Achilles in Love: Intertextual Studies

Description

Achilles in Love traces the escapades of Achilles' erotic history, whether in same-sex or opposite-sex relationships, and how they were developed and revealed, or elided and concealed, in the writing and visual arts following Homer. The volume investigates how different authors and artists responded to this most controversial aspect of Achilles' character, in comparison to the fiery personality that was shaped by the Iliad and was often considered 'canonical' for his character. Through analyzing Achilles in love from the time of Homer all the way down to the Latin poets of the first century BC and AD, the Ilias Latina, and the authors and iconography of the imperial age, this book makes both novel and productive connections between poetic texts, pictorial images, and literary genres which tried time and time again to capture Achilles' ever-shifting role within the world of eros. Cover Contents List of Plates 1. Introduction Homer: an encyclopedia of love? Achilles and the crossing of boundaries—of heroism, and of the epic genre Perceptions of (Achilles’) love 2. Deidameia Epic silence Classical texts and paintings, and the first critics Achilles the coward lover Achilles makes love, not war Achilles (at Scyros) and the issue of character consistency Ovid as a champion of the character consistency of Achilles? Statius and the dignification of Achilles at Scyros Effeminacy, passion, and the melancholy of decisions 3. Briseis Homer’s inexplicitness Passion or rhetorical self-defence? Briseis (omitted) Another opinion about Achilles and Briseis Ovid’s Briseis far beyond matrimonial hopes, and icy Achilles Briseis’ pessimism destabilizes elegy But at least someone did believe that Achilles loved Briseis The fortunes of elegiac Achilles Translating but eroticizing the Iliad The tears of Briseis 4. Comrades in Love Epic friendships ‘And Patroclus complied with his dear friend’ Patroclus versus Briseis Patroclus the ‘second self ’ of Achilles Tragic eros Classifying the unlabelled The ancient homo-scepticals Virgil and the fortunate losers: in the steps of Achilles/Patroclus and Odysseus/Diomedes Fortunati ambo and amor pius Athis and Lycabas, Hopleus and Dymas 5. Flirting with the Enemy ‘The best of the Achaeans’ is impeached Penthesileia between Propertius (Virgil) and Nonnus Works Quoted Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z