Tragic palimpsests: The reception of Euripides in Ovid's Metamorphoses The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Paschalis, Sergios. 2015. Tragic palimpsests: The reception of Euripides in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:17467245 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Tragic palimpsestsμ The reception of Euripides in Ovid’s Metamorphoses A dissertation presented by Sergios Paschalis to The Department of the Classics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Classical Philology Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts May 2015 © 2015 Sergios Paschalis All rights reserved. Dissertation Advisor: Albert Henrichs Sergios Paschalis Tragic palimpsestsμ The reception of Euripides in Ovid’s Metamorphoses Abstract ἦhἷΝὅuἴjἷἵtΝὁἸΝthiὅΝἶiὅὅἷὄtἳtiὁὀΝiὅΝthἷΝὄἷἵἷptiὁὀΝὁἸΝἓuὄipiἶἷἳὀΝtὄἳἹἷἶyΝiὀΝἡviἶ’ὅΝMetamorphoses. In Chapter 1 I offer a general survey of the afterlife of Euripidean drama in the major mediating intertexts between Euripides and Ovid, namely Hellenistic poetry, Roman Republican tragedy, ἳὀἶΝViὄἹil’ὅΝAeneid, as well as a review of the pervasive presence of the Greek tragedian in the ἡviἶiἳὀΝ ἵὁὄpuὅέΝ ἑhἳptἷὄΝ ἀΝ ἸὁἵuὅἷὅΝ ὁὀΝ thἷΝ ὄἷἵἷptiὁὀΝ ὁἸΝ ἓuὄipiἶἷὅ’Ν Bacchae in the Metamorphoses. The starting point of my analysiὅΝiὅΝἡviἶ’ὅΝἷpiἵΝὄἷwὄitiὀἹΝὁἸΝthἷΝἓuὄipiἶἷἳὀΝplἳyΝ in the Pentheus episode. Next, I argue that Ovid makes use of the allusive technique of “ἸὄἳἹmἷὀtἳtiὁὀ”,Ν iὀΝ thἷΝ ὅἷὀὅἷΝ thἳtΝ hἷΝ ἹὄἳἸtὅΝ ἷlἷmἷὀtὅΝ ὁἸΝ thἷΝ Bacchae in the narratives of the Minyads and Orpheus. The ἸiὀἳlΝ ὅἷἵtiὁὀΝ ἷxἳmiὀἷὅΝ ἡviἶ’ὅΝ pὁὄtὄἳyἳlΝ ὁἸΝ ἢὄὁἵὀἷ,Ν Ἕἷἶἷἳ,Ν ἳὀἶΝ Byblis as maenads and their evocation of the Virgilian Bacchants Dido and Amata. In Chapter 3 ἙΝ ἴἷἹiὀΝ ἴyΝ iὀvἷὅtiἹἳtiὀἹΝ ἡviἶ’ὅΝ iὀtἷὄtἷxtuἳlΝ ἷὀἹἳἹἷmἷὀtΝ withΝ ἓuὄipiἶἷὅ’Ν Medea in the Medea narrativἷΝὁἸΝἐὁὁkΝἅ,ΝwhiἵhΝiὅΝὄἷἳἶΝἳὅΝἳὀΝἷpiἵiὐἷἶΝ“mἷἹἳ-tὄἳἹἷἶy”ΝἷὀἵὁmpἳὅὅiὀἹΝthἷΝἑὁlἵhiἳὀ’ὅΝ ἷὀtiὄἷΝmythiἵἳlΝἵἳὄἷἷὄέΝἙὀΝthἷΝὅἷἵὁὀἶΝpἳὄtΝὁἸΝthἷΝἵhἳptἷὄΝἙΝἶiὅἵuὅὅΝthἷΝἤὁmἳὀΝpὁἷt’ὅΝὄἷwὁὄkiὀἹΝὁἸΝ the Euripidean tragedy in other episodes of the Metamorphoses and argue that Procne, Althaea, ἳὀἶΝ ἒἷiἳὀiὄἳΝ ἵὁὀὅtitutἷΝ “ὄἷἸὄἳἵtiὁὀὅ”Ν ὁἸΝ ἓuὄipiἶἷὅ’Ν Ἕἷἶἷἳέ ἑhἳptἷὄΝ ἂΝ ἷxἳmiὀἷὅΝ ἡviἶ’ὅΝ ἷpiἵΝ ὄἷἸἳὅhiὁὀiὀἹΝ ὁἸΝ ἓuὄipiἶἷὅ’Ν Hecuba,Ν whiἵhΝ hἷΝ mἷὄἹἷὅΝ withΝ ViὄἹil’ὅΝ ἳltἷὄὀἳtivἷΝ vἳὄiἳὀtΝ ὁἸΝ thἷΝ Polydorus myth in Aeneid 3. The Roman poet reshapes the main plot components of the Greek play, but also makes subtle allusions to the Virgilian version of the story. Chapter 5 is devoted to iii the episode of Virbius in Metamorphoses 15. Ovid produces a novel version of the myth by melding together his Euripidean model with Virgilian and Sophoclean intertexts. The Roman pὁἷtΝἳἶἳptὅΝViὄἹil’ὅΝViὄἴiuὅΝὅtὁὄyΝiὀΝAeneid 7 by altering its context from a catalogue of Latin warriors into an exchange between Virbius and the nymph Egeria. Moreover, the Ovidian ὀἳὄὄἳtivἷΝἶὄἳwὅΝὁὀΝἓuὄipiἶἷὅ’ΝtwὁΝHippolytus plays, the extant Hippolytos Stephanephoros and the fragmentary Hippolytos Kalyptomenos, ἳὅΝwἷllΝἳὅΝὁὀΝἥὁphὁἵlἷὅ’ΝPhaedra. iv Table of Contents Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………έέ.1 Chapter 1 The shadow of Euripides ……………………………………………………έέ............8 1.1 The Euripidean afterlife in Hellenistic poetry and Roman Republican tragedy…έέέ..............8 1.2 ViὄἹil’ὅΝἓuὄipiἶἷὅ…………………………………………………………………………έέ23 1.3 Euripidean tragedy and the Ovidian corpus………………………………………………έέ36 Chapter 2 Liber adest: Dionysiac epiphany and maenadic frenzy……………………………έέέ42 2.1 Pentheus……………………………………………………………………………έέέέέέέέέέέέέ45 2.2 The daughters of Minyas………………………………………………………………….112 2.3 The death of Orpheus……………………………………………………………………..135 2.4 Ovidian Bacchants: Byblis, Procne, and Medea…………………………………………έ158 Chapter 3 Medea through the kaleidoscope: Reflections and refractions of a tragic heroine…165 3.1 Medea in Colchis…………………………………………………………………………έ172 3.2 Medea in Iolcus…………………………………………………………………………έέέ201 3.3. Ἕἷἶἷἳ’ὅΝἸliἹhtΝὁvἷὄΝἕὄἷἷἵἷ………………………………………………………………225 3.4 Medea in Corinth…………………………………………………………………………έ227 3.5 Medea in Athens……………………………………………………………………έέέ.......229 3.6 Procne: Surpassing Medea…………………………………………………………έέέ.......234 3.7 Althaea: Humanizing Medea……………………………………………………………έέέ281 3.8 Deianira: An aspiring Medea………………………………………………………έέέ........299 Chapter 4 Hecuba: Maiden sacrifice and maternal revenge…………………………………έέέ314 4.1 The murder of Polydorus…………………………………………………………………έ319 4.2 The epiphany of Achilles…………………………………………………………………έ323 4.3 The sacrifice of Polyxena…………………………………………………………………329 4.4 The lament of Hecuba…………………………………………………………………έέέέέ341 4.5 Ἐἷἵuἴἳ’ὅΝὄἷvἷὀἹἷ…………………………………………………………………………353 Chapter 5 Hippolytus in Aricia: Romanizing Euripides………………………………………367 5.1 Viὄἴiuὅ’ΝὅpἷἷἵhΝἳὅΝconsolatio and posthumous account…………………………………έ374 5.2. ViὄἴiuὅΝἳὅΝ“mἷὅὅἷὀἹἷὄ”ΝἳὀἶΝ“deus ex machina”…………………………………έέέ.........381 5.3 The Virgilian and Ovidian incarnations of Virbius………………………………έέέ..........390 Appendix Conjugal reunions: Orpheus and Eurydice and the Alcestis………………………έέ394 Conclusions……………………………………………………………………………………έ407 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………έέέ........419 v Acknowledgements I would like to thank first and foremost the members of my reading committee for their valuable feedback and advice: Professors Albert Henrichs, Richard Tarrant, and Richard Thomas. Professor Henrichs also served as supervisor of my dissertation and was mentor of this project from the beginning; his guidance, patience, and encouragement have seen me through to the end. Thanks to the Classics Department of Harvard University for many years of aid, tutelage, and training. My family has been an inexhaustible source of support throughout my academic career. Thanks to my parents, Michael Paschalis and Nikki Paschali, and my sister, Vera Paschali. vi Dedication For Michael, Nikki, Vera, and Ana. vii Introduction ἦhἷΝ ὅuἴjἷἵtΝ ὁἸΝ thiὅΝ ἶiὅὅἷὄtἳtiὁὀΝ iὅΝ thἷΝ ὄἷἵἷptiὁὀΝ ὁἸΝ thἷΝ tὄἳἹἷἶiἷὅΝ ὁἸΝ ἓuὄipiἶἷὅΝ iὀΝ ἡviἶ’ὅΝ Metamorphoses. The goal of the study is to explore and illuminate the various aspects of Euripidean drama appropriated by the Ovidian epic, such as themes, structural parallels, narrative technique, rhetoric, characterization, scenic allusions, and verbal echoes. Scholars have treated some of the facets of this intertextual relationship, but there has not been hitherto a full examination of the topic. The originality of this dissertation lies in a systematic, comprehensive, and in-depth investigation of the multiple ways in which the Metamorphoses converses intertextually with Euripidean tragedy. There have been several studies on the reworking of individual Euripidean plays in the Metamorphoses. Tragedies that have been examined include Medea, Bacchae, Hippolytus, Hecuba, Phaethon, Meleager, and Iphigenia among the Taurians. The most comprehensive tὄἷἳtmἷὀtΝ ὁἸΝ thἷΝ iὅὅuἷΝ tὁΝ thἷΝ pὄἷὅἷὀtΝ iὅΝ ἒἳὀΝ ἑuὄlἷy’ὅΝ mὁὀograph Tragedy in Ovid: theater, metatheater, and the transformation of a genre based on his dissertation on the same topic.1 The ὅtuἶyΝἷxplὁὄἷὅΝἡviἶ’ὅΝἷvὁlviὀἹΝiὀtἷὄtἷxtuἳlΝἷὀἹἳἹἷmἷὀtΝwithΝthἷΝtὄἳἹiἵΝἹἷὀὄἷΝiὀΝthἷΝἵὁuὄὅἷΝὁἸΝhiὅΝ poetic career. The point of ἶἷpἳὄtuὄἷΝ ὁἸΝ hiὅΝ ἳὀἳlyὅiὅΝ iὅΝ ἡviἶ’ὅΝ lὁὅtΝ tὄἳἹἷἶyΝ Medea and its relationship with Roman Republican drama. He then investigates the appropriation of tragic ἷlἷmἷὀtὅΝiὀΝἡviἶ’ὅΝἷlἷἹiἳἵΝἷpiὅtlἷὅ,ΝthἷΝHeroides. The remainder of the book focuses on aspects of the epicization of tragedy in the Metamorphoses. ἙὀΝ pἳὄtiἵulἳὄ,Ν hἷΝ ἷxἳmiὀἷὅΝ thἷΝ ἷpiἵ’ὅΝ reshaping of tragic space and time and its reworking of dramatic soliloquys in the episodes of Medea, Hercules, and Hecuba. Another area of investigation is the intratextual dialogue between 1 Curley 2013; Curley 1999. 1 ἡviἶiἳὀΝ“tὄἳἹiἵ”ΝhἷὄὁiὀἷὅΝὁἸΝthἷΝMetamorphoses, namely Iphigenia and Polyxena and Medea and Deianira, as well as between the epic Deianira and her elegiac counterpart in Heroides 9. He concludes with an overall assessment of Ovid as a tragic poet of the Augustan period and of his mediating role between Virgil and Seneca. My dissertation derives valuable insights and mἷthὁἶὁlὁἹiἵἳlΝ pὄiὀἵiplἷὅΝ ἸὄὁmΝ ἑuὄlἷy’ὅΝ wὁὄk,Ν ἴutΝ ἙΝ mἳkἷΝ ἳΝ mὁὄἷΝ ἵὁmpὄἷhἷὀὅivἷΝ ἳὀἶΝ mἷthὁἶiἵἳlΝ ἳὀἳlyὅiὅΝ ὁἸΝ ἡviἶ’ὅΝ ὄἷἵἷptiὁὀΝ ὁἸ Euripides in particular in the Metamorphoses by investigating his appropriation of major plays, both extant (Bacchae, Medea, Hecuba, Hippolytus, Alcestis) and fragmentary (Peliades, Aegeus, Meleager, Hippolytos Kalyptomenos). Another seminal study focusiὀἹΝ ὁὀΝ thiὅΝ tὁpiἵΝ iὅΝ ἒἳviἶΝ Ἔἳὄmὁuὄ’ὅΝ ἳὄtiἵlἷΝ “Tragic contaminatio iὀΝἡviἶ’ὅΝMetamorphoses”έ2 ἜἳὄmὁuὄΝἷmplὁyὅΝthἷΝtἷὄmΝ“ἵὁὀtἳmiὀἳtiὁ” to describe ἡviἶ’ὅΝiὀtἷὄtἷxtuἳlΝmἷthὁἶΝὁἸΝtὄἳὀὅpὁὅiὀἹΝἷlἷmἷὀtὅΝἸὄὁmΝἳΝmythiἵἳlΝὅtὁὄyΝἳὀἶΝiὀἵὁὄpὁὄἳtiὀἹΝthἷmΝ into a different episode of the Metamorphoses. He analyzes this allusive technique by examining three case studies: Procne, Philomela (Book 6), and Scylla (Book 8). He argues that ἢὄὁἵὀἷ’ὅΝ muὄἶἷὄΝὁἸΝhἷὄΝὅὁὀΝἙtyὅΝὄἷἵἳllὅΝἝἷἶἷἳ’ὅΝiὀἸἳὀtiἵiἶἷ,Νἢhilὁmἷlἳ’ὅΝὄἳpἷΝἳὀἶΝmutilἳtiὁn by Tereus is ὄἷmiὀiὅἵἷὀtΝὁἸΝἙphiἹἷὀiἳ’ὅΝὅἳἵὄiἸiἵἷ,ΝἳὀἶΝἥἵyllἳ’ὅΝἸὁὄἴiἶἶἷὀΝpἳὅὅiὁὀΝἸὁὄΝἝiὀὁὅΝἷvὁkἷὅΝἢhἳἷἶὄἳ’ὅΝ illicit love for Hippolytus.