Alala ou ololugē

Abstract

On the basis of a controversial passage from Euripides’ Bacchae, this paper raises again the question to what extent the two onomatopoeias ἀλαλά and ὀλολυγή are strictly related to one or the other sex. The valorization of the sound meanings of these cries as they emerge from the contexts in which they are used opens up new perspectives of interpretation.