lamps
greek tragedy in vergils aeneid ritual empire and intertext
this is the first systematic study of the importance of greek tragedy as a fundamental intertext for vergil s aeneid . vassiliki panoussi argues that the epic s representation of ritual acts especially sacrifice mourning marriage and maenadic rites mobilizes a connection to tragedy . the tragic ritual model offers a fresh look into the political and cultural function of the aeneid expanding our awareness of the poem s scope particularly in relation to gender and presenting new readings of celebrated episodes such as anchises games amata s maenadic rites dido s suicide and the killing of turnus . panoussi offers a new argument for the epic s ideological function beyond pro and anti augustan readings . she interprets the aeneid as a work that reflects the dynamic nature of augustan ideology contributing to the redefinition of civic discourse and national identity . in her rich study readers will find a unique exploration of the complex relationship between greek tragedy and vergil s aeneid and a stimulating discussion of problems of gender power and ideology in ancient rome .