The Alcestis myth: variants and interpretations from Homer to late antiquity

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss succintly the myth of Alcestis along Classical literature, especially in order to find meaningful variants in the mythemes, since in these variants lies the dialectic of literary tradition - innovation that emphasizes with the passage of time to reach its climax in Late Antiquity. The itinerary includes two stages: one focused on the Greek world, where myth variants are remarkable, and another focused on the Latin world, where myth will suffer meaningful innovations. In the analysis, a central place is the Virgilian cento Alcesta, arrival point of this “tour” and almost perfect summary of the new Roman interpretation of the myth.