SOGNI, SERPENTI E GENEALOGIE NELL’ORESTEA DI STESICORO (FR. 180 FINGLASS = 219 DAVIES)1

Abstract

ABSTRACT – This article intends to offer an overall study of the fr. 180 Finglass = 219 Davies
of Stesichorus' Oresteia, centered on Klytaimestra’s dream with the bloody-headed serpent
and the appearance of a sovereign descendant of Pleisthenes. After a survey of the studies and
the analysis of the context of the fragment, the author focuses on the snake and the figure of
Pleisthenes in laconic traditions, on the narrative dynamics hypothesized by the verses (Agamemnon’s
murder, meeting between Orestes and Electra), on the presence and adaptation of
traditional epic patterns, and on the legacy of Stesichorus in tragedy.