Who's Afraid of Alcestis, or Euripides’ “Woman of No Illusions”

The aim of this paper is to present ancient and modern interpretations of the character of Alcestis in Euripides’ play. The analysis focuses on the understanding of family duties and the consequences of respecting or violating philia in the Greek oikos. A detailed examination of the demeanour of both Admetus and Alcestis shows how the family relationships are being gradually and irremediably destroyed. The Euripidean version of the myth ends, in my opinion, in the tragic collapse of the House of Admetus, and the presumed laetus exitus is a way of avoiding the final presentation of the real (and obvious for the audience) repercussions of Alcestis’s death and return.

Woman in the neo-Latin texts (Silesian and other examples)

The author discusses several portraits of women in neo-Latin texts. iFabrica corporis humani, written at the turn of the 17th century, describes women across history from the scientific point of view. The work, started by A. Spigelius and completed by D. Bucretius, does justice to women in the medical profession. In his epic poem Fata Hygeae crescentis Johannes Burg emphasizes the relation between the Greek and Roman mythologies and Christianity. The work mentions deities personifying health as well as details of human anatomy, illnesses and proposed treatment.
F. Hoffmann’s Clavis Pharmaceutica Schröederiana, the original inspiration for Burg’s work, is given much attention here. The author talks about female roles in early modern Silesia: as mothers, activists, artists, and scientists. L. Scholtz’s medical aphorisms are mentioned as evidence of a gradual change in the perception of female patients in the 17th and 18th centuries. The author shows the evolution of the role of a woman in Silesian society from a mother figure to a scientist.

About ,,Women, Canon and Research of the Ancient Literature"

The interpretation, according to which Transakcyja... by Anna Stanisławska is an object of male ignorance, is debatable in two ways: first, in my opinion, there is no poetic artistry in this poem whatsoever. Also, I would like to mention that we should differentiate between two levels of competence in old-Polish literature: a didactic one and a research-analytic one. It is utterly unbelievable that academic lists of readings could pass in silence such authors as Stanisław Orzechowski, Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski or Wespazjan Kochowski. Both “The Canon” and “the canon” in their genesis belong to the ancient times and depend on the process of shaping the corpus of texts called the Holly Scripture and therefore appear to be culturally anachronic.

An Unknown Poem by Anna z Mycielskich Radziwiłłowa
This paper is an edition of a work by Anna z Mycielskich Radziwiłłowa: Opisanie choroby J[aśnie] O[świeconej] Księżnej J[ej] M[oś]ci Anny z Mycielskich Radziwiłłowej, w niebezpieczeństwie życia zostającej i od doktorów opuszczoną będąc, cudem Pana Jezusa Antokolskiego i Matki Najśw[iętszej] Ostrobromskiej uzdrowiona, sama opisała 1753 [A description of the sickness of Her Enlightened Grace Duchess Anna z Mycielskich Radziwiłłowa, who facing the risk of death, and being deserted by doctors, was wonderfully healed by Jesus of Antakalnis and Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, which she penned herself in the year 1753].

The paper was prepared on the basis of a manuscript from the Baworowski Library, currently in the collection of The L’viv National Vasyl Stefanyk Scientific Library of Ukraine.Its introduction draws on the available sources—mainly a paper by Jakub Bajer and Andrea Mariani: Macocha idealna. Aktywność Anny Luizy z Mycielskich w świetle francuskiej korespondencji dyplomatycznej (1764–1765)[A Perfect Step-Mother. The Activity of Anna Luiza z Mycielskich in the Light of Frech Diplomatic Correspondence (1764–1765)]; and an entry by Hanna Dymnicka-Wołoszyńska in The Polish Biographical Dictionary: Radziwiłłowa z Mycielskich Anna Ludwika Karolina Kunegunda (1729–1771). It presents the mid-18^th century author taking into account her relations with the Radziwiłł family in Nesvizh, yet before her marriage with Leon Michał Radziwiłł, her later family life, and her cultural activity in the Nesvizh estate–both as an actress and a writer.

The above-mentioned papers are the only sources describing the life of Anna z Mycielskich from a wider perspective. To date, researchers have focused mainly on the life of the relative, Franciszka Urszula Radziwiłłowa. The poetical and epistolary output of Duchess Anna has not yet drawn the attention of literary scholars. Thanks to the manuscript in The L’viv National Vasyl Stefanyk Scientific Library of Ukraine it is now possible to rediscover the literary legacy of the poet, and most importantly, to examine it. In the introduction, the author not only presents the Duchess’ life, but also describes her cartulary, which comprises a copy of her work; its provenance is here identified and the authors of works contained in the cartulary are listed. The edition is supplemented with a brief description of Mycielska’s work, which mentions places of religious worship in Wilno, the figure of Jesus of Antakalnis, and the Gate of Dawn. It also contains an editorial commentary and transcription principles.