Homeric Variations on a Lament by Briseis
Casey Dué examines the figure of Briseis, the concubine of Achilles in the Iliad, as an example of the traditional artistry enabled by a complex and self-contained oral poetic system. Briseis’ lament for Patroclus in Iliad 19 hints at her role in the larger epic tradition. Dué argues that Briseis’ role in the Iliad is enormously compressed, both in relation to the Iliad and the entire tradition of the epic cycle. Through a… Read more