Fighting with filth: John Tzetzes’ rhetoric of psogos in the Vossianus Graecus Q1

This paper explores the pervasive use of abusive tones and scatological imagery in John Tzetzes’ works, particularly his verse commentaries on the corpus Hermogenianum – only partially edited and fully preserved in the twelfth-century manuscript Vossianus Graecus Q1. In the competitive literary market of twelfth-century Constantinople, Tzetzes used vulgar insults as a strategy for self-promotion. His invectives, imbued with scatological vocabulary, served not only to discredit alleged opponents past and present, but also to entertain audiences, aligning with the societal expectations of the Komnenian era. This analysis underscores the dual role of Tzetzes’ insults as both a means of self-affirmation and a comic device. By employing psogos – ranging from Aristophanic borrowings to animal imagery – Tzetzes used abusive language to assert his identity and protect his scholarly reputation. The Vossianus manuscript, preserving autograph notes by Tzetzes, provides invaluable insights into the complex interplay between satire, competition, and self-promotion in Byzantine literary tradition.