Sex and Power in Thebes and Babylon: Oedipus and Semiramis in Classical and Medieval Texts

Archibald, Elizabeth

doi:10.1484/j.jml.2.304148

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“…in Dronke , 1986, p. 66-113 [in particular, for the edition and English translation p. [66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75]; on this poem cf. Rico , 1973;van Houts , 1992;Archibald , 2001. h ere is one more piece of 76 hexameters, recently found in the ms Paris, BnF, nouv.…”

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confidence: 96%

Topographical and Thematic Perspectives in the Latin Poetry of the First Anglo-Norman Kings

Angelini¹

2018

tabularia

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h is study deals with Norman poetry: it examines the authors, the texts, and especially the literary genres to which they belonged, in the period between the XIth and XIIth centuries. Following a chronological order, the analysis starts from XIth-century Normandy: the main political and religious centres, Rouen, Caen and Le Bec, were also the most important places of poetic output. Most of these writings are hagiographies or encomia of important i gures in the ducal and royal courts. In this regard, Serlo of Bayeux stands out as a clear example: his poems are valuable historical evidence for the Norman relationship with the English and their king in 1105-1106. In England, at er the bold enterprise of William the Conqueror, Norman, Flemish, French and Italian learned men had a very important role in cultural life. York and Canterbury were the most prominent centres for versii cation. h e study ends by focusing on the numerous verses contained in the historical works of Orderic Vitalis, William of Malmesbury and Henry of Huntingdon. Riassunto :Lo studio riguarda la poesia normanna : autori, testi, ma soprattutto i loro generi letterari, nel periodo tra XI e XII secolo. L'analisi procede a un esame in ordine cronologico, a partire dalla Normandia del Mille. I principali centri politici e religiosi, Rouen, Caen, Le Bec, furono allo stesso tempo capoluoghi di produzione poetica. In maggioranza i testi riguardano temi agiograi ci o encomiastici, rivolti alle più eminenti i gure delle corti ducali e regali. A questo proposito, Serlo di Bayeux rappresenta un caso esemplare, con i suoi versi, circa le relazioni con gli Inglesi e il loro sovrano nel periodo tra 1105 e 1106. In Inghilterra, in particolare, dopo l'audace impresa di Guglielmo il Conquistatore, intellettuali normanni, i amminghi, francesi e italiani ebbero un ruolo molto importante nella vita culturale britannica. York e Canterbury furono gli ambiti preminenti anche sotto il proi lo della versii cazione. Lo studio termina con un esame specii co dei numerosi carmi presenti nelle cronache di Orderico Vitale, Guglielmo di Malmesbury ed Enrico di Huntingdon.

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Section: Résumémentioning

confidence: 96%

Topographical and Thematic Perspectives in the Latin Poetry of the First Anglo-Norman Kings

Angelini¹

2018

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“…5.37.52-58. Archibald argues that because Dante is not specific with Semiramis' crimes that the story of her incest and infamous marriage law were well known (Archibald 2001a…”

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Representations of Semiramis from antiquity to the medieval period

Worrall¹

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The traditions surrounding Semiramis, the Babylonian Queen, are as rich as they are diverse. At different times and places, differing social, economic, political, and religious circumstances have combined to create a variety of versions of Semiramis to suit numerous agendas. Therefore, we do not see one singular canonical tradition on the Queen but a multifaceted version in which her story is transmitted, refracted, and distorted by numerous hands.Running through this multiplicity of images are continual concern about Semiramis' identity as ruler and her position as an Oriental queen. Images of Semiramis are highly conditioned by discourses relating to the East and normative expectations about gender. This thesis identifies three main themes in Semiramis' tradition: sexual excess, ability at monumental construction, and success in military exploits. Each chapter assesses the main literary trends supplemented with a case study. The first chapter on sexual excess establishes that there is a long tradition of the Western imaginary associating the Oriental East as sexually promiscuous. This manifests in the sexualized image of Semiramis apparent in our sources, particularly with later charges of incest examined in the case study. Chapter Two, on monumental construction, demonstrates that strong Orientalist clichés and literary tropes are entrenched in the traditions of the Queen and are further reinforced by the tomb story. In contrast, the military representations of Semiramis, examined in Chapter Three, vary greatly. When mentioned in relation to Alexander the Great she is often a triumphant expansionist, whilst other sources use this representation as evidence of her despotism which is exacerbated by Late Antique sources as bloodthirstiness. However, in the Medieval sources these ideologies become characteristic of masculine strength and good sovereignty, evident in the revolt story. These receptions of Semiramis not only reflect the changes in the debates on woman, power, and female sexuality, but also academic Zeitgeist.

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S

Kelly

2023

The Chaucer Encyclopedia

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Sex and Power in Thebes and Babylon: Oedipus and Semiramis in Classical and Medieval Texts

Cited by 4 publications

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Topographical and Thematic Perspectives in the Latin Poetry of the First Anglo-Norman Kings

Topographical and Thematic Perspectives in the Latin Poetry of the First Anglo-Norman Kings

Representations of Semiramis from antiquity to the medieval period

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