Santra, a Conjecture by Achilles Statius

A Critical Note on Suetonius’ De grammaticis et rhetoribus 14.4

Abstract

The Suetonian fragment De grammaticis et rhetoribus provides scholars with ample material for critical discussion. Rediscovered in the 15th century, the codex Hersfeldensis – a now-lost Carolingian minuscule manuscript from the 9th-10th centuries – already contained a corrupt text. All humanist apographs derive from this archetype, which underlies the subsequent manuscript tradition and printed editions. Given the text’s lacunose state, early critics attempted to supplement problematic readings through conjecture. In this context, the Portuguese humanist Aquiles Statius (1524–1581) merits particular attention for his 1565 Roman edition of De grammaticis et rhetoribus, which includes brief philological observations with a substantial focus on textual criticism. One conjecture proposed by Statius for De grammaticis et rhetoribus 14.4 – namely “Santra” – aimed to resolve a passage containing the obscure satyra (and its graphic variants). This proposal remained overlooked for nearly three centuries, until it was revived by Ludwig Preller in 1846. Shortly thereafter, codex W, first described by J. Huemer in 1878, came to light, offering the reading santya, which provides indirect yet compelling support for Statius’ conjecture. This critical note therefore traces the reception history and interpretive trajectory of this passage in Suetonius’ De grammaticis et rhetoribus (14.4).