This thesis adopts a mixed-method approach of quantitative and qualitative analysis to discuss the role of women, especially female speakers and addressees, in Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica. In addition to the traditional individual mortal and divine speech roles, discourse categories such as the influence of the Muses, the presentation of female personifications, female collectives, frame and inserted speakers, and goddesses in disguise are also taken into consideration. The study shows that, despite the shared subject matter and greatly overlapping ensemble of speakers, Valerius makes significant changes in nearly all categories of female speech representation. Valerius entirely omits some of Apollonius’ female speech acts, reduces speeches from oratio recta to mere speech summaries, replaces Greek goddesses with similar, but not equivalent Roman speakers, assigns new speech roles to previously silent female characters, adds important new episodes with female speakers that do not occur in Apollonius’ epic, changes the speech contexts, the conversational behaviour and the overall characterization of speakers – in isolated individual instances as well as in more complex character portrayals. Valerius even modifies or transfers entire discourse patterns such as conversational deceit in speech and silence, or divine disguise, from one speaker group to another, usually of the opposite sex. Valerius transforms the Apollonian arrangement of a male-dominated, 'epic' first half following the invocation of Apollo and a second female, 'elegiac' half with many female speech acts and epiphanies, after a revision of the narrator’s relationship with the Muses, into a more traditional portrayal of the Muses and a much more balanced occurrence and continued influence of female speakers. The different female voices of the Argonautica, especially Juno, can continuously be heard in the Flavian epic and provide the reader with an alternative perspective on the events. Even the less prominent female speakers are part of a well-balanced and refined structural arrangement and show influences of several pre-texts, which they sometimes self-consciously address and use to their advantage. There can be no doubt that, like Apollonius, Valerius does not merely use female speech acts to characterise the male protagonists, but follows a clear structuring principle. Whereas Apollonius in accordance with his revised invocation of the Muses concentrates the female speech acts in the second half of his epic, especially the final book, Valerius links episodes and individual characterizations through same-sex and opposite-sex speaker doublets and triplets that can be ascribed to and explained by Jupiter’s declaration of the Fata. From Juno’s unofficial opening monologue to Medea’s emotional closing argument, the female voice accompanies and guides the reader through the epic. The female perspective is not the dominant view, but rather one of many perspectives (divine, mortal, female, male, old, young, servant, ruler, et al.) that complement the primary viewpoint of the poet and the male, mortal protagonists and offer an alternative interpretation.

Cette thèse vise à préciser l’importance et le relief singulier que Valérius Flaccus donne aux figures du pouvoir monarchique dans les Argonautiques. Elle sollicite la vaste tradition littéraire antique portant sur les figures du bon roi et du tyran, ainsi que les représentations du pouvoir véhiculées par l’idéologie impériale, afin de déterminer quel regard spécifique ce poète porte sur une problématique universelle et quels procédés il met en œuvre pour rendre cette représentation originale et efficace. Ce travail, qui écarte tout parti pris référentiel,s’articule autour d’une étude des personnages.Le poète analyse les mécanismes de fonctionnement de la tyrannie. Il en souligne le caractère oppressant en faisant des tyrans les pivots de la narration épique et en théâtralisant fortement leurs apparitions, susceptibles de frapper le lecteur. Aux tyrans s’opposent de nombreux rois exerçant un pouvoir positif. Le poète grandit ces figures en les valorisant sur le plan éthique mais montre aussi de façon répétée leur chute ainsi que la stérilité de leur pouvoir afin de susciter la compassion du lecteur. L’élaboration du personnage de Jason se fait sur le même modèle que celle des bons rois. La mise en valeur des qualités du chef ne rend que plus saisissante sa déchéance future, sans cesse annoncée. L’inquiétude et le pessimisme se dégagent donc de cette représentation du pouvoir royal, conçu sous sa forme pervertie, la tyrannie, ou associé à la décadence.Cette thèse permet d’ajouter une contribution à l’histoire des représentations et de prendre la mesure des évolutions du genre épique, qui fait alors une place importante à la tragédie et aux effets pathétiques. / This thesis aims to specify the importance and the unique depth Valerius Flaccus gives to the figures of monarchic power in the Argonautica. It calls on the vast antique literary tradition which deals with the figures of the good king and the tyrant, as well as the representations of power carried by the imperial ideology, in order to determine what specific look this poet takes on an universal issue and what literary devices he uses to make this representation original and efficient. This work that rejects every referential bias is based on a study of the characters. The poet analyses how tyranny works. He underlines its oppressive nature by making tyrants the pivots of epic narration and by strongly dramatizing their appearances, which is likely to strike the reader. Numerous kingsembodying a positive power contrast with tyrants. The poet enhances these figures valuing them from an ethic point of view. But he also repeatedly shows their falls as well as the sterility of their power in order to arouse thereader’s sympathy. To elaborate the character of Jason he proceeds in the same way as for the good kings.Emphasizing the qualities of the leader makes his constantly announced future decline all the more striking andmoving. Anxiety and pessimism prevail in the representation of royal power, which is seen in its corrupted form,tyranny, or associated to decline.This thesis contributes to the history of representations and makes it possible to assess the evolutions of the epicgenre, which then affords an important place to tragedy and pathetic effects.