Wiener Studien 132/2019, pp. 7-28, 2019/06/05
Zeitschrift für Klassische Philologie, Patristik und lateinische Tradition
This paper examines the implications of the opposition ‘Athenian sun’ versus ‘Pontic fog’ for a better understanding of Menander’s dramatic art in Samia. The secret intrigues orchestrated inside the houses of Demeas and Nikeratos obscure the luminous, open spaces of Athens for the two uninformed or misinformed returnees from the dark regions, leading to complete confusion and near misfortune. Ironically, the fog that plagued the two men in Pontos now shrouds the brilliant Athenian sky. Thus, the climatic descriptions, introduced in one early scene, transcend the limits of their literal sense and acquire a metaphorical meaning which can be traced in most of the play.
