The Octopus as a Literary Figure in Imperial-Era Literature

Abstract

An examination of didactic and scholarly texts composed between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE reveals that the passages concerning the octopus exhibit recurring thematic and structural features. These commonalities suggest the existence of a literary model for representing the octopus during this period. Moreover, they exemplify the use of fictional narratives as a vehicle for artistic and entertainment purposes. In them, the figure of the octopus appears as a thief who, equipped with the qualities attributed to him by literary traditions (including the ability to walk, climb a tree, unusual culinary tastes, cunning character, and thieving inclinations) commits a sneaky theft, not infrequently linked to an assault, a fight and a sad end to the negative character. The tales about the octopus are thus part of the trend of sophistically created adventure plots based on playing with literary heritage.