Representation of Theseus from the Perspective of Ariadne, According to Catullus and Ovid

Abstract

The myth of Ariadne and Theseus has been a source of inspiration for different authors throughout time. Our work engages with the reworking carried out by Catullus in his poem Carmen 64 and for Ovid in his production on Heroida X, in order to delve into the perspective of the voice of the heroine, Ariadne, and how the hero figure is built through her gaze as a woman. These authors belong to two different historical and cultural moments in Rome, the Republic and the Empire, respectively. Therefore, we consider it relevant to contrast them, so it's possible for us to analyze how the versions adopted by each one complement or distance themselves from one another.
For our mythical sources we selected the theoretical contributions of Lía Galán (2003) and Pierre Grimal (1989). Also, to complement the comparative analysis of the selected corpus, we rely on Lía Galán's interpretation of Carmen 64 and Claudia Lobo's (2009) analysis of the Heroides, focusing on the heroine's claims to her beloved. In this work we try to provide a new point of view on the mythical-literary past, in order to introduce a hero and a heroine that are far from the epic tradition ideal.