Alexandra of Lycophron

This monograph is a literary study of Lycophron's <em>Alexandra</em> whose obscurity a quality notorious already in antiquity has long hampered holistic approaches. Through a series of distinct but closely integrated literary studies of major aspects of the poem including its style its engagement<br>with the traditions of epic and tragedy and it's treatment of heroism and of the gods the book explores the way the <em>Alexandra</em> reconfigures Greek mythology. In particular as it is presented in Homeric epic and Athenian tragedy in order to cast the Romans and their restoration of Trojan glory as<br>the ultimate telos of history. <p/>In this sense the poem emerges as an important intermediary between Homeric epic and Latin poetry particularly Vergil's <em>Aeneid</em>. By rewriting specific features of the epic and tragic traditions the <em>Alexandra</em> denies to Greek heroes the glory that was the traditional compensation for their<br>suffering while at the same time attributing to Cassandra's Trojan family honours framed in the traditional language of Greek heroism. In this sense the figure of Cassandra a prophetess traditionally gifted with the power of foresight but denied credibility self-reflexively serves as a vehicle<br>for exploring the potentials and limitations of poetry.<br>