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Alexandra of Lycophron

By Charles McNelis

Alexandra of Lycophron

By Charles McNelis

0 - Default Title
Description
This monograph is a literary study of Lycophron's Alexandra, whose obscurity, a quality notorious already in antiquity, has long hampered holistic approaches. Through a series of distinct but closely integrated literary studies of major aspects of the poem, including its style, its engagementwith the traditions of epic and tragedy, and it's treatment of heroism and of the gods, the book explores the way the Alexandra reconfigures Greek mythology. In particular, as it is presented in Homeric epic and Athenian tragedy, in order to cast the Romans and their restoration of Trojan glory asthe ultimate telos of history. In this sense, the poem emerges as an important intermediary between Homeric epic and Latin poetry, particularly Vergil's Aeneid. By rewriting specific features of the epic and tragic traditions, the Alexandra denies to Greek heroes the glory that was the traditional compensation for theirsuffering, while at the same time attributing to Cassandra's Trojan family honours framed in the traditional language of Greek heroism. In this sense, the figure of Cassandra, a prophetess traditionally gifted with the power of foresight but denied credibility, self-reflexively serves as a vehiclefor exploring the potentials and limitations of poetry.
Product details
Edition:
1
Number of Pages:
268
Release Date:
2016-06-21
Publication Date:
2016-06-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press(UK)
Languages:
Original: English
ISBN10:
0199601895
ISBN13:
9780199601899
GPSR Manufacturer Reference:
[email protected]
Weight:
472 g
Height:
145 cm
Width:
222 cm
Thickness:
18 cm
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