This paper examines means for introducing direct speech in selected Late Latin texts with a focus on verbal ones. The most frequently used verbs are dicere in finite forms, ait and the present participle dicens. The introducers inquit, ait and dicens show signs of at least incipient stages of grammaticalization. Ait is almost completely reserved for introducing direct speech, inquit was already specialized in introducing direct speech in Classical Latin. Dicens often follows another finite verb of speech in the introductory clause, which results in more or less redundant introducing construction. It seems that ait and dicens are progressive at the expense of inquit, which decreases in frequency of use in comparison to Classical Latin. The examined texts show a tendency to place introducing verbs before direct speech, which is manifested by inquit inserted into direct speech, often combined with another verb of speech placed before the direct speech. Individual texts differ in various aspects, but the correlation with the choice of introducing verbs cannot be proved unambiguously.
Publikace se zabývá satirou jako svébytným žánrem římské literatury. Vymezuje satiru v rámci diachronního vývoje žánru a zasazuje ji do kontextu, uvádí její zvláštnosti a specifické problémy, na něž se při jejím zkoumání opětovně naráží. Na základě analýzy a srovnání děl kanonických autorů římské satiry (Lucilia, Horatia, Persia a Iuvenala) určuje, jaké rysy má dílo mít, aby bylo možné označit ho za satiru. Zmiňuje také antické literární formy, které jsou dávány do souvislosti se satirou. ,This publication deals with satire as a fully-fledged genre of Latin literature. Satire is defined according to the diachronic development of the genre, the genre is put into the context and its peculiarities and problems that frequently occur during the research of satire are presented. Based on the analysis and comparison of the works written by the canonical writers of Roman satire (Lucilius, Horace, Persius and Juvenal), there are determined the features which the work has to contain to be considered satire. The literary forms of the precedent period which are put into context with satire are also mentioned.