Remarks on the citations of authors and works in ancient scholarship

The abundance of citations of literary texts in erudite works originating from commentaries written by the philologists of the Hellenistic-Roman age is a highly important testimony of the exegetical activity of ancient scholars and the depth of their literary knowledge. Although a correct assessment of the proportions of this phenomenon is made difficult by the loss of a vast amount of erudite sources and quotations of passages during the transmission process, the importance of citations is crucial in order to properly appreciate the level achieved by ancient philology and its significance as a historical-cultural phenomenon.