Euripidean tragedy and quotation culture: the case of Stheneboea F661

Abstract

This article examines how a tragic quotation (Euripides, Stheneboea F661) is deployed by those who quote it, and it uses this example as a test case to address broader questions about quotation culture and reading habits in antiquity. F661 can be read both in and out of context: it is argued that the utterance is formulated in such a way that it lends itself to this dual function. It is further argued that the positioning of the quotation at the start of the play constitutes a framing device analogous to the use of paratextual epigraphs in other types of texts.