Imperii pretium : cultural development and conceptual transformations in the myth of Eteokles and Polyneices from Aeschylus to Alfieri
Abstract
This thesis contextualises and explores the reconceptualization of the myth of Eteokles
and Polyneices in Greek, Latin and Italian tragedy, the literary genre that more than any
other offers the opportunity to trace its progressive transformation across a series of
relatively continuous and consistent phases. Within these limits, this study represents
the first comprehensive, systematic and detailed comparative analysis of the cultural
development of this myth, charting the shaping of its key themes: war and rivalry,
autochthony and patriotism, the connection between incest, parricide and fratricide, the
effects of predestination/family curse, the clash between private and public interests,
and the legitimate limits of power.
By means of a close examination of the thesis’ main corpus (constituted by Aeschylus’
Seven against Thebes, Sophocles’ Antigone, Oedipus Tyrannos and Oedipus at Colonus,
Euripides’ Phoenician Women, Seneca’s Oedipus and Phoenissae, Dolce’s Giocasta
and Alfieri’s Polinice) this dissertation demonstrates that the brothers are not merely
two stereotypical types whose characterisation as mortal enemies remains static and
unvaried. Although their rivalry never stops, the meaning, dynamic and purpose of their
struggle are progressively but profoundly transformed throughout the centuries. In
particular, I argue that the martial component that initially defined this myth, admittedly
important throughout its legacy, is variously adapted to accommodate either a warning
against the horrors of violence and subjugation, a cautionary appeal against overly
aggressive foreign policy, a denunciation of the unbearable price of civil strife, or an
aspiration to pacifism. In parallel, I analyse how the reflection on power and power
struggle becomes increasingly predominant, eventually displacing the war theme as the
main focus of this myth with a warning against the dangers of tyranny.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Embargo Date: 2021-03-30
Embargo Reason: Thesis restricted in accordance with University regulations. Print and electronic copy restricted until 30th March 2021
Collections
Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.