Etymologizing the Convivium: Varro’s Nescis Quid Vesper Serus Vehat

Abstract

The article analyzes the language and literary techniques of Marcus Terentius Varro’s lost Menippean satire entitled Nescis quid vesper serus vehat, preserved in fragments in Gellius and dedicated to the principles of the ideal Roman banquet (convivium). The author demonstrates that the frequently occurring wordplay, puns, and antitheses in the text actually serve as normative etymologies intended to reveal the deeper, true nature of the feast and its governing principle of moderation (elegantia). This study reveals that through these linguistic devices, Varro designs a utopian space for the educated elite of the late Republic—free from political rivalry, convivial chaos, and ostentatious arrogance, and based on harmony and shared aesthetic experiences.