Exulta, genetrix. Il potere consolatorio del mito di Ila

This paper focuses on the conclusion of Dracontius’ epyllion Hylas. After outlining its intertextuality, the study proposes a comparison between the poem’s final two lines and the funerary tradition associated with the myth of Hylas. First, the analysis addresses epigraphic evidence, namely inscriptions that convey consolation through immortality granted by the abduction by divine beings, specifically nymphs. Secondarily, it takes into account the iconographic evidence, in which similar symbolic and consolatory functions can be detected.