Where on Earth…?
Research
Where on Earth…?
Comedy and Topography in Aristophanes
Responsabile scientifico: Elena Fabbro
The project investigates the relationship between dramatic fiction and historical reality in the corpus of Aristophanes’ comedies (11 surviving plays and 976 fragments), with particular attention to the topographical and archaeological features of classical Athens. Despite the central role played by urban spaces, monuments, and landmarks in Aristophanic comedy, a systematic and comprehensive study of this topic has so far been lacking.
The project integrates philological, literary, and archaeological approaches in a coordinated analysis of spatial references in ancient drama, producing a detailed commentary on selected passages, supported by archaeological records and an updated philological reassessment. In 2025, the project was renewed and expanded to include classical tragedy, encompassing both surviving plays and fragments; research and commentary activities are currently ongoing.
Objectives
- Systematic analysis of topographical and archaeological references in the Aristophanic corpus;
- Investigation of the relationship between urban reality and fictional construction in ancient drama;
- Integration of literary and archaeological commentary for a new interpretation of theatrical spaces;
- Contribution to the reconstruction of the urban landscape of Athens between the late 5th and early 4th centuries BC;
- Organization of international workshops bringing together specialists in ancient theatre, archaeology, and ancient history.
Results in the field of DH
The project has produced an integrated literary and archaeological commentary on 214 comic passages, some of which have been analysed jointly for the first time. The records include the Greek text, a new translation, commentary, updated bibliography, and archaeological entries devoted to sites, monuments, architectural complexes, and statues.
The results will be made available through a digital database on the e-Dvara platform, providing access to the commentaries and enabling spatial visualization of the data through maps of classical Athens with geolocated dramatic passages.
A selection of the literary and archaeological records produced within the project will, after revision, be organized into a monographic study on topography and ancient drama (provisional title: Ποῖ γῆς; Topography and Ancient Drama in Athens). In addition to the individual commentaries, the volume will include a general introduction addressing the main theoretical, literary, and historical-archaeological issues. Contacts with Italian academic publishers are currently underway.
Publications
The following articles are forthcoming in the journal «Dioniso» (2026):
- L. Athanassaki, Euripides’ Heracles in Its Artistic and Cultic Environment: Autochthons and Newcomers.
- L. Ficuciello, Ποῖ γῆς; I tribunali di Aristofane.
- E. Greco, L’agora di Atene.
- Marion Meyer, Aristophanes in a ‘City of Images’: Making Fun of Athena.
- M. Sonnino, Moduli scenici variati e «anacronismi topografici» nel racconto del falso Messaggero di Soph. El. 680-763 (con una verifica su Eur. Andr. 1085-165).
Related Eventis
7 May 2025 |
