New Vico Studies

Vico’s theory of poetic origins greatly influenced Harold Bloom’s theory of poetry, called “the anxiety of influence.” Neither simple acceptance nor rejection, the complex influence is explained at main stages of Bloom’s career. In Bloom’s early writings, Vico’s ideas are virtually ignored. Starting with The Anxiety of Influence, Vico’s influence is acknowledged to be strong but it is repressed; Vico’s ideas are mentioned in only a few brief passages and usually presented through those of other thinkers, or are interpreted to be the same. In subsequent works, Bloom does discuss Vico’s ideas more. Finally, in Bloom’s Western Canon, Vico’s importance seems to be the greatest, since all the literature is categorized according to Vico’s idea of a cycle of three ages, although, once again, his ideas are not analyzed.

This is a discussion and translation of the first academic address of Vico’s career. “Delle cene sontuose de’ romani” (“On the sumptuous dinners of the Romans”) was delivered early in 1699 before the Accademia Palatina. This is the same year that Vico assumed his position as professor of Latin eloquence at the University of Naples. Vico’s choice of a topic concerning the details of everyday Roman life derives from his concern to understand Roman culture in terms other than its political history. He approaches the teaching of Latin in a similar way, advocating in his textbook, Institutiones oratoriae, that the place to begin learning Latin is “From the comics!”—meaning that the everyday expressions of Latin speech are those preserved by the comic poets, especially Plautus and Terence.