Modelli mitico-letterari nella rappresentazione dell'otium di Traiano (Plin. paneg. 81)

Abstract: This paper focuses on the literary representation of Trajan’s otium (namely hunt- ing and sailing) in Pliny’s Panegyricus 81. While hunting, Trajan undertakes a series of great tasks thereby showing his heroic virtue: in this regard, the main model for his portrait is Heracles. But an in-depth analysis shows that there is another heroic figure who seems worthy of being considered in this ideal and multi-layered image of the emperor, namely the young Achilles. While sailing, instead, Trajan is depicted as a helmsman steering the ship; his supernatural power of taming the winds and the waves, in particular, makes him a human counterpart of marine gods such as Aeolus and Neptune.