Fr. 54e Harder derives from Heracles' speech to Molorcus before he kills the Nemean Lion in Callimachus' Victoria Berenices. The mention of Melampus at lines 5–6 has been interpreted as a parallel to Heracles' exploit (Parsons) or a reference to an Argive location where Melampus cured the Proetids (Harder). This paper argues that the Hesiodic Catalogue of Women is a plausible intertext for Melampus' Argive affiliation, unifying these two interpretations. Mirroring the structure of the Hesiodic epic, fr. 54e presents a catalogue of Argive hero-kings who through their benefactions (Danaus, assuaging the drought; Melampus, curing the daughters of Proetus; Heracles, killing the lion) parallel Berenice herself. The catalogue reflects Ptolemaic ideology: Berenice's victory expresses her royal charisma, benefits the kingdom and guarantees its stability.
© 2001-2024 Fundación Dialnet · Todos los derechos reservados