Uccisioni sacrificali e rappresentazioni del grottesco in Licofrone e nella documentazione magnogreca

Abstract

This paper will focus on two mythological characters: Iphigeneia and Polyxena, with a special interest for Italiote pots of the 4th century BCE. As a matter of fact, with their dark and almost grotesque shades and tones, these scenes seem to announce some of the “visual” aspects of Lycophron’s poem. At the beginning of the 4th century, the visual images of Iphigeneia on vases introduce a complete reversal of her condition: she is no longer shown as the victim of a sacrifice, but as Artemis’ priestess and, up to a certain point, as an executioner herself. The sacrifice of Polyxena and her death are already represented on Attic vases and these images establish a strong connection between her fatal wedding and her sacrifice. Significantly, the scene of her sacrifice can also be found on Italiote vases of Tyrrhenian provenance of the middle of the 4th century BC. The literary analysis of Lycophron’s poem has shown that he plays on the similarities and differences between the figures of Iphigeneia and Polyxena. The comparison between both characters also proves effective when considering their visual representations. The depictions of Iphigeneia on Apulian vases tend to emphasize the transformation of the victim into a priestess and seem to call the viewer’s attention on the sacrifice itself and on its rituality. The rare depictions of Polyxena illustrate a long living interest, in the Tyrrhenian region, for her fate as the victim of a human sacrifice and as the memory of the tragic errors of the past.

Keywords

• visual codes
• Iphigeneia
• Polyxena
• Apulian vases
• Tyrrhenian vases
• sacrifice