Balkan Light 2015, 16-19 September 2015, Athens, Greece Abstract – This paper seeks to investigate the function of torch imagery in tragedy, with a particular focus on Euripides' Trojan Women and the fragmentarily preserved Alexandros, which belonged to the same trilogy (415 BC). Given that the torch is an intrinsic element of the myth from which both tragedies derive, it is argued that the use of torch imagery in the scenes of Cassandra’s prophetic madness of these two tragedies could yield insight into the manner in which the mythical material is refigured to convey dramatic, ideological and, most importantly, ritual implications. The two main notions communicated through torch imagery in both scenes are intrinsically related to ritual: the idea of baccheia (‘bacchic frenzy’) and the connotations of death through association with torch-bearing Hecate. This discussion aims at highlighting the implications of torch imagery in the less studied Alexandros, as well as contributing to an intertextual interpretation of this theme in the two tragedies of the same trilogy. Keywords – Alexandros, baccheia, Cassandra, Euripides, Hecate, imagery, intertext, ritual, torch, Trojan Women HIS paper sets out to explore the function and implications of torch imagery in Euripides’ Alexandros and Trojan Women, which belonged to the same production staged in 415 BC alongside the Palamedes and the satyr- play Sisyphos. 1 It is noteworthy that all three tragedies (Alexandros, Palamedes, Trojan Women) draw on the Trojan myth, display unity of locale with Troy as the place of action and share dominant themes, concepts and dramatic characters. Consequently, scholarly consensus regards this Euripidean production as presenting the features of a ‘connected trilogy’έ 2 Considering that the torch forms an 1 Schol. vet. Ar. V. 1326b, Ael. VH 2.8. 2 See particularly the monograph by R. Scodel, The Trojan Trilogy of Euripides, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, 1980, esp. pp. 64-121έ See also Gέ εurray, “The Trojan Trilogy of Euripides”, in εélanges ύέ ύlotἦ, Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1932, Vol. II, pp. 645-56 and G. Murray, “Euripides’ Tragedies of 41η BCμ The Deceitfulness of δife”, in Greek Studies, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946, pp. 127-48, T.B.L. Webster, “Euripides’ Trojan Trilogy”, in εέ Kelly (edέ) Essays in Honor of Francis Letters: For Service to Classical Studies, Melbourne: F.W. Cheshire, 1966, pp. 208-13, Fέ Stössl, Eἡripidesμ Die Tragödien und Fragmente, Zurich: Artemis Verlag, 1968, Vol. II, pp. 232-33, 288-89, S. Barlow, Euripides: Trojan Women, Warminster: Aris and Phillips, 1986, pp. 27-30, M. Hose, Drama und Gesellschaft: Studien zur dramatischen Produktion in Athen am Ende des 5. Jahrhunderts, Stuttgartμ ε&P Verlag für Wissenschaft und Forchung, 1995, pp. 33-ηι, Dέ Kovacs, “Gods and εen in Euripides’ Trojan Trilogy”, Colby Quarterly 33 (1997) pp. 162-76, R.P. Falcetto, Il Palamede di Euripide, Alessandriaμ Edizioni dell’ Orso, 2002, pp. 21-37 (with rich bibliography on this matter), C. Collard- M.J. Cropp- J. Gibert, Euripides: Selected Fragmentary Plays, Vol. II, Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2004, pp. 47-48, D. integral part of the Trojan legend, from which the Alexandros and the Trojan Women derive, it is tempting to investigate the particular nuances borne by the reconfigurations of the image of the torch in these two interrelated tragedies. The implications of torch imagery in the fragmentarily preserved and less studied Alexandros need to be explored, and such an investigation could contribute further to the interpretation of this theme in the Trojan Women, as well. The Alexandros is the first tragedy of this trilogy and treats the recognition of the long-lost royal son Alexandros/ Paris with his natal family and his return to the Trojan palace. According to the legend, on which Euripides draws in his treatment of both the Alexandros and the Trojan Women, Hecabe, whilst being pregnant to Alexandros, dreamt that she gave birth to a torch, which burnt the whole city of Troy. Because of this ill-omened dream, the newborn baby was exposed, so that the catastrophe of Troy could be avoided. The papyrus hypothesis of the Alexandros (P.Oxy. 3650, col. i) mentions that the child was raised by a herdsman, who named him Paris. Hecabe still grieving over his exposure persuaded Priam to establish athletic games in his memory. When twenty years had passed, the boy excelled among his fellow herdsmen, who accused him of arrogance in front of Priam. After defending himself before the king as a judge, Alexandros/Paris was allowed to participate in his own funeral games. Having been crowned winner, he infuriated his brother Deiphobus and his companions, who realizing that they had been defeated by a slave demanded that Hecabe should kill him. When Alexandros re-appeared onstage, Cassandra recognized him at a state of prophetic frenzy foretelling of the future disaster. Hecabe was prevented from killing him. His foster- father arrived and because of the danger was compelled to tell the truth. Alexandros thus returned to the Trojan palace. The Trojan Women, the third tragedy and the sole extant play of this trilogy, delineates the terrible consequences of Alexandros’ return to the royal oikos of Troy. This play concludes the Trojan War by presenting its devastating Sansone, “Euripides’ σew Songμ The First Stasimon of Trojan Women”, in JέRέCέ Cousland- J.R. Hume (eds.) The Play of Texts and Fragments: Essays in Honour of Martin Cropp, Leiden- Boston: Brill, 2009, pp. 193-2ί3, Iέ Karamanou, “Euripides’ ‘Trojan Trilogy’ and the Reception of the Epic Tradition”, in Aέ Efstathiou- I. Karamanou (eds.) Homeric Receptions across Generic and Cultural Contexts, Berlin: De Gruyter (forthcoming). Torch Imagery in Euripides' Alexandros and Trojan Women Ioanna Karamanou 1 1 Department of Theatre Studies, University of the Peloponnese, karam@uop.gr T