La virtù degli antichi e dei moderni. La figura letteraria di Semiramide: la genesi greca del mito e la sua rilettura illuministica

This paper traces the evolution and persistence of the very ancient tale of Semiramis, from its origins in Greek classical thought to the crisis and ‘shipwreck’ of the traditional literary paradigm during the Enlightenment. Around the mid-eighteenth century, the moral profile of Semiramis, as implied and intrinsic to the narrative plot, began, albeit with difficulty, to take shape around the idea of internalizing norms. The virtues of the mythical queen, along with concepts of duty, good, and evil, ceased to be viewed as inherent values and began to be understood as human experiences, emerging from culturally and historically determined exigencies.