Serena Mirto | Università di Pisa (original) (raw)

Papers by Serena Mirto

Intrecci di nomi. Studi di onomastica letteraria per Donatella Bremer, a cura di Maria Serena Mirto e Giorgio Sale, 2024

The encounter between Odysseus and his companion Elpenor at the gates of the Underworld in Odysse... more The encounter between Odysseus and his companion Elpenor at the gates of the Underworld in Odyssey 11.51-83 is an episode of emblematic value. Its meaning can be partially unraveled by considering the speaking name (‘Man of Hope’) given to this seemingly insignificant character. Elpenor, a man without qualities and a victim of a mundane incident, serves as a mediator bridging the realms of the living and the dead. However, he falls short of embodying the profound connection shared by Patroclus and Achilles, as illustrated when Patroclus appears in a dream to Achilles, making a similar plea for a prompt burial at the conclusion of the Iliad. Building on Karl Reinhardt’s analysis, this essay aims to delve into the essence of this encounter and highlights how Marie Luise Kaschnitz’s rendition, the short story ‘Die Begegnung’ (1943), offers a nuanced interpretation attuned to the psychological value of the episode, aligning with the most credible etymological interpretation of Elpenor’s name.

L'Electre d'Euripide et ses personnages : les nouvelles voies de la tragédie, édité par Christine Mauduit et Rossella Saetta Cottone, «Cahiers du Théâtre Antique» n° 5, 2022

In “Electra” Euripides outlines the character of Clytemnestra adapting some elements of the Aesch... more In “Electra” Euripides outlines the character of Clytemnestra adapting some elements of the Aeschylean one to a less heroic context, so that the literary stereotype of the perverse woman is inserted in a less clear-cut frame. The paper illustrates this by highlighting dramaturgical and thematic symmetries and reversals, but especially by showing Euripides’ manipulation of the paradigm as well as the particular meaning he attributes to this term: while dialoguing with his models, he takes up and changes the dramatic forms, always in favour of cognitive processes that stress emotional aspects and bewilder the audience.

Materiali e Discussioni per l'analisi dei testi classici, 2022

Starting from some reflections on characterization and realism in Euripides’ plays, the paper ana... more Starting from some reflections on characterization and realism in Euripides’ plays, the paper analyses some case studies (from Hecuba and Trojan Women) in which Hecuba’s character confronts those in power, the Greek winners, in verbal contests, of a more or less formal kind, that ignore ethnic, social, gender differences. The opposing speeches end without a real winner, but allow for a comparison of characters and conflicting viewpoints that would be impossible under normal power relations. This ‘theatrical democracy’ turns out to be a distinctive feature of the characterization in Euripides.

Due vasi sulla soglia di Zeus?, 2019

The image of the jars from which Zeus bestows evils and blessings to mortals (Iliad 24. 527) has ... more The image of the jars from which Zeus bestows evils and blessings to mortals (Iliad 24. 527) has been distorted by a mistranslation, constantly repeated over time, which dates back at least to the first Latin translation of the Iliad by Leonzio Pilato. According to this translation, the two pithoi stand on the threshold of Zeus (as if ἐν Διὸς οὐδῷ), rather than embedded into the floor of his palace, as the expression κατακείαται ἐν Διὸς οὔδει clearly indicates. The essay reconstructs the long history of this misunderstanding, which reaches to the present day and obscures the interesting connections between the two pithoi – storage jars for cereals or liquids, one filled with good, the other with evil fates – and the complementary Homeric allegory of Zeus who is for men the dispenser (ταμίης) of battle.

Sono illustrati alcuni esempi di nomi mitici che hanno influenzato, nel corso del tempo, le vicen... more Sono illustrati alcuni esempi di nomi mitici che hanno influenzato, nel corso del tempo, le vicende di cui sono protagonisti i personaggi che li portano (le Amazzoni, Protesilao, Tereo, Procne e Filomela): l'interpretatio antica del nome riesce a modellare così gli sviluppi o le varianti di una narrazione mitica, confermando il ruolo privilegiato del nome parlante nell'immaginario della cultura arcaica e classica.

«il Nome nel testo», XXIV, pp. 129-143, 2022

The speaking names of the feuding brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, are the starting point for so... more The speaking names of the feuding brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, are the starting point for some reflections on the different way in which Aeschylus, in Seven Against Thebes, and Euripides, in Phoenician Women, focus on the rivalry that leads Oedipus’ sons to mutual slaughter before the gates of Thebes. The puns on the name of Polynices, which are repeated in both texts, offer an opportunity to emphasize the origin and common destiny of the two brothers, despite the differences in character. The analysis of some controversial passages and the discussion of some interpretations proposed by scholars will show how the meaning of Eteocles (‘justly famed’) is disproved, while the ‘dispute’ alluded to by the name of Polynices also defines the identity of Eteocles: this is the only way to achieve both reconciliation and total equality.

L'ultimo viaggio by Giovanni Pascoli closes with the image of Calypso screaming in front of ... more L'ultimo viaggio by Giovanni Pascoli closes with the image of Calypso screaming in front of the sea, in despair for the death of Odysseus, and concealing the body «in the cloud» of her hair. This picture has been likely influenced by some verses of L'oleandro by D'Annunzio, where the personification of summer Night covers with her «tresses» the dying Day over the sea. The article retraces many suggestions that Pascoli has drawn from the collection Alcyone. Moreover it stresses the essential role played by P. B. Shelley: the allegory of the Night that surrounds the eyes of the Day with the braids of its hair goes back to some of his poems. Yet, notwithstanding the clear imitation, the relationship with the model is partially hidden by the different, almost antithetic, poetic outcome of Pascoli’s image. This result sounds as a confirmation of the distinguishing mark of Pascoli’s poetry, even in the complex dialogue with his sources of inspiration.

Rivista di Filologia e di Istruzione Classica, 2011

&quot;L’etimologia poetica, a partire dall’Iliade, ha associato il nome di Achille al ter... more &quot;L’etimologia poetica, a partire dall’Iliade, ha associato il nome di Achille al termine “achos” e all’idea di dolore. Apollonio Rodio riecheggia questa etimologia popolare in Arg. 4, 866-868, quando Peleo rimane affranto e incapace di parlare dopo l’epifania di Teti. In questa scena appaiono diversi motivi che caratterizzano anche l’Inno omerico ad Afrodite: la punizione inflitta da Zeus a una dea, costringendola a unirsi a un uomo, l’impossibilità di un amore costante fra dèi e mortali, il dolore che deriva dallo squilibrio di queste unioni. Con un sofisticato gioco intertestuale Apollonio rielabora la scena in cui Afrodite annuncia il nome del figlio, Enea, in ricordo del proprio “ainon achos” (H. Ven. 198-9), ma trasferisce il dolore di una madre divina al padre mortale di Achille, Peleo, conferendo così maggior rilievo alla sofferenza umana, pur nella cornice della ‘teologia’ omerica. Poetic etymology, starting from the Iliad, associated the name of Achilles with “achos” and the notion of pain. This popular etymology is echoed by Apollonius in the Argonautica (4, 866-868), when Peleus, grief-stricken, is rendered speechless after the epiphany of Thetis. This scene shares a number of motifs with the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite: the punishment inflicted by Zeus on a goddess by making her sleep with a man, the impossibility of a lasting love-affair between gods and mortals, and the distress that resulted from the asymmetrical match. In a sophisticated intertextual move, Apollonius reworks the scene in which Aphrodite calls her son ‘Aineias’ in recognition of her own “ainon achos” (h. Ven. 198-9), thereby transferring the grief of a divine mother to Achilles’ mortal father, Peleus, and giving greater prominence to human suffering within the framework of Homeric ‘theology’.&quot;

In the comedies of Aristophanes, mythical paradigms undergo the usual mechanisms of comic distort... more In the comedies of Aristophanes, mythical paradigms undergo the usual mechanisms of comic distortion, based on polysemy and linguistic conventions. This paper analyzes the exempla that articulate the two agones of the Clouds, focusing also on the strategy that underlies the choice of relevant events and characters. The comparison with similar exempla in tragedy aims to show that Euripides has already exposed the multiple ironies inherent in the paradeigma as a rhetorical tool. Aristophanes, on the other hand, exploits the paradoxes of dialectics to show that, even if paradigms are the most effective weapon to win the contest, in the economy of the play the epideixeis of both the hetton logos and Pheidippides turn out to be a failure.

Maia Rivista Di Letterature Classiche, 2008

... "Mi disse: immortable / sarai, se rimani...": Calypso e Giovanni Pascoli. Autores: ... more ... "Mi disse: immortable / sarai, se rimani...": Calypso e Giovanni Pascoli. Autores: Maria SerenaMirto; Localización: Maia: Rivista di letterature classiche, ISSN 0025-0538, Vol. 60, Nº 1, 2008 , págs. 6-14. Fundación Dialnet. Acceso de usuarios registrados. ...

Wisdom and Folly in Euripides, 2016

il Nome nel testo, 2021

The name ‘Philoctetes’, combining philos and ktêma, has been traditionally interpreted to mean ‘f... more The name ‘Philoctetes’, combining philos and ktêma, has been traditionally interpreted to mean ‘fond of a possession’ or ‘fond of gain’. Euripides and Sophocles, in the plays dedicated to the story of the hero’s recovery from Lemnos, take advantage of the traditional etymology in a different way; the former, as an ironic background to an attempted bribery of the hero, the latter as a polemical pun that seemingly denies its meaning. In Derek Walcott’s Omeros, the name ‘Philoctete’ borne by a black fisherman whose ancestors were slaves symbolizes the imposition of the masters’ culture, and together with the wound in his shin signifies inherited colonial injury. Hence the Caribbean descendant of the Greek hero experiences his alien name as a festering wound he wishes he could cut from his body.

il Nome nel testo, 2017

The island of Delos, Apollo’s birthplace, is celebrated under various names by a number of poets,... more The island of Delos, Apollo’s birthplace, is celebrated under various names by a number of poets, each name reflecting an aspect of its mythical history. Pindar, in some fragmentary poems, and Callimachus, in the Hymn to Delos , tell the story of the minor goddess Asteria who fled the embrace of Zeus by leaping into the sea, where she became the island floating free on the waves before ‘anchoring’ to provide a place for Leto to give birth. Though apparently similar, the etymological interpretations of the names Asteria («Star-Island») and Delos («bright», «conspicuous») by Pindar and Callimachus present subtle differences. The article focuses on the ideological framework of archaic and Alexandrian poetry, showing how interpretatio nominis is a functional and ductile tool for marking different poetics.

Rivista di Filologia e di Istruzione Classica, 1985

Intrecci di nomi. Studi di onomastica letteraria per Donatella Bremer, a cura di Maria Serena Mirto e Giorgio Sale, 2024

L'Electre d'Euripide et ses personnages : les nouvelles voies de la tragédie, édité par Christine Mauduit et Rossella Saetta Cottone, «Cahiers du Théâtre Antique» n° 5, 2022

Materiali e Discussioni per l'analisi dei testi classici, 2022

Due vasi sulla soglia di Zeus?, 2019

«il Nome nel testo», XXIV, pp. 129-143, 2022

Rivista di Filologia e di Istruzione Classica, 2011

Maia Rivista Di Letterature Classiche, 2008

Wisdom and Folly in Euripides, 2016

il Nome nel testo, 2021

il Nome nel testo, 2017

Rivista di Filologia e di Istruzione Classica, 1985

Oklahoma Series in Classical Culture, Jan 2012

In our contemporary Western society, death has become taboo. Despite its inevitability, we focus ... more In our contemporary Western society, death has become taboo. Despite its inevitability, we focus on maintaining youthfulness and well-being, while fearing death’s intrusion in our daily activities. In contrast, observes Maria Serena Mirto, the ancient Greeks embraced death more openly and effectively, developing a variety of rituals to help them grieve the dead and, in the process, alleviate anxiety and suffering. In this fascinating book, Mirto examines conceptions of death and the afterlife in the ancient Greek world, revealing few similarities—and many differences—between ancient and modern ways of approaching death. Exploring the cultural and religious foundations underlying Greek burial rites and customs, Mirto traces the evolution of these practices during the archaic and classical periods. She explains the relationship between the living and the dead as reflected in grave markers, epitaphs, and burial offerings and discusses the social and political dimensions of burial and lamentation. She also describes shifting beliefs about life after death, showing how concepts of immortality, depicted so memorably in Homer’s epics, began to change during the classical period. Death in the Greek World straddles the boundary between literary and religious imagination and synthesizes observations from archaeology, visual art, philosophy, politics, and law. The author places particular emphasis on Homer’s epics, the first literary testimony of an understanding of death in ancient Greece. And because these stories are still so central to Western culture, her discussion casts new light on elements we thought we had already understood. Originally written and published in Italian, this English-language translation of Death in the Greek World includes the most recent scholarship on newly discovered texts and objects, and engages the latest theoretical perspectives on the gendered roles of men and women as agents of mourning. The volume also features a new section dealing with hero cults and a new appendix outlining fundamental developments in modern studies of death in the ancient Greek world.

Classici Greci e Latini BUR (Rizzoli), Jan 2009

"Tragedia di cupo fascino e rara intensità, l'Eracle mette in scena la catastrofe dell'eroe. Di r... more "Tragedia di cupo fascino e rara intensità, l'Eracle mette in scena la catastrofe dell'eroe. Di ritorno dall’Ade, teatro della sua ultima fatica, Eracle salva la moglie e i figli dall'usurpatore di Tebe ma, reso folle da Era, sarà poi lui stesso a trucidarli. Cessato il delirio, vede la macchia indelebile di quel crimine sulla sua carriera eroica e, sconvolto dall'ostilità e dall'indifferenza degli dèi, rinnega la paternità di Zeus in favore di quella di Anfitrione, l'uomo che ha diviso con Zeus l'amore di Alcmena e, nella versione euripidea del mito, ha contribuito a generarlo (non si parla più, come nella tradizione, del frutto umano di quel connubio, il gemello Ificle). Grazie all'amore del padre mortale e alla solidarietà dell'amico Teseo Eracle potrà riscoprire la radice umana della sua virtù.
Il saggio introduttivo, che accompagna testo commentato e traduzione, addita il significato profondo del dramma in questa originale rilettura del racconto mitico."

BUR Dizionari, 2 voll., Sep 1, 2001