"To the Superlative": Intertextual Parallels between Alexander's Last Words and the Golden Apple of Eris
Publisher
The University of Arizona.Rights
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This thesis investigates the intertextual relationship between the purported last words of Alexander the Great and the apple of Eris/Discord. The dying remarks of Alexander are variously given in the extant historical sources as either “to the strongest man” or “to the best man” in response to the question “to whom do you leave your kingdom.” I am exploring how this reflects and/or influences the poetic tradition surrounding the golden apple bearing the phrase “to the most beautiful goddess,” which the goddess Eris throws among the goddesses at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. The evident parallel which connects the two superlative-containing phrases is further strengthened by the simile made by Justin that “with this voice, it was as if he threw the apple of Discord among them” (Hac uoce ueluti … malum Discordiae misisset Just. Epit. 12.15.11). This thesis also will trace the literary history of both of these narratives, providing necessary background for the intertextual readings along with novel surveys and observations of these stories. Moreover, I explore the implications of the analogy between Alexander and Eris, which implicitly relates the division of his empire to the Iliadic cycle, amongst other intertextual readings.Type
textElectronic Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.Degree Level
mastersDegree Program
Graduate CollegeClassics