Lexis Supplements Lexis Studies in Greek and Latin Literature | Lexis Ancient Philosophy |
Lexis Sources, Texts and Commentaries

Series | Lexis Supplements
Edited book | Il mito degli Atridi dal teatro antico all’epoca contemporanea
Chapter | Orestes comicus: l’eroe e il mito nella commedia greca antica

Orestes comicus: l’eroe e il mito nella commedia greca antica

Abstract

This paper offers a reading of all the references to the mythical hero Orestes in ancient Greek comedy. Extracts from Aristophanes and other ‘fragmentary’ Greek comic poets, alongside other Greek literary texts related to the hero, provide interesting evidence on the relationship between Orestes’ mythological and tragic characterisation and the one he undergoes in Comedy. An in-depth analysis of these texts also allows for conclusions regarding the image the Athenian audience may have had of Orestes and the ideas possibly evoked by his name. These elements were exploited both by comic poets and by Athenian orators.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: Oct. 13, 2022 | Accepted: Nov. 8, 2022 | Published July 7, 2023 | Language: it

Keywords Greek comic fragmentsAristophanesOrestesParodyMyth


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