work is arranged in brief prose entries, often enumerating genealogies and variant myth accounts.
- The surviving text is corrupt and incomplete, transmitted chiefly through a single medieval manuscript.
- Fabulae preserves rare mythic variants and catalogue lists not otherwise attested.
- Its concise format suggests use in education, declamation, or as a reference for readers of epic and drama.
- The collection includes large thematic groups such as the Argonauts, Theban cycle, and Trojan saga.
- Authorship and composition date are debated; some scholars posit later compilation or abridgment.
- Hyginus’ separate treatise De Astronomica complements Fabulae with constellation myths.