Intertextual Dynamics in Moschus's Europa

This article seeks to reassess our understanding of the nature of intertextuality in Moschus's Europa and to challenge scholarly preconceptions of the poem's (lack of) sophistication more broadly. The focus is on two essential intertextual moments: the interaction of Europa's dream with that of Atossa in Aeschylus's Persians and the question of the heroines' “willingness” in the Europa and in the Hymn to Demeter. Building on previous scholarship, the readings presented here offer novel interpretations of these important passages.