Baro Bošković’s Epigrams

Dvadeset i osam, dosad neobjavljenih epigrama isusovca i književnika 18. stoljeća Bara Boškovića sačuvano je u trima različitim zbirkama i trima različitim prijepisima. Osim opisa rukopisa i formalnih obilježja epigrama, epigrami se mogu analizirati s tri različita aspekta. Tematski se dijele na dvije skupine: epigrami s religioznom tematikom čine prvu, veću skupinu, a skoptički su epigrami manji dio opusa. Zanimljivo je u Boškovićevim epigramima uočiti utjecaje pojedinih klasičnih autora, a s obzirom na to da je Baro Bošković kao profesor retorike vrsno vladao retoričkom vještinom, moguće je proučiti kako je to umijeće primijenio, upotrebljavajući antičke figure i trope, i u sastavljanju epigrama.Baro Bošković, 18th century poet, Jesuit and professor from Dubrovnik also wrote epigrams. This poetical form was taken from the antiquity and was very popular in Europe. A total of 28 previously unpublished epigrams can be found in three different anthologies and three different copies. These epigrams can be technically analysed (description of various anthologies and copies, their formal technical characteristics and length). Bošković’s epigrams mostly deal with various religious themes taken from the Bible. Other epigrams are influenced by Martial who invented this type of poetry. Bošković was also influenced by other classic poets and sometimes he used their motives and even whole lines. Bošković, as a professor of rhetoric, was well versed in this discipline and he also used it in his epigrams. We only have a small number of Bošković epigrams. This enables us to analyse them comprehensively. At the same time this prevents us from making any general conclusions about this part of his poetic work. Still, it can be concluded that Bošković’s epigrams do not represent a poetical peculiarity in the period when they were written