Philogelos

The Philogelos ( Greek  Φιλόγελως , dt. "Laughing friend") is the only surviving collection of 265 jokes from antiquity .

The work is written in Greek. Hierocles and Philagrios are named as authors, who collected orally transmitted jokes and also adopted those from other writings. The compilation of the Philogelos can only have been completed in the Roman Empire , since the millennium of Rome is mentioned in the year 248 AD. Antique collections of jokes are already mentioned in Plautus .

The collection is structured thematically. Subjects of the humorous ridicule are the studied, avaricious, boastful, a fool, Abderites, Sidonians, quick-witted, Kymeans, sullen, untalented, fearful rabbits, lazy people, jealous hammers, wolverines, drinkers, people with bad breath, women and misogynists. The purpose of the compilation is not assured. Participants in ancient banquets also shared anecdotes and jokes during the conversation. Therefore, joke books were a good preparation for such a social event.

literature

• Andreas Thierfelder (ed.): The laughing friend: from Hierokles and Philagrios. Heimeran, Munich 1968.
• Gerhard Löwe : Hierocles and Philagrios. Philogelos or Der Lach-Fan. Koehler and Amelang, Leipzig 1981.
• Kai Brodersen : Philogelos. Ancient jokes, Greek and German. Marix, Wiesbaden 2016. ISBN 978-3-7374-1038-0

Web links

• Φιλόγελως , Bibliotheca Augustana , E-Text (gr.)
• 45 Jokes from The Laughter Lover (en.)