Libri e lettori in Luciano: immagini (e parodia) di sapienza

This contribution analyzes images of books and readers in Lucian’s work to highlight points of contact with the iconography of the time and clarify the various functions assumed by intervisual references. While in some cases the allusion to a specific iconography has a positive value, vividly evoking the intellectual qualities of a character (such as Nigrinus in the namesake dialogue, or Panthea in Imagines), in others the intent is clearly parodic. Holding a book is often a sign of a hollow display of knowledge, lacking any real substance. It is suggested that Lucian may have been inspired by an iconographic trend prevalent in his day: the extension of the ‘intellectual’ iconography to individuals engaged in other pursuits – a form of bourgeois self-representation where the ostentation of paideia coincides with a display of social status.