The introduction of the dissertation addresses the place of the Aspis in the context of Menandrean comedy, the plot characters, the role of the divine agent, the reference to, and role of, Attic law, the sources of the text, the title of the play and the date of its composition. Special attention is paid to the portrayal of the cunning slave (Daos), whose literary character is unique in Greek New Comedy, and also to the new information the play provides about Attic law, especially inheritance law. The commentary following the introduction is based on a reexamination of the relevant papyri. The notes review Menander's place and achievement in the evolving tradition of Greek comedy, his techniques of characterization, his use of other literary genres, especially tragedy and philosophy, and his influence on Hellenistic and Latin literature, in particular Latin Comedy. Throughout the dissertation, particular emphasis is laid on Menander's language. I compare Aspis' language with that of comedy, tragedy, prose and the contemporary colloquial speech. Moreover, I explore the relationship of Menander's language to both Attic and the koine, a relationship which is of particular interest since the only comprehensive study of the problem dates back to 1913 (D.B. Durham The Vocabulary of Menander, Considered in Its Relationship to the Koine. Princeton).
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:566279 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Beroutsos, Demetrios C. |
| Publisher | University College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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