7 The politics of intervisuality
-
Lucia Athanassaki
Abstract
This chapter explores the political significance of Euripides’ dialogue in Erechtheus with three major Athenian temples, namely the West Pediment of the Parthenon, the temple of Athena Nike, and the Erechtheion. In Section 7.1, I discuss my take on ‘intervisuality’ (a) by offering an outline of my basic premises in studying Euripides’ dialogue with Athenian monumental architecture and iconography and (b) by drawing illustrative examples from Ion, which features unambiguous visual references, the widest range of viewing patterns, and, unlike Erechtheus, is preserved in its entirety. In Section 7.2, I turn to Erechtheus and focus on its points of contact with the West Pediment of the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the temple of Athena Nike. In Section 7.3, I explore the politics of intervisuality: taking my lead from Athena’s cultic instructions to Praxithea in Erechtheus, I correlate the goddess’ conciliatory plan with historical events, cultic initiatives, and artistic developments on the Acropolis in the second half of the Archidamian war. I argue that Euripides gives pride of place to the Erechtheion because, unlike the West Pediment of the Parthenon and the temple of Athena Nike that foreground competition and strife, the Erechtheion conveys a different message, the need for reconciliation and peaceful co-existence on the divine and human level, to which Erechtheus gives verbal expression and reinforcement.
Abstract
This chapter explores the political significance of Euripides’ dialogue in Erechtheus with three major Athenian temples, namely the West Pediment of the Parthenon, the temple of Athena Nike, and the Erechtheion. In Section 7.1, I discuss my take on ‘intervisuality’ (a) by offering an outline of my basic premises in studying Euripides’ dialogue with Athenian monumental architecture and iconography and (b) by drawing illustrative examples from Ion, which features unambiguous visual references, the widest range of viewing patterns, and, unlike Erechtheus, is preserved in its entirety. In Section 7.2, I turn to Erechtheus and focus on its points of contact with the West Pediment of the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the temple of Athena Nike. In Section 7.3, I explore the politics of intervisuality: taking my lead from Athena’s cultic instructions to Praxithea in Erechtheus, I correlate the goddess’ conciliatory plan with historical events, cultic initiatives, and artistic developments on the Acropolis in the second half of the Archidamian war. I argue that Euripides gives pride of place to the Erechtheion because, unlike the West Pediment of the Parthenon and the temple of Athena Nike that foreground competition and strife, the Erechtheion conveys a different message, the need for reconciliation and peaceful co-existence on the divine and human level, to which Erechtheus gives verbal expression and reinforcement.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: In limine
- 1 À rebours: intervisuality from the Middle Ages to classical antiquity 15
- 2 From image to theatrical play in Aeschylus’ Oresteia 33
-
Part II: Archaic and classical age
- 3 Homer and the art of cinematic warfare 81
- 4 Intervisuality in the Greek symposium 103
- 5 The protohistory of portraits in words and images (sixth–fifth century BCE): tyrants, poets, and artists 121
- 6 Looking at Athens through the lyric lens 149
- 7 The politics of intervisuality 171
-
Part III: Hellenistic and imperial age
- 8 The goddess playing with gold 197
- 9 Intervisuality in declamation and sung poetry in imperial Greek cities 213
- 10 Intervisual allusions in Lucian, Dialogues of the Sea Gods 15 235
- 11 Was Philostratus the Elder an admirer of Ovidian enargeia? 255
- 12 ἐκ τῶν πινάκων. Aristaenetus’ intervisual allusions to Philostratus’ art gallery 283
-
Part IV: Pointing to Rome
- 13 Ordering the res gestae: observations on the relationship between texts and images in Roman ‘historical’ representations 305
-
Appendix
- List of contributors 335
- Index nominum et rerum notabilium 339
- Index locorum 345
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: In limine
- 1 À rebours: intervisuality from the Middle Ages to classical antiquity 15
- 2 From image to theatrical play in Aeschylus’ Oresteia 33
-
Part II: Archaic and classical age
- 3 Homer and the art of cinematic warfare 81
- 4 Intervisuality in the Greek symposium 103
- 5 The protohistory of portraits in words and images (sixth–fifth century BCE): tyrants, poets, and artists 121
- 6 Looking at Athens through the lyric lens 149
- 7 The politics of intervisuality 171
-
Part III: Hellenistic and imperial age
- 8 The goddess playing with gold 197
- 9 Intervisuality in declamation and sung poetry in imperial Greek cities 213
- 10 Intervisual allusions in Lucian, Dialogues of the Sea Gods 15 235
- 11 Was Philostratus the Elder an admirer of Ovidian enargeia? 255
- 12 ἐκ τῶν πινάκων. Aristaenetus’ intervisual allusions to Philostratus’ art gallery 283
-
Part IV: Pointing to Rome
- 13 Ordering the res gestae: observations on the relationship between texts and images in Roman ‘historical’ representations 305
-
Appendix
- List of contributors 335
- Index nominum et rerum notabilium 339
- Index locorum 345
