Leyla Ozbek | University of Pisa (original) (raw)

Books by Leyla Ozbek

Venezia, Edizioni Ca’ Foscari - Venice University Press, 2023

Open source: https://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/it/edizioni4/libri/978-88-6969-738-8/

Pisa, Edizioni della Normale, 2022

https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-quintus-of-smyrna-s-posthomerica.html

From the experience of the SNS Theatre Group, new original Italian translations of Sophocles' tra... more From the experience of the SNS Theatre Group, new original Italian translations of Sophocles' tragedies, specifically thought for the stage. In the first volume, Electra and Philoctetes.

Dall'esperienza del Gruppo Teatrale della Normale, nuove traduzioni italiane originali delle tragedie di Sofocle, specificamente pensate per la messa in scena. Nel primo volume, Elettra e Filottete.

Papers by Leyla Ozbek

La corruzione del potere a Roma e i suoi precedenti. Atti del Convegno di Studi, Pisa 26-27 maggio 2023; La corruption du pouvoir à Rome et ses précédents. Actes du Colloque, Pise 26-27 mai 2023; Pisa: Pisa University Press, pp. 271-288, 2024

The Posthomerica by Quintus of Smyrna, an epic poem probably composed in the 3rd century A.D. in ... more The Posthomerica by Quintus of Smyrna, an epic poem probably composed in the 3rd century A.D. in the Greek-speaking part of the Roman empire, has as its aim the narration of the final act of the Trojan war, covering the gap between the end of the Iliad and the beginning of the Odyssey. Through a narrative that remains as close as possible to the models of the past, it is possible, however, to discern not only a new compositional taste but also a different conception of the world and of the dynamics of power within it. This change – a philosophical, religious and political change – can be seen first and foremost in the role of the gods, who act in an extremely different way in comparison with the Homeric model. This contribution aims to shed light on an epochal change taking place in this historical period – a change that transpires (even, or perhaps rightly so) in a work whose aim is only apparently far removed from current political and social events.

"Lexis" 40, 2022, pp. 357-380

This paper analyses «the force of things» (Bennett 2010, 1) in Aeschylus' Niobe, in particular th... more This paper analyses «the force of things» (Bennett 2010, 1) in Aeschylus' Niobe, in particular the function of two material props (in a broader sense): the tomb of Niobe's children and her mourning veil. These will be examined through both textual evidence and visual representations of the myth. Aristoph. Frogs 911-20 (test. 120 R) describes Niobe as seated, veiled, and silent for half of Aeschylus' play (cf. also Vit. Aeschyl. 5-6 = test. 1.19-23 R). With such a static plot, material props are crucial; from a cognitive, physical, and psychological point of view they deeply affect the main character, as well as the other characters (including the chorus) and the spectators, who experience Niobe's feelings through her contact with the material medium. The physical and psychological relationship between Niobe and the tomb affects her communication with the other characters, her own perception of reality and her capability to act. The grave locks Niobe into her grief, preventing her from moving forward-and physically away from it-and even from communicating with the outer world. The mourning veil is the material expression of this interrupted relationship. It acts as a material barrier, preventing communication between Niobe and the other characters: it weakens her physical and cognitive perception of the world, as well as her capacity to act, 'sealing' the character in her silence. Moreover, the veil separates Niobe from the world of the living, entrapping her in an exclusive relationship with her dead children.

in L. Carrara (ed.), Il ‘Quarto incluso’. Studi sul quarto dramma nel teatro greco di età classica. Atti del convegno internazionale, Pisa 9-10 Dicembre 2021, Pisa, ETS, 2022: 175-198 PAGG. 1-3 OF 24

This paper reconstructs the history of the hypothesis, first put forward by Gottfried Hermann in ... more This paper reconstructs the history of the hypothesis, first put forward by Gottfried Hermann in a study about Aeschylus’ Niobe, that Sophocles’ Niobe was a satyr drama. This opinion, supported only by a minority of scholars already in Hermann’s time, has been later definitively dispelled by papyrus discoveries of fragments and testimonia of the play. Nevertheless, reviewing this error of judgement bearing in mind the evidence available to scholars of the past is extremely interesting from a methodological point of view. Research on Sophocles’ Niobe shows a series of misunderstandings and errors (surviving partly to the present day) due above all to an approach that was not based on the play as a whole, but on the analysis of individual fragments or even single terms. The assessment of the specific case of Sophocles’ Niobe allows us to shed light on the conventions of satyr drama and on the method of attributing fragments to this theatrical genre. The re-examination of this ‘satyric thesis’ is very instructive not only from the point of view of the rules and methodology concerning fragmentary satyr dramas, but also from a more general point of view, for the history of classical studies as a whole.

in S. Bär, E. Greensmith and L. Ozbek (eds.), Quintus of Smyrna: Writing Homer Under Rome, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2022: 287-297 https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-quintus-of-smyrna-s-posthomerica.html.

in S. Bär, E. Greensmith and L. Ozbek (eds.), Quintus of Smyrna: Writing Homer Under Rome, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2022: 1-13 https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-quintus-of-smyrna-s-posthomerica.html.

SCO 65 (2019): 53-70

This study examines three fragmentary tragedies, Sophocles’ Eurypylus, Aeschylus’ Niobe, and Euri... more This study examines three fragmentary tragedies, Sophocles’ Eurypylus, Aeschylus’ Niobe, and Euripides’ Ino, focusing on the characterisation of the female protagonists. They are mothers who lose their offspring, either because of circumstances not linked to them, or because they happen to kill (with varying levels of actual responsibility) their own children. Within the plot, they are closely intertwined with another member of their family: a male relative (brother, husband, father, etc.), who partially shares in the action taking place, and in the attention of the audience. At different levels, these characters share with the mother her feelings, grief, and sometimes even guilt for the death of the child or children.
By showing their actions and inner connection with their female relative, the dramatists aim to enhance the portrayal of the motivations, grief and, in some cases, the justifications of the protagonist of these plays: the mother.
The aim of this study is to show how these male characters play the role of sounding boards for the female protagonists’ guilt and sorrow: they magnify the characterisations of the mothers, and, above all, their grieving solitude.

CQ 69.2 (2019). PAGE 1 OF 8

This article examines the polysemy of the work σκῆπτρον in Sophocles' OT (and OC): σκῆπτρον is bo... more This article examines the polysemy of the work σκῆπτρον in Sophocles' OT (and OC): σκῆπτρον is both the weapon with which Oedipus killed Laius, and the token of monarchy that Oedipus has obtained through the murder itself. Oedipus’ ambiguous situation in Thebes – lawful heir and kingslayer – becomes evident through σκῆπτρον and its twofold meaning.
The audience, however, have already heard Tiresias’ prophecy, and thus know that the σκῆπτρον will also be the staff that Oedipus will use once blind. By means of its polysemy, then, the same word is associated with the three crucial moments of Oedipus’ life as it is laid out throughout the play: the past, with the killing of Laius; the present, with his position of king; the future, with the atonement for his crimes. Although recurring only twice in the drama, σκῆπτρον is set at the crossroads of Oedipus’ life, and has therefore a remarkable significance for the whole meaning of the play. What is more, Sophocles seems to bear this association in mind when actually staging the ‘sequel’ of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus Coloneus. By playing again on the different meanings of σκῆπτρον (both the blind man’s walking-stick and his former sceptre), the poet revives the ambiguity he had already created in Oedipus Rex, and confirms the associations of the term with each stage of Oedipus’ life.

SIFC 16.2 (2018): 133-156

For an epic poet like Quintus, who writes his Posthomerica in Greek at the beginning of the third... more For an epic poet like Quintus, who writes his Posthomerica in Greek at the beginning of the third century CE , narrating the events which concern Aeneas during the war at Troy means dealing not only with a complex character, but also with the founder of the Roman Empire, and with Rome itself. The matter becomes even more complicated for a poet who, in his ‘reenactment’ of Homer’s poetry, claims to come from Smyrna, one of the putative fatherlands of Homer, and, during Quintus’ period, one of the centres of the Hellenophone part of the Empire. In such a period, depicting a character like Aeneas means a continuous and nuanced reshaping of some unavoidable topics, which will involve the story and its contextualisation. This is in part a literary project, but also – most importantly – a cultural process of «construct[ing] Greek identity in relationship to the Greek past and the Roman present» .
This article will deal with the literary and cultural-historical aspects of the depiction of Aeneas, aiming to demonstrate how Quintus deals with these patterns against the background of the cultural negotiation between Greek identity and the Roman Empire.

Lexis 36 (2018), pp. 111-118

Soph. El. 1245-50, a passage from the recognition duet between Electra and Orestes, has so far st... more Soph. El. 1245-50, a passage from the recognition duet between Electra and Orestes, has so far steered clear of the editors’ criticism. However, the passage presents a number of small and yet troublesome problems: there is a lacuna; the participle λησόμενον is syntactically obscure; the meaning of the verb ἐνέβαλες is not perspicuous; the position of the phrase οἷον ἔφυ is strange. Our paper investigates all the problems mentioned above, trying to reassess the grammatical, syntactical, and linguistic status of the passage, and to find a solution to its main difficulties.

in G.W. Most, L. Ozbek (eds.), Staging Ajax’s Suicide, Pisa 2015, pp. 261-272

in A. Santoni, F. Guidetti (eds.), Antiche Stelle a Bisanzio. Il codice Vaticano greco 1087, Pisa... more in A. Santoni, F. Guidetti (eds.), Antiche Stelle a Bisanzio. Il codice Vaticano greco 1087, Pisa 2013, pp. 69-76

in G. Bastianini, F. Maltomini, G. Messeri (eds.), Papiri della Società Italiana, volume sedicesi... more in G. Bastianini, F. Maltomini, G. Messeri (eds.), Papiri della Società Italiana, volume sedicesimo (PSI XVI), pp. 29-30

Venezia, Edizioni Ca’ Foscari - Venice University Press, 2023

Open source: https://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/it/edizioni4/libri/978-88-6969-738-8/

Pisa, Edizioni della Normale, 2022

https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-quintus-of-smyrna-s-posthomerica.html

From the experience of the SNS Theatre Group, new original Italian translations of Sophocles' tra... more From the experience of the SNS Theatre Group, new original Italian translations of Sophocles' tragedies, specifically thought for the stage. In the first volume, Electra and Philoctetes.

Dall'esperienza del Gruppo Teatrale della Normale, nuove traduzioni italiane originali delle tragedie di Sofocle, specificamente pensate per la messa in scena. Nel primo volume, Elettra e Filottete.

La corruzione del potere a Roma e i suoi precedenti. Atti del Convegno di Studi, Pisa 26-27 maggio 2023; La corruption du pouvoir à Rome et ses précédents. Actes du Colloque, Pise 26-27 mai 2023; Pisa: Pisa University Press, pp. 271-288, 2024

The Posthomerica by Quintus of Smyrna, an epic poem probably composed in the 3rd century A.D. in ... more The Posthomerica by Quintus of Smyrna, an epic poem probably composed in the 3rd century A.D. in the Greek-speaking part of the Roman empire, has as its aim the narration of the final act of the Trojan war, covering the gap between the end of the Iliad and the beginning of the Odyssey. Through a narrative that remains as close as possible to the models of the past, it is possible, however, to discern not only a new compositional taste but also a different conception of the world and of the dynamics of power within it. This change – a philosophical, religious and political change – can be seen first and foremost in the role of the gods, who act in an extremely different way in comparison with the Homeric model. This contribution aims to shed light on an epochal change taking place in this historical period – a change that transpires (even, or perhaps rightly so) in a work whose aim is only apparently far removed from current political and social events.

"Lexis" 40, 2022, pp. 357-380

This paper analyses «the force of things» (Bennett 2010, 1) in Aeschylus' Niobe, in particular th... more This paper analyses «the force of things» (Bennett 2010, 1) in Aeschylus' Niobe, in particular the function of two material props (in a broader sense): the tomb of Niobe's children and her mourning veil. These will be examined through both textual evidence and visual representations of the myth. Aristoph. Frogs 911-20 (test. 120 R) describes Niobe as seated, veiled, and silent for half of Aeschylus' play (cf. also Vit. Aeschyl. 5-6 = test. 1.19-23 R). With such a static plot, material props are crucial; from a cognitive, physical, and psychological point of view they deeply affect the main character, as well as the other characters (including the chorus) and the spectators, who experience Niobe's feelings through her contact with the material medium. The physical and psychological relationship between Niobe and the tomb affects her communication with the other characters, her own perception of reality and her capability to act. The grave locks Niobe into her grief, preventing her from moving forward-and physically away from it-and even from communicating with the outer world. The mourning veil is the material expression of this interrupted relationship. It acts as a material barrier, preventing communication between Niobe and the other characters: it weakens her physical and cognitive perception of the world, as well as her capacity to act, 'sealing' the character in her silence. Moreover, the veil separates Niobe from the world of the living, entrapping her in an exclusive relationship with her dead children.

in L. Carrara (ed.), Il ‘Quarto incluso’. Studi sul quarto dramma nel teatro greco di età classica. Atti del convegno internazionale, Pisa 9-10 Dicembre 2021, Pisa, ETS, 2022: 175-198 PAGG. 1-3 OF 24

This paper reconstructs the history of the hypothesis, first put forward by Gottfried Hermann in ... more This paper reconstructs the history of the hypothesis, first put forward by Gottfried Hermann in a study about Aeschylus’ Niobe, that Sophocles’ Niobe was a satyr drama. This opinion, supported only by a minority of scholars already in Hermann’s time, has been later definitively dispelled by papyrus discoveries of fragments and testimonia of the play. Nevertheless, reviewing this error of judgement bearing in mind the evidence available to scholars of the past is extremely interesting from a methodological point of view. Research on Sophocles’ Niobe shows a series of misunderstandings and errors (surviving partly to the present day) due above all to an approach that was not based on the play as a whole, but on the analysis of individual fragments or even single terms. The assessment of the specific case of Sophocles’ Niobe allows us to shed light on the conventions of satyr drama and on the method of attributing fragments to this theatrical genre. The re-examination of this ‘satyric thesis’ is very instructive not only from the point of view of the rules and methodology concerning fragmentary satyr dramas, but also from a more general point of view, for the history of classical studies as a whole.

in S. Bär, E. Greensmith and L. Ozbek (eds.), Quintus of Smyrna: Writing Homer Under Rome, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2022: 287-297 https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-quintus-of-smyrna-s-posthomerica.html.

in S. Bär, E. Greensmith and L. Ozbek (eds.), Quintus of Smyrna: Writing Homer Under Rome, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 2022: 1-13 https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-quintus-of-smyrna-s-posthomerica.html.

SCO 65 (2019): 53-70

This study examines three fragmentary tragedies, Sophocles’ Eurypylus, Aeschylus’ Niobe, and Euri... more This study examines three fragmentary tragedies, Sophocles’ Eurypylus, Aeschylus’ Niobe, and Euripides’ Ino, focusing on the characterisation of the female protagonists. They are mothers who lose their offspring, either because of circumstances not linked to them, or because they happen to kill (with varying levels of actual responsibility) their own children. Within the plot, they are closely intertwined with another member of their family: a male relative (brother, husband, father, etc.), who partially shares in the action taking place, and in the attention of the audience. At different levels, these characters share with the mother her feelings, grief, and sometimes even guilt for the death of the child or children.
By showing their actions and inner connection with their female relative, the dramatists aim to enhance the portrayal of the motivations, grief and, in some cases, the justifications of the protagonist of these plays: the mother.
The aim of this study is to show how these male characters play the role of sounding boards for the female protagonists’ guilt and sorrow: they magnify the characterisations of the mothers, and, above all, their grieving solitude.

CQ 69.2 (2019). PAGE 1 OF 8

This article examines the polysemy of the work σκῆπτρον in Sophocles' OT (and OC): σκῆπτρον is bo... more This article examines the polysemy of the work σκῆπτρον in Sophocles' OT (and OC): σκῆπτρον is both the weapon with which Oedipus killed Laius, and the token of monarchy that Oedipus has obtained through the murder itself. Oedipus’ ambiguous situation in Thebes – lawful heir and kingslayer – becomes evident through σκῆπτρον and its twofold meaning.
The audience, however, have already heard Tiresias’ prophecy, and thus know that the σκῆπτρον will also be the staff that Oedipus will use once blind. By means of its polysemy, then, the same word is associated with the three crucial moments of Oedipus’ life as it is laid out throughout the play: the past, with the killing of Laius; the present, with his position of king; the future, with the atonement for his crimes. Although recurring only twice in the drama, σκῆπτρον is set at the crossroads of Oedipus’ life, and has therefore a remarkable significance for the whole meaning of the play. What is more, Sophocles seems to bear this association in mind when actually staging the ‘sequel’ of Oedipus Rex, Oedipus Coloneus. By playing again on the different meanings of σκῆπτρον (both the blind man’s walking-stick and his former sceptre), the poet revives the ambiguity he had already created in Oedipus Rex, and confirms the associations of the term with each stage of Oedipus’ life.

SIFC 16.2 (2018): 133-156

For an epic poet like Quintus, who writes his Posthomerica in Greek at the beginning of the third... more For an epic poet like Quintus, who writes his Posthomerica in Greek at the beginning of the third century CE , narrating the events which concern Aeneas during the war at Troy means dealing not only with a complex character, but also with the founder of the Roman Empire, and with Rome itself. The matter becomes even more complicated for a poet who, in his ‘reenactment’ of Homer’s poetry, claims to come from Smyrna, one of the putative fatherlands of Homer, and, during Quintus’ period, one of the centres of the Hellenophone part of the Empire. In such a period, depicting a character like Aeneas means a continuous and nuanced reshaping of some unavoidable topics, which will involve the story and its contextualisation. This is in part a literary project, but also – most importantly – a cultural process of «construct[ing] Greek identity in relationship to the Greek past and the Roman present» .
This article will deal with the literary and cultural-historical aspects of the depiction of Aeneas, aiming to demonstrate how Quintus deals with these patterns against the background of the cultural negotiation between Greek identity and the Roman Empire.

Lexis 36 (2018), pp. 111-118

Soph. El. 1245-50, a passage from the recognition duet between Electra and Orestes, has so far st... more Soph. El. 1245-50, a passage from the recognition duet between Electra and Orestes, has so far steered clear of the editors’ criticism. However, the passage presents a number of small and yet troublesome problems: there is a lacuna; the participle λησόμενον is syntactically obscure; the meaning of the verb ἐνέβαλες is not perspicuous; the position of the phrase οἷον ἔφυ is strange. Our paper investigates all the problems mentioned above, trying to reassess the grammatical, syntactical, and linguistic status of the passage, and to find a solution to its main difficulties.

in G.W. Most, L. Ozbek (eds.), Staging Ajax’s Suicide, Pisa 2015, pp. 261-272

in A. Santoni, F. Guidetti (eds.), Antiche Stelle a Bisanzio. Il codice Vaticano greco 1087, Pisa... more in A. Santoni, F. Guidetti (eds.), Antiche Stelle a Bisanzio. Il codice Vaticano greco 1087, Pisa 2013, pp. 69-76

in G. Bastianini, F. Maltomini, G. Messeri (eds.), Papiri della Società Italiana, volume sedicesi... more in G. Bastianini, F. Maltomini, G. Messeri (eds.), Papiri della Società Italiana, volume sedicesimo (PSI XVI), pp. 29-30

“Philologus” 155 (2011), pp. 292-306

Authors: M. Cardin and L. Ozbek; “Studi e Testi per il Corpus dei Papiri Filosofici” 16 (2011), p... more Authors: M. Cardin and L. Ozbek; “Studi e Testi per il Corpus dei Papiri Filosofici” 16 (2011), pp. 137-162

Comunicazioni dell’Istituto Papirologico «G. Vitelli» 8 (2009), pp. 42-53

“Comunicazioni dell’Istituto Papirologico «G. Vitelli»” 8 (2009), pp. 17-30

“Rendiconti dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. Classe di Scienze Morali, Storiche e Filologiche... more “Rendiconti dell’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. Classe di Scienze Morali, Storiche e Filologiche” 19 (2008), pp. 599-622

in M. Baumbach, S. Bär (eds.), Quintus Smyrnaeus: Transforming Homer in Second Sophistic Epic, Be... more in M. Baumbach, S. Bär (eds.), Quintus Smyrnaeus: Transforming Homer in Second Sophistic Epic, Berlin - New York 2007, pp. 159-183