The permanence of Cupid's metamorphosis in the Aeneid

Date

2010

Authors

Ziogas, Ioannis

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Volume Title

Publisher

Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG

Abstract

Cupid morphs into Ascanius in Aeneid 1 and I argue that this transformation invests Ascanius with erotic qualities that are essential to understanding the boy�s role in the Aeneid. Vergil deliberately blurs the distinction between Ascanius and Cupid, inviting the readers to draw a parallel between Aeneas� son and Aeneas� brother. Ascanius� Cupid-like features generically enrich Vergil�s epic with the language and motifs of elegiac poetry. The intrusion of Cupid, the patron deity of Roman love elegy, into Vergil�s epic opens an intriguing dialogue between two genres that are supposedly mutually exclusive.

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Source

Trends in Classics

Type

Journal article

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Restricted until

2037-12-31