DOCSLIB.ORG

4. the Suppliant As Threat

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
4. the Suppliant As Threat 4. The suppliant as threat Implicit threat Suppliants are at pains to emphasise that they pose no threat to the supplicated. Yet there is a threat implicit in their behaviour. When an individual supplicates someone in person, it is usual for the knees, chin and sometimes hands to be touched, even clutched. It is unlikely that sufficient force was applied to compel compli Ance, despite Kreons comment that Medeia is applying force to him while she clings to his hand (Euripides, Medeia 339). Most likely the reference here is to the moral pressure that Medeia is certainly employing, not to physical constraint. Onions rightly dismisses the suggestion that the purpose of the suppliants grip around the knees and of the chin of the would-be killer while on the battlefield is to prevent the fatal blow; indeed, for such gestures to inhibit the sword thrust the intended victim would need to be nimble beyond the range of normal human ability. 1 However, such a grip must have been something of a hindrance in the performance of the intended action, and have unsettled the warrior. At the very least, it must have arrested the attention. More directly threatening is the behaviour of Themistokles, seeking succour from Admetos, king of the Molossians. He takes the kings son in his arms, and prostrates himself on the hearth (Plutarch, Themistokles 24.3). The threat against the life of the child, discreetly left implicit (at least, according to the silence of Plutarch), is obvious enough to guarantee Themistokles his sanctuary. Gould sees the child as a pledge to 1 Richard Broxton Onions, The Origins of European Thought about the Body, the Mind, the Soul, the World, Time and Fate. New Int rpretations of Greek, Roman and Kindred Evidence also of some Basic Jewish and Christian Beliefs (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1954), p. 174 90 Themistokles of proper treatment. 2 However, as Csapo justly points out, there is a problem with this interpretation. For this to be the case, the child would have to have been handed to Themistokles by either parent. On this matter, there is some confusion in the way our sources describe events. According to Thucydides, Themistokles (on the advice of the kings wife) takes the child in his arms before Ile supplicates the king, in order to strengthen the appeal he is making (Thucydides 1.136.4). Plutarch, however, preserves a tradition that Phthia hands the child to Themistokles, but states that he himself prefers the version in which Themistokles himself takes the child, without any advice or other contribution from the queen (Plutarch, Themistokles 24.3-5). 3 It is likely that there are two ideas implicit here. First, there does seem to be an unexpressed, and (assuming Phthias participation in the staging of the ritual) probably symbolic, threat against the life of the child. After all, as Gould describes, there is no lack of precedent (certainly known to Themistokles, and presumably Admetos) for the murder of a child as reprisal for the betrayal by that childs father.4 Also, there is perhaps the notion that to hold the child is the equivalent of having physical contact with the father. 5 One assumes the child is quite young, perhaps little more than an infant; neither Thucydides nor Plutarch gives any indication of age, except that the son is a child (Plutarch, Themistokles 24.5) and could be held, without, one infers, being able to wriggle free (Thucydides 1.136.3, Plutarch, Themistokles 24.5). Certainly to be able to hold and maintain that he ld on the child is a decisive factor in Themistokles supplication. 2 Gould, op. cit., p. 100 3 Csapo, op. cit., P. 51 4 Gould, op. cit., pp. 99-100 5 Csapo, op. cit., p. 50 91 In the same way, those seeking refuge at a shrine could be seen as posing an implicit threat to the ritual heart of the community, just as those prostrating themselves at the hearth could be seen as threatening the ritual centre of the home. The suppliant i appropriating the attention of the deity, as well as the physical space of the shrine, so the normal functions of the shrine are, at the very least, disrupted. Also, there is the risk of ongoing pollution if the matter is not resolved in an appropriate manner. The shrine, or hearth, is pure and holy; the suppliant too is considered undefiled, and therefore cannot pollute the sanctuary. The pollution would be incurred by anyone who may attack the suppliant in any way. 6 This makes the shrine vulnerable to violation. It is to protect the shrine from pollution that defendants in murder cases were debarred from entering sacred premises, until the day of trial (Constitution cf the Athenians 57.4); not only was there the danger that a guilty man may pollute the shrine with his presence, but he may seek refuge and so appropriate the shrine in his bid to subvert the judicial process, and thereby threaten an essential part of the religious life of the community. Apollon is accused by the Erinyes of having polluted his own shrine by receiving a murderer (Aiskhylos, Eumenides 169-72). The very presence of Oidipous pollutes the place of the gods; he must make a purifying sacrifice (Sophokles, Oidipous at Kolonos 466-67).7 6 Henry J. Walker, Theseus and Athens (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995), p. 184 7 Although Theseus speaks of Oidipous presence as yi TOE Kapoi Ouoltev or o-piKp6v (635): what does he mean by bcto-wic? a tribui e paid voluntarily, or one owed? Jebb asserts that here it means "recompense", payment of a debt incurred by Oidipous on Theseus granting him what he wants (Richard C. Jebl, Sophocles. The Plays and Fragments. With Critical Notes, Commentary, and Translation in English Prose. Part II. The Oedipus Coloneus [Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1900)1 p. 39, note on v. 635). The only other usage of 8a6p6c by Sophokles occurs in the Oidipous Tyrannos, v. 36. Here, it is used to refer to the penalty paid to the Sphinx by hose who failed to guess the riddle. Sophokles associates the verb Wt.)o-ac with Oacp6v (1. 35); Jebb notes that this verb must, mean not "paid in full", but "loosed it": that the tribute was "like a knotted cord in which Thebes 92 Explicit threat The implicit threat to pollute the shrine is made explicit by Menelaos. He threatens Theonoe that he will pollute the tomb of Proteus by killing Helen and himself, so that their blood may drench the grave, and thus be Aâvcrrov ayoc ooi wOyoc ,i63 7raxpi an everlasting grief to you, a censure against your father (Euripides, Helen 987). Theonoe, scarcely an implacable foe, though fearful for her own safety, is persuaded by this threat (ibid., 892-93; 998-1001). In poetry, of course, the threat of pollution through the suicide of suppliants can be a telling argument; in history such a threat is unlikely to lead to success. The suicides of the Kerkyraians in the ti a mple of Hera did not appease their enemies (Thucydides 3.81.2). Pelasgos, however, makes it clear he is not made of such stern, even impious, stuff. To drag suppliants away from the shrine where they are sheltering can even be spoken of as robbing the gods; this, it is claimed, will only earn the perpetrator dispraise even among his own citizens (Sophokles, Oidipous at Kolonos 920-23). Adrastos, believing that Theseus has refused his and the chorus supplication, requests that the chorus leave the branches over the altar, and calls the gods to witness Theseus rejection of their plea (Euripides, Suppliants 256-62). Orestes threatens his dead father with a lack of funerary offerings if he does not lend his assistance to his children (Aiskhylos, Libation Bearers 482-83). Of course, this may not be a threat: Garvie interprets this as an attempt to was bound" (Richard C. Jebb, Sophocles. The Plays and Fragments. With Critical Notes Commentary, and Translation in Engli,41 Prose. Part I. The Oedipus Tyrannus [Amsterdam: Adolf Hakkert, 1966], p. 16, note on v. 36). Kamerbeek: argues persuasively that here Sophokles imagery suggests a pltty on 6:Eop6v (J.C. Kamerbeek, The Plays of Sophocles. Commentaries. Part IV. The Oedipus Tyrannus [Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1967], p. 39, note on vv. 35,36). Therefore in this context also bocaptOc must refer to a debt owed, one demanded from a not necessarily willing subject. 93 demonstrate to the dead Agamemnon that it is in his interest to grant Orestes prayer. 8 The element of thriat seems inescapable, however (and indeed is not eliminated by Garvies interpretation). If Orestes is not granted the power he seeks, Agamemnon will be eiTlpoc (ibid., 485), a fearful fate for any shade, especially for a kin;. The Danaids, too, make an explicit threat to pollute the shrine at which they are sheltering. Early in Aiskhylos play, they point out that, unless they obtain the assistance they seek, .thy 71-oADEVUSTUTOV .Z17111 Ct 11;31/ KEK).111KOTCOV 1E,Opt.-,o0Gic obv aaboic avravaic Oavoi3 cn to the extremely hospitable Zeus of the dead we will go with olive branches having died by means of nooses (Aiskhylos, Suppliants 157-60). An interesting procession, arriving in Hades brandishing suppliant branches! Later, when the risk to their freedom is more immediate, they make their threat even clearer: they warn Pelasgos that they intend iK T6,)v6 67(4 Conlicyao0ai Os63v. to hang ourselves as soon as paisible from these (statues of the) gods (ibid., 465).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • HOMERIC-ILIAD.Pdf
    Homeric Iliad Translated by Samuel Butler Revised by Soo-Young Kim, Kelly McCray, Gregory Nagy, and Timothy Power Contents Rhapsody 1 Rhapsody 2 Rhapsody 3 Rhapsody 4 Rhapsody 5 Rhapsody 6 Rhapsody 7 Rhapsody 8 Rhapsody 9 Rhapsody 10 Rhapsody 11 Rhapsody 12 Rhapsody 13 Rhapsody 14 Rhapsody 15 Rhapsody 16 Rhapsody 17 Rhapsody 18 Rhapsody 19 Rhapsody 20 Rhapsody 21 Rhapsody 22 Rhapsody 23 Rhapsody 24 Homeric Iliad Rhapsody 1 Translated by Samuel Butler Revised by Soo-Young Kim, Kelly McCray, Gregory Nagy, and Timothy Power [1] Anger [mēnis], goddess, sing it, of Achilles, son of Peleus— 2 disastrous [oulomenē] anger that made countless pains [algea] for the Achaeans, 3 and many steadfast lives [psūkhai] it drove down to Hādēs, 4 heroes’ lives, but their bodies it made prizes for dogs [5] and for all birds, and the Will of Zeus was reaching its fulfillment [telos]— 6 sing starting from the point where the two—I now see it—first had a falling out, engaging in strife [eris], 7 I mean, [Agamemnon] the son of Atreus, lord of men, and radiant Achilles. 8 So, which one of the gods was it who impelled the two to fight with each other in strife [eris]? 9 It was [Apollo] the son of Leto and of Zeus. For he [= Apollo], infuriated at the king [= Agamemnon], [10] caused an evil disease to arise throughout the mass of warriors, and the people were getting destroyed, because the son of Atreus had dishonored Khrysēs his priest. Now Khrysēs had come to the ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter, and had brought with him a great ransom [apoina]: moreover he bore in his hand the scepter of Apollo wreathed with a suppliant’s wreath [15] and he besought the Achaeans, but most of all the two sons of Atreus, who were their chiefs.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Divine Intervention and Disguise in Homer's Iliad Senior Thesis
    Divine Intervention and Disguise in Homer’s Iliad Senior Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Undergraduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Undergraduate Program in Classical Studies Professor Joel Christensen, Advisor In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts By Joana Jankulla May 2018 Copyright by Joana Jankulla 1 Copyright by Joana Jankulla © 2018 2 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Professor Joel Christensen. Thank you, Professor Christensen for guiding me through this process, expressing confidence in me, and being available whenever I had any questions or concerns. I would not have been able to complete this work without you. Secondly, I would like to thank Professor Ann Olga Koloski-Ostrow and Professor Cheryl Walker for reading my thesis and providing me with feedback. The Classics Department at Brandeis University has been an instrumental part of my growth in my four years as an undergraduate, and I am eternally thankful to all the professors and staff members in the department. Thank you to my friends, specifically Erica Theroux, Sarah Jousset, Anna Craven, Rachel Goldstein, Taylor McKinnon and Georgie Contreras for providing me with a lot of emotional support this year. I hope you all know how grateful I am for you as friends and how much I have appreciated your love this year. Thank you to my mom for FaceTiming me every time I was stressed about completing my thesis and encouraging me every step of the way. Finally, thank you to Ian Leeds for dropping everything and coming to me each time I needed it.
    [Show full text]
  • University of Minnesota
    Hektor and Andromache 1 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FACULTY OF CLASSICAL AND NEAR EASTERN STUDIES A TRAGIC MORTAL STORY: THE STORY OF HEKTOR AND ANDROMACHE AMY M OSTROM **Written for a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilization Hektor and Andromache 2 Hektor, thus you are father to me, and my honoured mother, You are my brother, and you it is who are my young husband. -Andromache, Iliad1 1Lattimore, Richmond. Iliad of Homer. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1967: VI.429-30 Hektor and Andromache 3 Table of Contents Introduction 4 Chapter One: Hektor 5 Chapter Two: Andromache 8 Chapter Three: The Marriage 10 Chapter Four: The Weight of Mortality: Hektor’s Fate 13 Chapter Five: The Lost Soul: Andromache After Hektor 16 Chapter Six: Tragedy in its Final Conclusion 18 Hektor and Andromache 4 Introduction This thesis paper was not written to analyze any specific source or sources of the literary figures of Hektor and Andromache, but rather to assimilate a common theme associated with them as individuals and as a family. I will look into how ancient writers, such as Homer and Virgil, interpreted them, and how modern writers, such as Marion Zimmer Bradley, portray them. Regardless of who the author is, I am determined in this paper to provide enough evidence that Hektor and Andromache were universally tragic, and can even be considered the most tragic couple in ancient literature. This is true in Homer’s depictions in the Iliad, Euripedes’ renditions of the Troy’s capture and imprisonment of Andromache in the Trojan Women and Andromache, respectively, as well as many others.
    [Show full text]
  • Proquest Dissertations
    MI u Ottawa L'Universite canadierme Canada's university FACULTE DES ETUDES SUPERIEURES run FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND ET POSTOCTORALES U Ottawa POSDOCTORAL STUDIES L'University* eanadieime Canada's university Stephen B. Quinlan AUTEUR DE LA THESE / AUTHOR OF THESIS Ph.D. (Religious Studies) GRADE/DEGREE Department of Classics and Religious Studies FACULTE, ECOLE, DEPARTEMENT/ FACULTY, SCHOOL, DEPARTMENT The Ilaid, the Athlete and the Ancient Greek Polis A Descriptive Study of Homer's Iliad %$>• Hero Myth TITRE DE LA THESE / TITLE OF THESIS Dominique Cote DIRECTEUR (DIRECTRICE) DE LA THESE / THESIS SUPERVISOR Anne Vallely CO-DIRECTEUR (CO-DIRECTRICE) DE LA THESE / THESIS CO-SUPERVISOR Theodore De Bruyn Francisco Gonzalez Gregory Nagy (Harvard Univeristy) Karin Schlapbach Gary W. Slater Le Doyen de la Faculte des etudes superieures et postdoctorales / Dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The Iliad, the Athlete and the Ancient Greek Polis A Descriptive Study of Homer's Iliad as Hero Myth Stephen B. Quinlan Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the PhD in Religious Studies Department of Religious Studies Faculty of Arts University of Ottawa © Stephen B. Quinlan, Ottawa, Canada, 2009 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaONK1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-66013-3 Our
    [Show full text]
  • Pistos Hetairos in the Iliad and the Odyssey
    ACTA CLASSICA XXVI (/983) 15-22 PISTOS HETAIROS IN THE ILIAD AND THE ODYSSEY by Hanna Roisman (Tel-Aviv University) I Pistas and pista6 in the Iliad and the Odyssey are associated with the provision of concrete evidence of reliability. This can be either a symbolic handshake, as 1 between Diomedes and Glaucus (pist6santa, Iliad 6.233 ), which serves as external proof of their agreement, or a more significant deed, such as Automedon's response to Patroclus' needs in battle which qualifies him to be considered the latter's pistatatas (16.147). 2 In such cases the epithet pistas should be understood to convey reliability, trustworthiness or faithfulness, meanings which the epithet most commonly holds in later authors3 but rarely in the Iliad when it is used personally. The case of Alcimedon, who is Automedon's pistas hetairas (17.500), is the sole example for such a meaning of this phrase. The proof of his reliability is his helping Automedon on the battlefield (17.466 ff) . The heroes do not share any relationship other than being hetairai to each other; that is, they belong to the same contingent and fight the same enemy. 4 By giving aid to Automedon in a troublesome situation Alcimedon merely opens the way for a closer relationship which is neither obligatory nor assured. The remaining occurrences of the phrase pistas hetairas in the Iliad refer to four heroes: Patroclus (17.557; 18.235, 460), Stichius (15.331), 5 Lycophron (15.437), and Podes (17.589). Three characteristic features in the description of these heroes differentiate them from the case of Alcimedon-Automedon.
    [Show full text]
  • HETAIREIA in HOMER John Elias Esposito a Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
    HETAIREIA IN HOMER John Elias Esposito A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Classics in the College of Arts and Sciences. Chapel Hill 2015 Approved by: Fred Naiden William H. Race James J. O’Hara Emily Baragwanath James Rives © 2015 John Elias Esposito ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT John Elias Esposito: Hetaireia in Homer (Under the direction of Fred Naiden) This study addresses the neglected subject of hetaireia (roughly, “warrior- companionship”) in Homer. Although many discussions of Homer mention hetairoi in passing, no study treats semantic, poetic, social, and military aspects comprehensively. The purpose of this dissertation is to fill this gap. To this end I explicate the meaning of the heta(i)r- root, survey the social and military roles of Homeric hetairoi, and expose the way the Iliad and the Odyssey use hetaireia to portray pathos and character. The argument is informed by the etymology of heta(i)r- from the PIE reflexive *swe-, but rests on a catalogue and analysis of all scenes in which hetairoi appear. The four chapters of this dissertation argue that hetaireia is a major axis on which both epics turn. The two chapters on the Iliad show what the world is like when hetaireia dominates and consider how a poem about war focuses on the bond between warriors and their companions. The two chapters on the Odyssey show how the world changes when hetaireia disappears and consider how a poem about homecoming replaces the relationships of the battlefield with the relationship between the oikos and the gods.
    [Show full text]
  • 800 BC the ILIAD Homer Translated by Samuel Butler
    800 BC THE ILIAD Homer translated by Samuel Butler Homer (~800 BC) - An Ionian Poet. Historians cannot agree where Homer was born, whether he was blind, whether he wrote both the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey”, or even if he actually existed. Whatever the case may be, the influence of the two enduring epics attributed to him is indisputable. The Iliad (800 BC) - An epic poem consisting of twenty-four books that deal with the last few days of the Trojan War. Here translated into prose by Samuel Butler. Table Of Contents BOOK I . 3 BOOK II . 12 BOOK III . 25 BOOK IV . 32 BOOK V . 40 BOOK VI . 53 BOOK VII . 61 BOOK VIII . 68 BOOK IX . 76 BOOK X . 87 BOOK XI . 96 BOOK XII . 109 BOOK XIII . 116 BOOK XIV . 129 BOOK XV . 137 BOOK XVI . 148 BOOK XVII . 162 BOOK XVIII . 173 BOOK XIX . 182 BOOK XX . 188 BOOK XXI . 196 BOOK XXII . 205 BOOK XXIII . 213 BOOK XXIV . 227 THE END . 238 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.
    [Show full text]
  • Greek Mythology Link (Complete Collection)
    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 • Español • PDF Editions About • Copyright © 1997 Carlos Parada and Maicar Förlag. This PDF contains portions of the Greek Mythology Link COMPLETE COLLECTION, version 0906. In this sample most links will not work. THE COMPLETE GREEK MYTHOLOGY LINK COLLECTION (digital edition) includes: 1. Two fully linked, bookmarked, and easy to print PDF files (1809 A4 pages), including: a. The full version of the Genealogical Guide (not on line) and every page-numbered docu- ment detailed in the Contents. b. 119 Charts (genealogical and contextual) and 5 Maps. 2. Thousands of images organized in albums are included in this package. The contents of this sample is copyright © 1997 Carlos Parada and Maicar Förlag. To buy this collection, visit Editions. Greek Mythology Link Contents The Greek Mythology Link is a collection of myths retold by Carlos Parada, author of Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology, published in 1993 (available at Amazon). The mythical accounts are based exclusively on ancient sources. Address: www.maicar.com About, Email. Copyright © 1997 Carlos Parada and Maicar Förlag. ISBN 978-91-976473-9-7 Contents VIII Divinities 1476 Major Divinities 1477 Page Immortals 1480 I Abbreviations 2 Other deities 1486 II Dictionaries 4 IX Miscellanea Genealogical Guide (6520 entries) 5 Three Main Ancestors 1489 Geographical Reference (1184) 500 Robe & Necklace of
    [Show full text]
  • The Ancient Critic at Work
    This page intentionally left blank THE ANCIENT CRITIC AT WORK The large but underrated corpus of Greek scholia, the marginal and interlinear notes found in manuscripts, is a very important source for ancient literary criticism. The evidence of the scholia significantly adds to and enhances the picture that can be gained from studying the relevant treatises (such as Aristotle’s Poetics): scholia also contain con- cepts that are not found in the treatises, and they are indicative of how the concepts are actually put to use in the progressive interpretation of texts. The book also demonstrates that it is vital to study both ancient terminology and the cases where a particular phenomenon is simply paraphrased. Nineteen thematic chapters provide a repertoire of the various terms and concepts of ancient literary criticism. The relevant witnesses are extensively quoted in Greek and English translation. A glossary of Greek terms (with translation) and several indices enable the book also to be used for reference. renen´ unlist¨ is Associate Professor of Classics at Brown University, Rhode Island. Publications include Poetologische Bildersprache in der fruhgriechischen¨ Dichtung () and a new co-authored commentary on Homer’s Iliad (–). THE ANCIENT CRITIC AT WORK Terms and Concepts of Literary Criticism in Greek Scholia RENEN´ UNLIST¨ Brown University CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521850582 © Cambridge University Press 2009 This publication is in copyright.
    [Show full text]
  • Rereading Death: Ethics and Aesthetics in the Ancient
    REREADING DEATH: ETHICS AND AESTHETICS IN THE ANCIENT RECEPTION OF HOMERIC BATTLE NARRATIVE by Nicholas Kauffman A dissertation submitted to Johns Hopkins University in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Baltimore, MD March, 2015 [Intended to be blank] ii Abstract In this dissertation, I examine the many famous death scenes in the Iliad and argue that their reception within antiquity reflects a lively and diverse discourse about the meaning of violence, and specifically of death in battle. As evidence of this reception, I consider later Greek epics and the exegetical tradition, viewing these texts using the methodological frameworks of intertextuality and reception studies. In the first chapter, I provide a descriptive analysis of the Iliad’s deaths and discuss the often conflicting interpretations of them advanced in modern scholarship. I argue that these deaths are underdetermined, that the text itself articulates no clear ideological framework within which to understand them, and I view this underdeterminedness as productive, in that it makes possible and even encourages dialogue among later readers. In the subsequent chapters I examine three texts that engage in this dialogue. First, I look at the death scenes in Apollonius’ Argonautica. Though these are largely constructed from Homeric motifs, I show that Apollonius consistently defamiliarizes these motifs and thus calls into question not only the formal qualities of the Iliadic narrative but also its ethical underpinnings. In Quintus of Smyrna’s Posthomerica, as I show in the following chapter, the deaths are designed to seem Homeric, and they are formally almost identical to their Iliadic counterparts.
    [Show full text]
  • This Thesis Is an Analysis of Achilles and Andromache in Homer's Iliad
    ACHILLES AND ANDROMACHE: GENDER AMBIGUITY IN MOTIF, NARRATIVE, AND FORMULA BY SEAN NICHOLAS SIGNORE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF NANCY FELSON ABSTRACT This thesis is an analysis of Achilles and Andromache in Homer’s Iliad employing the formulaic theories of Milman Parry, Bakhtin, modern narratology, and deixis. These methodologies illuminate correlations between these seemingly different characters by commonalities within epic diction: the motif of Eetion, the shared narrative sequence of lamentation, and shared paradigmatic formula. In chapter one, Eetion marks a triadic relationship with Achilles, Andromache and Hector, in which if Achilles survived the war, he would have led Andromache off as wife, fulfilling his earlier loss of Briseis. In chapter two, Achilles and Andromache are shown to share the same narrative lament sequence; Achilles’ narrative is borrowed from a traditionally feminine one. In chapter three, Achilles shares the formula daimoni isos with Andromache in the modified mainadi ise, indicating not only parallel poetic descriptions in battle and lamentation, respectively, but also transcendence to a divine status. INDEX WORDS: Greek Poetry, Homer, Achilles, Andromache, Milman Parry, Bakhtin, Narratology, Oral Poetry, Eetion, Lamentation. ACHILLES AND ANDROMACHE: GENDER AMBIGUITY IN MOTIF, NARRATIVE, AND FORMULA BY SEAN NICHOLAS SIGNORE B.A., BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY, 2002 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MASTER OF ARTS ATHENS, GEORGIA AUGUST 2007 © 2007 Sean Nicholas Signore All rights reserved ACHILLES AND ANDROMACHE: GENDER AMBIGUITY IN MOTIF, NARRATIVE, AND FORMULA BY SEAN NICHOLAS SIGNORE Major Professor : Nancy Felson Committee: Jared Klein Nicholas Rynearson Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia August 2007 iv For Nayantara v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have come to fruition without the shoulders of giants and the support of many.
    [Show full text]
  • Experiencing Hektor: Character in The
    Kozak, Lynn. "Ends." Experiencing Hektor: Character in the . London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2017. 147–230. Bloomsbury Collections. Web. 26 Sep. 2021. <http:// dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781474245470.ch-003>. Downloaded from Bloomsbury Collections, www.bloomsburycollections.com, 26 September 2021, 23:15 UTC. Copyright © Lynn Kozak 2017. You may share this work for non-commercial purposes only, provided you give attribution to the copyright holder and the publisher, and provide a link to the Creative Commons licence. 3 E n d s Th e transition between Book 15 and Book 16 might not qualify for most as the beginning of the end of the Iliad , 1 but it is the beginning of the end for Hektor. Th e fi rst books of the Iliad build the storyworld and introduce most of its many characters. Th e middle books point towards major events, while keeping the narrative in balance. In exploiting and expanding its melodramatic alignment structure, the narrative spends this time deepening familiar characters and introducing new ones, building audience alignment and allegiance with many of them. Th ese fi nal books fi nally let the major events pointed to in earlier episodes happen to those characters whom the narrative has built audience allegiance with; this allegiance means that those events will have emotional consequences for the audience. Hektor has now reached the ships (15.704–46). Patroklos has run to fetch Achilles to battle (15.390–405). Th e wheels are in motion, rolling towards events that have already been spelled out. Sarpedon will die (15.66f.). Patroklos will die (15.65).
    [Show full text]