Female characters in Aeneid

About the singular configuration in En. 2, 506-525

Authors

  • María Emilia Cairo Conicet - Universidad Nacional de La Plata

Keywords:

Aeneid, female characters, Hecuba, Troy

Abstract

In the context of the account of the fall of Troy, the narrative voice turns to Priam’s palace (Aen. 2, 506-525). There, queen Hecuba admonishes her husband for willing to wear his old armor and trying to join the battle. To act in that way, she tells him, is to obey to a mens dira which is not appropriate for those circumstances. Troy has already fallen: the only thing that remains is either to hope for the gods’ help or to die. We consider this passage especially interesting for the configuration of Hecuba’s character, which from our viewpoint does not meet the usual paradigm of irrationality, excessive passion and unproductive suffering usually adjudicated to female characters in the Aeneid (cf. Oliensis 1997, Nugent 1999, Keith 2004 and Foley 2005, among others).

References

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Published

29-11-2019

How to Cite

Cairo, M. E. (2019). Female characters in Aeneid: About the singular configuration in En. 2, 506-525. Revista De Estudios Clásicos, 47, 11–24. Retrieved from https://revistas.uncu.edu.ar/ojs3/index.php/revistaestudiosclasicos/article/view/2629

Issue

Vol. 47 (2019)

Section

Artículos originales

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