The MENELAUS' NOSTOS IN LYCOPHRON'S ALEXANDRA: ADHERENCE TO TRADITION AND DEVIATIONS FROM THE HOMERIC ITINERARY TOWARDS ITALY

Abstract

Lycophron’s Alexandra takes as its main source the Homeric epic to narrate the fall of Troy and its consequences, making numerous allusions to it throughout the poem. However, Lycophron departs from the Homeric narrative at key points. This paper will examine the nóstos of Menelaus, who faithfully follows the Odyssey's itinerary in the first half of the narrative, but then deviates into a journey through the western Mediterranean and the eastern Italian peninsula. The analysis seeks to reveal the author's intention to differentiate himself from his epic past and redefine culture.