Aphrodite und Eros in der antiken Tragödie

The series consists of a variety of monographs from the fields of Classical Philology and Ancient History. While maintaining a broad thematic and methodological scope, the editors are especially keen on studies showing a thorough and critical engagement with the relevant literary texts and primary sources.

Aphrodite and Eros the portrayal of these two gods and the depiction of their active intervention have a significant impact on the plots of numerous classical tragedies. Focussing upon a selection of dramas from Aeschylus to Seneca, the author demonstrates how the images of these two multifaceted gods have been transmitted and altered,at the same time thatcertain features have been preserved. The tension between a powerful Aphrodite, working on a cosmic scale, and a goddess whose influence is restricted to matters of personal love relationships as it emerges from a survey of relevant passages in early epic texts is palpable in tragedy as an oscillation between a goddess presented as a mighty authority, whose existence is never really questioned, and a conventional name devoid of substance, which is invoked only as an excuse. The emphasis on the destructive side of the twofold love gods is shown to be characteristic of tragedy. This is demonstrated particularly with regard to the motif of divine anger, which serves also as starting point for the concluding reflections on Theocritus, Ovid and Nonnus.

Autorentext

Ursula Bittrich ist Klassische Philologin und Stipendiatin der A. G. Leventis-Stiftung (Paris) in Griechenland und auf Zypern.

Zusammenfassung

"Die umfangreiche Materialsammlung und der aufmerksame und interessante Kommentar erweisen sich als nützliche Hilfsmittel für jede Auseinandersetzung mit dem Motiv des Eros in der antiken Tragödie."
Serena Pirrotta in: Museum Helveticum 2006