DOCSLIB.ORG

A Marginal Hero: the Representations of Diomedes in the Greek World

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Marginal Hero: the Representations of Diomedes in the Greek World A MARGINAL HERO M.A. Thesis - T. Medeiros; McMaster University - Classics A MARGINAL HERO: THE REPRESENTATIONS OF DIOMEDES IN THE GREEK WORLD By TELMO MEDEIROS, B.A. A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts McMaster University © Copyright by Telmo Medeiros, September 2012 i M.A. Thesis - T. Medeiros; McMaster University - Classics McMaster University MASTER OF ARTS (2012) Hamilton, Ontario (Classics) TITLE: A Marginal Hero: The Representations of Diomedes in the Greek World AUTHOR: Telmo Medeiros, B.A. (McMaster University) SUPERVISOR: Professor Kathryn Mattison NUMBER OF PAGES: ix, 133 ii M.A. Thesis - T. Medeiros; McMaster University - Classics Abstract The epic hero Diomedes is, in my opinion, considered a marginal hero, as he is relegated to a backbench in ancient Greek thought and ideology. I examine why this is the case, considering his role and impact in Homer's Iliad. Greek society valued its epic heroes beyond the words of the poets, yet some heroes received much more attention that others as central characters in tragedy and iconography, consequently regarded as favourites by mass audiences. I believe that examining a marginal hero like Diomedes is important in order to understand why Greek culture generally disregarded some warriors in favour of others, especially in the case of Diomedes, who displays heroic virtues more evidently than several other heroes who have received more attention. Overall Greek attitudes toward him offer an intriguing perspective on the epic heroes and the ways in which the Greeks idealized them. An examination of Greek literary, visual, and religious spheres of influence effectively aid in determining the reasons behind this phenomenon. In summary, this work attempts to understand Greek attitudes towards a hero who has received very little scholarly attention. The concept of the epic hero requires analysis of even the most neglected characters; one cannot understand Odysseus, Achilles, or Hector without examining Diomedes, who has a notable role in the very same tradition as the aforementioned heroes. iii M.A. Thesis - T. Medeiros; McMaster University - Classics Acknowledgements I would sincerely like to thank all individuals involved in this research project, especially my supervisor Dr. Kathryn Mattison and the other committee members, Dr. Paul Murgatroyd and Dr. Evan Haley. My thanks also go out to Dr. Daniel McLean for his support. It goes without saying that the completion of this thesis would not have been possible without their tireless guidance and assistance over the years. My thanks also go out to my family and friends for their support during the best and worst of times. I am extremely grateful every single day for the privilege of having you in my life, and I look forward to facing new challenges with you by my side. iv M.A. Thesis - T. Medeiros; McMaster University - Classics Table of Contents Title Page...............................................................................................................................i Descriptive Note...................................................................................................................ii Abstract...............................................................................................................................iii Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................iv Table of Contents.................................................................................................................v List of Figures....................................................................................................................vii Declaration of Academic Achievement..............................................................................ix Introduction........................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: Literature and the Hero Introduction..............................................................................................................7 Methodology.............................................................................................................8 The Homeric Hero..................................................................................................13 Social Context........................................................................................................15 The Aristeia of Diomedes.......................................................................................22 The Doloneia..........................................................................................................30 Iliad XIV & XXIII.................................................................................................34 Diomedes in Lost Epics..........................................................................................36 Conclusion..............................................................................................................38 Chapter 2: The Visuality of Diomedes Introduction............................................................................................................40 Geometric Period....................................................................................................41 Archaic Period........................................................................................................45 Classical Period......................................................................................................48 Diomedes in Context..............................................................................................51 Diomedes and the Suicide of Ajax..............................................................52 The Aristeia of Diomedes...........................................................................54 The Funeral Games of Patroclus...............................................................58 Miscellaneous Battle Scenes......................................................................59 The Battle over the Body of Patroclus........................................................61 Doloneia.....................................................................................................64 The Theft of the Palladion..........................................................................66 Heroic Comparanda................................................................................................69 Conclusion..............................................................................................................73 Chapter 3: The Hero in Cult Worship Introduction............................................................................................................76 The Soul (Psychē) ..................................................................................................77 Greek Religion and the Polis..................................................................................82 Hero Cult and Significance....................................................................................86 v M.A. Thesis - T. Medeiros; McMaster University - Classics The Cult of Diomedes............................................................................................92 Conclusion............................................................................................................100 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................103 Figures.............................................................................................................................111 Bibliography Primary.................................................................................................................125 Secondary.............................................................................................................127 vi M.A. Thesis - T. Medeiros; McMaster University - Classics List of Figures Figure 1: Odysseus and Diomedes over the body of Ajax. Corinthian krater, c. 600 BC-- Paris E635.........................................................................................................................111 Figure 2: The Achaeans find the body of Ajax. Corinthian cup by Cavalcade Painter, c. 580 BC--Basel BS 1404. .................................................................................................111 Figure 3: The Chariot of Diomedes (or Tydeus?), with Athena standing by. Corinthian column krater, c. 580 BC--Basel BS 451.........................................................................112 Figure 4: Aristeia of Diomedes. Corinthian votive tablet, c. 560 BC--Berlin F764........112 Figure 5: Aristeia of Diomedes. Attic column krater, c. 540 BC--Athens 646................113 Figure 6: Aristeia of Diomedes. Attic red-figure cup by Oltos, c. 520-510 BC-- Copenhagen 100...............................................................................................................113 Figure 7: Aristeia of Diomedes. Attic cup by Kleophrades, c. 510 BC--British Museum E73....................................................................................................................................114 Figure 8: Aristeia of Diomedes. Attic calyx krater by Tyszkiewicz Painter, c. 510 BC-- Boston 97.368...................................................................................................................114
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Summaries of the Trojan Cycle Search the GML Advanced
    Document belonging to the Greek Mythology Link, a web site created by Carlos Parada, author of Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology Characters • Places • Topics • Images • Bibliography • PDF Editions About • Copyright © 1997 Carlos Parada and Maicar Förlag. Summaries of the Trojan Cycle Search the GML advanced Sections in this Page Introduction Trojan Cycle: Cypria Iliad (Synopsis) Aethiopis Little Iliad Sack of Ilium Returns Odyssey (Synopsis) Telegony Other works on the Trojan War Bibliography Introduction and Definition of terms The so called Epic Cycle is sometimes referred to with the term Epic Fragments since just fragments is all that remain of them. Some of these fragments contain details about the Theban wars (the war of the SEVEN and that of the EPIGONI), others about the prowesses of Heracles 1 and Theseus, others about the origin of the gods, and still others about events related to the Trojan War. The latter, called Trojan Cycle, narrate events that occurred before the war (Cypria), during the war (Aethiopis, Little Iliad, and Sack of Ilium ), and after the war (Returns, and Telegony). The term epic (derived from Greek épos = word, song) is generally applied to narrative poems which describe the deeds of heroes in war, an astounding process of mutual destruction that periodically and frequently affects mankind. This kind of poetry was composed in early times, being chanted by minstrels during the 'Dark Ages'—before 800 BC—and later written down during the Archaic period— from c. 700 BC). Greek Epic is the earliest surviving form of Greek (and therefore "Western") literature, and precedes lyric poetry, elegy, drama, history, philosophy, mythography, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • The Argonautica, Book 1;
    '^THE ARGONAUTICA OF GAIUS VALERIUS FLACCUS (SETINUS BALBUS BOOK I TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH PROSE WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY H. G. BLOMFIELD, M.A., I.C.S. LATE SCHOLAR OF EXETER COLLEGE, OXFORD OXFORD B. H. BLACKWELL, BROAD STREET 1916 NEW YORK LONGMANS GREEN & CO. FOURTH AVENUE AND 30TH STREET TO MY WIFE h2 ; ; ; — CANDIDO LECTORI Reader, I'll spin you, if you please, A tough yarn of the good ship Argo, And how she carried o'er the seas Her somewhat miscellaneous cargo; And how one Jason did with ease (Spite of the Colchian King's embargo) Contrive to bone the fleecy prize That by the dragon fierce was guarded, Closing its soporific eyes By spells with honey interlarded How, spite of favouring winds and skies, His homeward voyage was retarded And how the Princess, by whose aid Her father's purpose had been thwarted, With the Greek stranger in the glade Of Ares secretly consorted, And how his converse with the maid Is generally thus reported : ' Medea, the premature decease Of my respected parent causes A vacancy in Northern Greece, And no one's claim 's as good as yours is To fill the blank : come, take the lease. Conditioned by the following clauses : You'll have to do a midnight bunk With me aboard the S.S. Argo But there 's no earthly need to funk, Or think the crew cannot so far go : They're not invariably drunk, And you can act as supercargo. — CANDIDO LECTORI • Nor should you very greatly care If sometimes you're a little sea-sick; There's no escape from mal-de-mer, Why, storms have actually made me sick : Take a Pope-Roach, and don't despair ; The best thing simply is to be sick.' H.
    [Show full text]
  • Essay 2 Sample Responses
    Classics / WAGS 23: Second Essay Responses Grading: I replaced names with a two-letter code (A or B followed by another letter) so that I could read the essays anonymously. I grouped essays by levels of success and cross-read those groups to check that the rankings were consistent. Comments on the assignment: Writers found all manner of things to focus on: Night, crying, hospitality, the return of princes from the dead (Hector, Odysseus), and the exchange of bodies (Hector, Penelope). Here are four interesting and quite different responses: Essay #1: Substitution I Am That I Am: The Nature of Identity in the Iliad and the Odyssey The last book of the Iliad, and the penultimate book of the Odyssey, both deal with the issue of substitution; specifically, of accepting a substitute for a lost loved one. Priam and Achilles become substitutes for each others' absent father and dead son. In contrast, Odysseus's journey is fraught with instances of him refusing to take a substitute for Penelope, and in the end Penelope makes the ultimate verification that Odysseus is not one of the many substitutes that she has been offered over the years. In their contrasting depictions of substitution, the endings of the Iliad and the Odyssey offer insights into each epic's depiction of identity in general. Questions of identity are in the foreground throughout much of the Iliad; one need only try to unravel the symbolism and consequences of Patroclus’ donning Achilles' armor to see how this is so. In the interaction between Achilles and Priam, however, they are particularly poignant.
    [Show full text]
  • Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Shipmates by Rick Jackson Shipmates
    Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Shipmates by Rick Jackson Shipmates. Sign up for our newsletter for a chance to win $50 in free books! Collecting the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and '70s was an explosive time in American history, and it inspired explosive literature. From Malcolm X to Martin Luther King, Jr., browse some of the most collectible books from and about that era. What did people buy in 2020? Plague journals, escapist literature, political history: explore our year in review, where we share rare book trends and a gallery of some of the most beautiful and interesting books sold in 2020. Shipmates by Rick Jackson. Robbers? he wondered. Bandits? Pirates? Polyphemus ran to get Hercules. Together they searched the area. Hercules was so distraught about his missing sidekick that he forgot all about his mission, the Argo and his crewmates, who were waiting. Back at the beach, Jason started to get worried. The sun was going down and the landing team still wasn’t back. He sent out a search party, but all they found were pottery shards by a stream. There were no signs of Hercules, Polyphemus or Hylas. The next day, the Argonauts searched again for their comrades. They had no luck. The ship’s prow had no advice to offer. Finally, as the sun was setting, Jason announced that the Argo would have to leave in the morning. ‘We have to assume that Hercules and the others are lost. We must keep sailing.’ The crew didn’t like that. You don’t just sail away from Hercules.
    [Show full text]
  • Provided by the Internet Classics Archive. See Bottom for Copyright
    Provided by The Internet Classics Archive. See bottom for copyright. Available online at http://classics.mit.edu//Homer/iliad.html The Iliad By Homer Translated by Samuel Butler ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BOOK I Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another. And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel? It was the son of Jove and Leto; for he was angry with the king and sent a pestilence upon the host to plague the people, because the son of Atreus had dishonoured Chryses his priest. Now Chryses had come to the ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter, and had brought with him a great ransom: moreover he bore in his hand the sceptre of Apollo wreathed with a suppliant's wreath and he besought the Achaeans, but most of all the two sons of Atreus, who were their chiefs. "Sons of Atreus," he cried, "and all other Achaeans, may the gods who dwell in Olympus grant you to sack the city of Priam, and to reach your homes in safety; but free my daughter, and accept a ransom for her, in reverence to Apollo, son of Jove." On this the rest of the Achaeans with one voice were for respecting the priest and taking the ransom that he offered; but not so Agamemnon, who spoke fiercely to him and sent him roughly away.
    [Show full text]
  • Senecan Tragedy and Virgil's Aeneid: Repetition and Reversal
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 10-2014 Senecan Tragedy and Virgil's Aeneid: Repetition and Reversal Timothy Hanford Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/427 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] SENECAN TRAGEDY AND VIRGIL’S AENEID: REPETITION AND REVERSAL by TIMOTHY HANFORD A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Classics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2014 ©2014 TIMOTHY HANFORD All Rights Reserved ii This dissertation has been read and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in Classics in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Ronnie Ancona ________________ _______________________________ Date Chair of Examining Committee Dee L. Clayman ________________ _______________________________ Date Executive Officer James Ker Joel Lidov Craig Williams Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii Abstract SENECAN TRAGEDY AND VIRGIL’S AENEID: REPETITION AND REVERSAL by Timothy Hanford Advisor: Professor Ronnie Ancona This dissertation explores the relationship between Senecan tragedy and Virgil’s Aeneid, both on close linguistic as well as larger thematic levels. Senecan tragic characters and choruses often echo the language of Virgil’s epic in provocative ways; these constitute a contrastive reworking of the original Virgilian contents and context, one that has not to date been fully considered by scholars.
    [Show full text]
  • MONEY and the EARLY GREEK MIND: Homer, Philosophy, Tragedy
    This page intentionally left blank MONEY AND THE EARLY GREEK MIND How were the Greeks of the sixth century bc able to invent philosophy and tragedy? In this book Richard Seaford argues that a large part of the answer can be found in another momentous development, the invention and rapid spread of coinage, which produced the first ever thoroughly monetised society. By transforming social relations, monetisation contributed to the ideas of the universe as an impersonal system (presocratic philosophy) and of the individual alienated from his own kin and from the gods (in tragedy). Seaford argues that an important precondition for this monetisation was the Greek practice of animal sacrifice, as represented in Homeric epic, which describes a premonetary world on the point of producing money. This book combines social history, economic anthropology, numismatics and the close reading of literary, inscriptional, and philosophical texts. Questioning the origins and shaping force of Greek philosophy, this is a major book with wide appeal. richard seaford is Professor of Greek Literature at the University of Exeter. He is the author of commentaries on Euripides’ Cyclops (1984) and Bacchae (1996) and of Reciprocity and Ritual: Homer and Tragedy in the Developing City-State (1994). MONEY AND THE EARLY GREEK MIND Homer, Philosophy, Tragedy RICHARD SEAFORD cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 2ru, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521832281 © Richard Seaford 2004 This publication is in copyright.
    [Show full text]
  • Astrocladistics of the Jovian Trojan Swarms
    MNRAS 000,1–26 (2020) Preprint 23 March 2021 Compiled using MNRAS LATEX style file v3.0 Astrocladistics of the Jovian Trojan Swarms Timothy R. Holt,1,2¢ Jonathan Horner,1 David Nesvorný,2 Rachel King,1 Marcel Popescu,3 Brad D. Carter,1 and Christopher C. E. Tylor,1 1Centre for Astrophysics, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia 2Department of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO. USA. 3Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania. Accepted XXX. Received YYY; in original form ZZZ ABSTRACT The Jovian Trojans are two swarms of small objects that share Jupiter’s orbit, clustered around the leading and trailing Lagrange points, L4 and L5. In this work, we investigate the Jovian Trojan population using the technique of astrocladistics, an adaptation of the ‘tree of life’ approach used in biology. We combine colour data from WISE, SDSS, Gaia DR2 and MOVIS surveys with knowledge of the physical and orbital characteristics of the Trojans, to generate a classification tree composed of clans with distinctive characteristics. We identify 48 clans, indicating groups of objects that possibly share a common origin. Amongst these are several that contain members of the known collisional families, though our work identifies subtleties in that classification that bear future investigation. Our clans are often broken into subclans, and most can be grouped into 10 superclans, reflecting the hierarchical nature of the population. Outcomes from this project include the identification of several high priority objects for additional observations and as well as providing context for the objects to be visited by the forthcoming Lucy mission.
    [Show full text]
  • Virgil, Aeneid 11 (Pallas & Camilla) 1–224, 498–521, 532–96, 648–89, 725–835 G
    Virgil, Aeneid 11 (Pallas & Camilla) 1–224, 498–521, 532–96, 648–89, 725–835 G Latin text, study aids with vocabulary, and commentary ILDENHARD INGO GILDENHARD AND JOHN HENDERSON A dead boy (Pallas) and the death of a girl (Camilla) loom over the opening and the closing part of the eleventh book of the Aeneid. Following the savage slaughter in Aeneid 10, the AND book opens in a mournful mood as the warring parti es revisit yesterday’s killing fi elds to att end to their dead. One casualty in parti cular commands att enti on: Aeneas’ protégé H Pallas, killed and despoiled by Turnus in the previous book. His death plunges his father ENDERSON Evander and his surrogate father Aeneas into heart-rending despair – and helps set up the foundati onal act of sacrifi cial brutality that caps the poem, when Aeneas seeks to avenge Pallas by slaying Turnus in wrathful fury. Turnus’ departure from the living is prefi gured by that of his ally Camilla, a maiden schooled in the marti al arts, who sets the mold for warrior princesses such as Xena and Wonder Woman. In the fi nal third of Aeneid 11, she wreaks havoc not just on the batt lefi eld but on gender stereotypes and the conventi ons of the epic genre, before she too succumbs to a premature death. In the porti ons of the book selected for discussion here, Virgil off ers some of his most emoti ve (and disturbing) meditati ons on the tragic nature of human existence – but also knows how to lighten the mood with a bit of drag.
    [Show full text]
  • Durham E-Theses
    Durham E-Theses The legend of Oedipus in fth century tragedy at Athens Bailey, S. K. How to cite: Bailey, S. K. (1955) The legend of Oedipus in fth century tragedy at Athens, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9722/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk r 1 THE LEGEND OF OEDIPUS IN FIFTH CENTURY TRAGEDY AT ATHENS A THESIS SUJ3W:TTED BY S.K. BAILEY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF LETTERS The aims of the thesis are (a) to mark what has been altered or added to the legend of Oedipus by the three great dramatists of the fifth century, and (b) to show that these alterations and additions were made with a· specific end in view. To further these aims it has been necessary to broaden somewhat the scope of the thesis so as to include in it a gathering together of the pre-Aeechylean versions of the story; in the case of Aeschylus a reconstruction of the two lost plays of the trilogy, and in the case of each poet a personal interpretation of the plays connected with the Oedipus legend.
    [Show full text]
  • The Piercing of Glaucus Iliad 16.508-16.547 Jason Steranko
    the piercing of glaucus Iliad 16.508-16.547 Jason Steranko, ‘17 terrible grief seized glaucus when he heard the dying voice, his heart was struck he could not save Sarpedon. he grasped his own throbbing arm and pressed hard, his wound wearying, the wound that teucer had dealt when from the high wall he let his arrow fly, defending his comrades from the lycian attacker. glaucus prayed to far-shooting apollo: ‘hear me, lord, wherever you may be, back in rich lycia, or here at troy: you are a god who hears from all directions the cries of grieving men: grief has come to me. a grievous wound overwhelms my arm, too deep to dry. it weighs down my shoulder and deadens my hand, too weak to take up my spear, too weak to avenge Sarpedon. he, our best man, the son of zeus, lies dead on the ground, abandoned by his father. lord apollo, heal this mighty wound of mine, lull my pains and grant me might that i may fight and marshal the scattered lycians and that i may guard whatoncewas Sarpedon.’ he spoke his prayer and apollo listened. he soothed the throbbing arm and dried black the dark and deep wound with his gleaming hand. the aching heart of glaucus surged with strength. the mortal knew it was the touch of the god, the quick touch of apollo, who heard his prayer. glaucus arose and inspired the leaders of lycia, gathered from across the battlefield, to surround their prostrate king, fallen Sarpedon. with purpose he marched to the trojan troop, to polydamas, son of panthous, and shining agenor.
    [Show full text]
  • Alcmaeon in Psophis
    Alcmaeon in Psophis Psophis was said to have been originally called Erymanthus, and its territory to have been ravaged by the Erymanthian Boar.Pausanias, "Description of Greece" viii. 24. § 2-10] [Hecat. "on Stephanus of Byzantium s.v." polytonic|Ψωφίς] [Apollodorus, ii. Alcmaeon (mythology) â” In Greek mythology, Alcmaeon, or Alkmáon, was the son of Amphiaraus and Eriphyle. As one of the Epigoni, he was a leader of the Argives who attacked Thebes, taking the city in retaliation for the deaths of their fathers, the Seven Against Thebes ⦠Alcmaeon in Psophis. Year: between 180 and 200 AD. Scripts: Alcmaeon in Psophis by Euripides. Genres: Tragedy. Psophis. How to cite this ancient performance. Alcmaeon in Psophis, accessed at http://www.apgrd.ox.ac.uk/ancient- performance/performance/98 <16 September 2018>. Alcmaeon in Psophis (Ancient Greek: Ἀλκμαίων ὠδιὰ Ψωφῖδος, AlkmaiÅn ho dia Psophidos) is a play by Athenian playwright Euripides. The play has been lost except for a few surviving fragments. It was first produced in 438 BCE in a tetralogy that also included the extant Alcestis and the lost Cretan Women and Telephus. The story is believed to have incorporated the death of Argive hero Alcmaeon.[1]. Alcmaeon in Psophis. Alcmaeon (mythology)'s wiki: In Greek mythology, Alcmaeon (Greek: Ἀλκμαίων), was the son of Amphiaraus and Eriphyle. As one of the Epigoni, he was a leader of the Argives who attacked Thebes, taking the city in retaliation for the deaths of their fathers, the Seven Against Thebes, wh.
    [Show full text]