]ὑπερ.[ μ]εγάροισι λιπ [ εὔ]α δεν ἀθανάτ [οισι πατὴ]ρ ἀνδρῶν τε θ[εῶν τε 5 ]. ἵνα οἱ κλέος ἄφθιτ[... more ]ὑπερ.[ μ]εγάροισι λιπ [ εὔ]α δεν ἀθανάτ [οισι πατὴ]ρ ἀνδρῶν τε θ[εῶν τε 5 ]. ἵνα οἱ κλέος ἄφθιτ[ον εἴη ]ι πολυστάφυλον πο[λυγηθέα ]ι• τοῦ μὲν κλέος οὔ π [οτ' ὀλεῖται. 1 This part of Hesiod's Catalogue of Women fr. 70 MW (= 41 M; 31 H) is solely transmitted by PSI XIV 1383 (= PSI inv. 2497), which was fi rst edited by Bartoletti and then by Merkelbach. 2 According to Merkelbach, λιπ [ in l. 2 refers to Ino, who is the wife of Athamas and the nurse of Dionysus. As a result of her apotheosis, she left her husband and the son of Zeus; thus, λιπ [ can be easily supplemented as λιπ [οῦσα. 3 This view is followed by Most in his Loeb edition, 4 and is supported by three Homeric parallels. While Helen in her address to Hecuba speaks of her elopement with Paris (υἱέι σῷ ἑπόμην, θάλαμον γνωτούς τε λιποῦσα / παῖδά τε τηλυγέτην καὶ ὁμηλικίην ἐρατεινήν, Il. 3.174-175), Penelope is allegedly allowed to marry another man when Telemachus has fully grown up (αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν δὴ παῖδα γενειήσαντα ἴδηαι, / γήμασθ' ᾧ κ' ἐθέλῃσθα, τεὸν κατὰ δῶμα λιποῦσα, Od. 18.269-270; παῖς δ' ἐμὸς ἕως μὲν ἔην ἔτι νήπιος ἠδὲ χαλίφρων, / γήμασθ' οὔ μ' εἴα πόσιος κατὰ δῶμα λιποῦσαν, Od. 19.530-531). 5 Note that in all these cases, λιποῦσα(ν) stands in the same metrical position. However, there is another possibility. As Hirschberger has suggested, λιπ [ in l. 2 could also refer to the baby Dionysus, since it is likely that in the Catalogue of Women, Ino's apotheosis, which has been thought the subject of fr. 91 MW (= 40 M; 30 H), is placed before fr. 70 MW, "so daß die vorliegenden Verse eher von den Folgen sprechen, die Inos Weggang für ihre Familie hat". 6 Admittedly, this is not a compelling argument, especially due to the fact that the interpretation and placement of fr. 91 MW (= 40 M; 30 H) itself is uncertain. 7 Yet, I would like to argue that subject of λιπ [ in l. 2 is indeed the baby Dionysus by making two philological observations. First, μ]εγάροισι preceding λιπ [ needs to be taken into account. In Homer, μεγάροισι(ν)/μεγάροις is attested three times in combination with middle-passive forms of λείπω. 8 Akamas prides himself on taking revenge for the death of his brother (τῶ καί κέ τις εὔχεται ἀνὴρ / γνωτὸν ἐνὶ μεγάροις ἄρεως ἀλκτῆρα λιπέσθαι, Il. 14.484-485). Penelope prays to Artemis that she wishes to be cast away, as once happened to the daughters of Pandareus, who,
LIAD 12 DESCRIBES three separate assaults by the Trojan alliance on the Achaean wall. The first i... more LIAD 12 DESCRIBES three separate assaults by the Trojan alliance on the Achaean wall. The first is initiated by Asius, who is surprised by the stubborn resistance of two Lapiths, Polypoites and Leonteus, compared to a pair of wild boars awaiting the attack of men and dogs (ἀνδρῶν ἠδὲ κυνῶν δέχαται κολοσυρτὸν ἰόντα, 12.147). In the entirety of the Homeric epics, the verbal form δέχᾰται ("they await," from δέχοµαι) is attested only in this simile. It is well known that Homeric δέχοµαι has both a perfective meaning ("take/accept") and a durative one ("await/wait for"). 1 The use of δέχαται here is clearly durative. 2 As Debrunner
In this article, I argue for an intertextual connection between Sc. 59 and the Iliadic formula Ἄρ... more In this article, I argue for an intertextual connection between Sc. 59 and the Iliadic formula Ἄρης ἆτος πολέμοιο as well as an intratextual one between ἆτον πολέμοιο (Sc. 59) and ἄαται πολέμοιο (Sc. 101). I further suggest that ἄαται is an artificial form which has been playfully invented by the composer. This morphological interpretation of ἄαται might shed some new light on the isolated epic forms ἕωμεν (Il. 19.402) and ἄμεναι (Il. 21.70) from the same root (*seh2- “satiate oneself”).
This article argues that the episode in Il. 24.552–658 involving Achilles and Priam brings out th... more This article argues that the episode in Il. 24.552–658 involving Achilles and Priam brings out the hero’s ability to control his emotions – even if he did lose them momentarily – by means of his calculation of what will come next. This interpretation fits the compositional structure of the epic, whose closure is highlighted by the hero’s dramatized emotions in his encounter with the Trojan king.
In light of the contextual comparison between Hesiod's Dike episode (Op. 213-224) and Aratus' Dik... more In light of the contextual comparison between Hesiod's Dike episode (Op. 213-224) and Aratus' Dike Myth (Ph. 100-107), I argue for a hitherto unrecognized allusion to Hesiod's fable (Op. 202-212), with special reference to the verb ἤειδεν used of Dike at Ph. 107. This allusion entails an Aratean reading of Hesiod's fable, which identifies the nightingale with Dike in its Hesiodic context.
This article offers a systematic account of three Homeric middle forms to the root *b h erd h-'ra... more This article offers a systematic account of three Homeric middle forms to the root *b h erd h-'ravage, destroy', namely πέρθετο (Il. 12.15), περθομένη (Il. 2.374 = 4.291 = 13.816), and πέρθαι (Il. 16.708). It is argued that the triple occurrence of περθομένη, though representing a regular present participle, was misinterpreted as aoristic, and that this misinterpretation triggered the creation of πέρθετο. In light of this argument, the isolated infinitive πέρθαι is likely to be an artificial form.
In this article, I argue for Sophocles' dramatic use of γνώμη-language at the end of his Philocte... more In this article, I argue for Sophocles' dramatic use of γνώμη-language at the end of his Philoctetes. Through a thorough analysis of the phrase γνώμη … φίλων at l. 1467, I demonstrate how Sophocles drew on the contemporary resonances of γνώμη in Athenian legal contexts to make the play's final scene rich and complex. In addition, the tension between the mortal and divine worlds, which is a recurrent theme in the play, is mirrored in the expression γνώμη … φίλων, which is sandwiched between Μοῖρα and πανδαμάτωρ δαίμων at ll. 1466-1468. Both points add to our understanding of how the sense of closure is achieved at the end of the play.
In this article I offer a new interpretation of the puzzling phrase ἀµύµονος Αἰγίσθοιο at Od. 1.2... more In this article I offer a new interpretation of the puzzling phrase ἀµύµονος Αἰγίσθοιο at Od. 1.29, by focusing on the context of Od. 1.29-31. A closer analysis of the passage within the narrative logic of the proem strongly suggests that Zeus, after the departure of Poseidon, should think of Odysseus. While Zeus' opening speech is to be understood as a covert signal to Athena, Homer's audience is invited to recognize the speech's direct relevance to Odysseus: the narrator deliberately utilizes the apparent incongruity of the phrase 'blameless Aegisthus' to alert the audience to its significance. Not only is the epithet ἀµύµων most frequently attributed to Odysseus in the Odyssean tradition, but also the formulaic combination between Zeus (ἴστω νῦν Ζεύς) and 'blameless Odysseus' (Ὀδυσῆος ἀµύµονος) helps the audience to reflect upon the epic hero's fate and deeds.
This article argues that Euripides' use of Orestes' epithet σκηπτοῦχον at IT 235 invites the audi... more This article argues that Euripides' use of Orestes' epithet σκηπτοῦχον at IT 235 invites the audience to identify the scepter in question as Pelops', through an allusion to a passage from the Iliad (2.100-108). This scepter serves as a symbolic counterpart of Pelops' spear mentioned at IT 822-826, which is connected to many other passages of the play.
This paper offers a new interpretation of the Goat Island episode in Od. 9. The description of th... more This paper offers a new interpretation of the Goat Island episode in Od. 9. The description of the island focuses on its potential for cultivation and settlement. Against the background of the colonization, my approach emphasizes the temporal dimension of the island, which evokes the past of the Phaeacians who fled from the violence of the Cyclopes before settling in Scheria. The narrative function of Goat Island resides within its temporal dimension that bestows it with a temporal-spatial connectedness, a chronotope in Bachtin's term. Keywords Od. 9 – Goat Island – the Phaeacians and their past – chronotope
This article aims to contribute to our understanding of narrative suspense of the Homeric epics b... more This article aims to contribute to our understanding of narrative suspense of the Homeric epics by highlighting the motif of enclosed space in the Odyssey. The Wooden Horse, the cave of Polyphemus and the megaron of Odysseus are examined with particular reference to this motif. The shocking effect resulting from the contrasts between enclosed and open spaces is reversed in the episode of Penelope's recognition of Odysseus.
]ὑπερ.[ μ]εγάροισι λιπ [ εὔ]α δεν ἀθανάτ [οισι πατὴ]ρ ἀνδρῶν τε θ[εῶν τε 5 ]. ἵνα οἱ κλέος ἄφθιτ[... more ]ὑπερ.[ μ]εγάροισι λιπ [ εὔ]α δεν ἀθανάτ [οισι πατὴ]ρ ἀνδρῶν τε θ[εῶν τε 5 ]. ἵνα οἱ κλέος ἄφθιτ[ον εἴη ]ι πολυστάφυλον πο[λυγηθέα ]ι• τοῦ μὲν κλέος οὔ π [οτ' ὀλεῖται. 1 This part of Hesiod's Catalogue of Women fr. 70 MW (= 41 M; 31 H) is solely transmitted by PSI XIV 1383 (= PSI inv. 2497), which was fi rst edited by Bartoletti and then by Merkelbach. 2 According to Merkelbach, λιπ [ in l. 2 refers to Ino, who is the wife of Athamas and the nurse of Dionysus. As a result of her apotheosis, she left her husband and the son of Zeus; thus, λιπ [ can be easily supplemented as λιπ [οῦσα. 3 This view is followed by Most in his Loeb edition, 4 and is supported by three Homeric parallels. While Helen in her address to Hecuba speaks of her elopement with Paris (υἱέι σῷ ἑπόμην, θάλαμον γνωτούς τε λιποῦσα / παῖδά τε τηλυγέτην καὶ ὁμηλικίην ἐρατεινήν, Il. 3.174-175), Penelope is allegedly allowed to marry another man when Telemachus has fully grown up (αὐτὰρ ἐπὴν δὴ παῖδα γενειήσαντα ἴδηαι, / γήμασθ' ᾧ κ' ἐθέλῃσθα, τεὸν κατὰ δῶμα λιποῦσα, Od. 18.269-270; παῖς δ' ἐμὸς ἕως μὲν ἔην ἔτι νήπιος ἠδὲ χαλίφρων, / γήμασθ' οὔ μ' εἴα πόσιος κατὰ δῶμα λιποῦσαν, Od. 19.530-531). 5 Note that in all these cases, λιποῦσα(ν) stands in the same metrical position. However, there is another possibility. As Hirschberger has suggested, λιπ [ in l. 2 could also refer to the baby Dionysus, since it is likely that in the Catalogue of Women, Ino's apotheosis, which has been thought the subject of fr. 91 MW (= 40 M; 30 H), is placed before fr. 70 MW, "so daß die vorliegenden Verse eher von den Folgen sprechen, die Inos Weggang für ihre Familie hat". 6 Admittedly, this is not a compelling argument, especially due to the fact that the interpretation and placement of fr. 91 MW (= 40 M; 30 H) itself is uncertain. 7 Yet, I would like to argue that subject of λιπ [ in l. 2 is indeed the baby Dionysus by making two philological observations. First, μ]εγάροισι preceding λιπ [ needs to be taken into account. In Homer, μεγάροισι(ν)/μεγάροις is attested three times in combination with middle-passive forms of λείπω. 8 Akamas prides himself on taking revenge for the death of his brother (τῶ καί κέ τις εὔχεται ἀνὴρ / γνωτὸν ἐνὶ μεγάροις ἄρεως ἀλκτῆρα λιπέσθαι, Il. 14.484-485). Penelope prays to Artemis that she wishes to be cast away, as once happened to the daughters of Pandareus, who,
LIAD 12 DESCRIBES three separate assaults by the Trojan alliance on the Achaean wall. The first i... more LIAD 12 DESCRIBES three separate assaults by the Trojan alliance on the Achaean wall. The first is initiated by Asius, who is surprised by the stubborn resistance of two Lapiths, Polypoites and Leonteus, compared to a pair of wild boars awaiting the attack of men and dogs (ἀνδρῶν ἠδὲ κυνῶν δέχαται κολοσυρτὸν ἰόντα, 12.147). In the entirety of the Homeric epics, the verbal form δέχᾰται ("they await," from δέχοµαι) is attested only in this simile. It is well known that Homeric δέχοµαι has both a perfective meaning ("take/accept") and a durative one ("await/wait for"). 1 The use of δέχαται here is clearly durative. 2 As Debrunner
In this article, I argue for an intertextual connection between Sc. 59 and the Iliadic formula Ἄρ... more In this article, I argue for an intertextual connection between Sc. 59 and the Iliadic formula Ἄρης ἆτος πολέμοιο as well as an intratextual one between ἆτον πολέμοιο (Sc. 59) and ἄαται πολέμοιο (Sc. 101). I further suggest that ἄαται is an artificial form which has been playfully invented by the composer. This morphological interpretation of ἄαται might shed some new light on the isolated epic forms ἕωμεν (Il. 19.402) and ἄμεναι (Il. 21.70) from the same root (*seh2- “satiate oneself”).
This article argues that the episode in Il. 24.552–658 involving Achilles and Priam brings out th... more This article argues that the episode in Il. 24.552–658 involving Achilles and Priam brings out the hero’s ability to control his emotions – even if he did lose them momentarily – by means of his calculation of what will come next. This interpretation fits the compositional structure of the epic, whose closure is highlighted by the hero’s dramatized emotions in his encounter with the Trojan king.
In light of the contextual comparison between Hesiod's Dike episode (Op. 213-224) and Aratus' Dik... more In light of the contextual comparison between Hesiod's Dike episode (Op. 213-224) and Aratus' Dike Myth (Ph. 100-107), I argue for a hitherto unrecognized allusion to Hesiod's fable (Op. 202-212), with special reference to the verb ἤειδεν used of Dike at Ph. 107. This allusion entails an Aratean reading of Hesiod's fable, which identifies the nightingale with Dike in its Hesiodic context.
This article offers a systematic account of three Homeric middle forms to the root *b h erd h-'ra... more This article offers a systematic account of three Homeric middle forms to the root *b h erd h-'ravage, destroy', namely πέρθετο (Il. 12.15), περθομένη (Il. 2.374 = 4.291 = 13.816), and πέρθαι (Il. 16.708). It is argued that the triple occurrence of περθομένη, though representing a regular present participle, was misinterpreted as aoristic, and that this misinterpretation triggered the creation of πέρθετο. In light of this argument, the isolated infinitive πέρθαι is likely to be an artificial form.
In this article, I argue for Sophocles' dramatic use of γνώμη-language at the end of his Philocte... more In this article, I argue for Sophocles' dramatic use of γνώμη-language at the end of his Philoctetes. Through a thorough analysis of the phrase γνώμη … φίλων at l. 1467, I demonstrate how Sophocles drew on the contemporary resonances of γνώμη in Athenian legal contexts to make the play's final scene rich and complex. In addition, the tension between the mortal and divine worlds, which is a recurrent theme in the play, is mirrored in the expression γνώμη … φίλων, which is sandwiched between Μοῖρα and πανδαμάτωρ δαίμων at ll. 1466-1468. Both points add to our understanding of how the sense of closure is achieved at the end of the play.
In this article I offer a new interpretation of the puzzling phrase ἀµύµονος Αἰγίσθοιο at Od. 1.2... more In this article I offer a new interpretation of the puzzling phrase ἀµύµονος Αἰγίσθοιο at Od. 1.29, by focusing on the context of Od. 1.29-31. A closer analysis of the passage within the narrative logic of the proem strongly suggests that Zeus, after the departure of Poseidon, should think of Odysseus. While Zeus' opening speech is to be understood as a covert signal to Athena, Homer's audience is invited to recognize the speech's direct relevance to Odysseus: the narrator deliberately utilizes the apparent incongruity of the phrase 'blameless Aegisthus' to alert the audience to its significance. Not only is the epithet ἀµύµων most frequently attributed to Odysseus in the Odyssean tradition, but also the formulaic combination between Zeus (ἴστω νῦν Ζεύς) and 'blameless Odysseus' (Ὀδυσῆος ἀµύµονος) helps the audience to reflect upon the epic hero's fate and deeds.
This article argues that Euripides' use of Orestes' epithet σκηπτοῦχον at IT 235 invites the audi... more This article argues that Euripides' use of Orestes' epithet σκηπτοῦχον at IT 235 invites the audience to identify the scepter in question as Pelops', through an allusion to a passage from the Iliad (2.100-108). This scepter serves as a symbolic counterpart of Pelops' spear mentioned at IT 822-826, which is connected to many other passages of the play.
This paper offers a new interpretation of the Goat Island episode in Od. 9. The description of th... more This paper offers a new interpretation of the Goat Island episode in Od. 9. The description of the island focuses on its potential for cultivation and settlement. Against the background of the colonization, my approach emphasizes the temporal dimension of the island, which evokes the past of the Phaeacians who fled from the violence of the Cyclopes before settling in Scheria. The narrative function of Goat Island resides within its temporal dimension that bestows it with a temporal-spatial connectedness, a chronotope in Bachtin's term. Keywords Od. 9 – Goat Island – the Phaeacians and their past – chronotope
This article aims to contribute to our understanding of narrative suspense of the Homeric epics b... more This article aims to contribute to our understanding of narrative suspense of the Homeric epics by highlighting the motif of enclosed space in the Odyssey. The Wooden Horse, the cave of Polyphemus and the megaron of Odysseus are examined with particular reference to this motif. The shocking effect resulting from the contrasts between enclosed and open spaces is reversed in the episode of Penelope's recognition of Odysseus.
This article focuses on the interpretation of Homeric ἴσκε(ν) (Od. 19.203; 22.31) as well as its ... more This article focuses on the interpretation of Homeric ἴσκε(ν) (Od. 19.203; 22.31) as well as its reception in Apollonius Rhodius (A.R. 1.834 et alibi) and Theocritus (Id. 22.167). I argue that the passage Od. 22.31-33, in which ἴσκεν (Od. 22.31) occurs, was owed to a bard's imitation of Od. 19.203, who not only took ἴσκε (Od. 19.203) as a verbum dicendi but used ἴσκεν ἕκαστος ἀνήρ at Od. 22.31 as a semantic equivalent of the Homeric formula ὣς ἄρα τις εἴπεσκε(ν). It will further show that Apollonius' frequent employment of ἴσκω meaning 'say' is mainly modelled on Od. 22.31 and ἴσκον at Theocritus Id. 22.167 is understood by the poet as an 'iterative'. If this interpretation is accepted, it might shed some new light on the relative chronology of Apollonius' Argonautica and Theocritus' two Idylls (13; 22).
In this article, I argue that the Homeric hapax ἐπελήκεον (Od. 8,379) is an imperfect of ἐπιληκάω... more In this article, I argue that the Homeric hapax ἐπελήκεον (Od. 8,379) is an imperfect of ἐπιληκάω, meaning 'stamp (feet)'; this word is etymologically related to the Aristophanic hapax ληκώμεθα (Aristoph. Thesm. 493).
In this paper I offer a new interpretation of Sappho fr. 44 V by arguing for a sophisticated read... more In this paper I offer a new interpretation of Sappho fr. 44 V by arguing for a sophisticated reading of the phrase κλέος ἄφθιτον at Sappho fr. 44.4 V in light of two Homeric sources. While the Sapphic verse directly alludes to the identical expression found in Achilles' famous speech (Il. 9.413), the Iliadic passage serves further as a 'window reference' to Hector's imagination of his future renown (Il. 7.91), which is the ultimate source of Sappho's allusion.
This paper examines the semantics and the narrative function of Calypso's island. The description... more This paper examines the semantics and the narrative function of Calypso's island. The description moves from the inner cave of a lovely nymph outward to the surroundings of the sexually charged landscape. This shift mirrors in inversion Odysseus's divided daily life: forced to remain in the cave at night and weeping on the shore during the day. Hermes' pleasure at the scene stands in contrast to the disinterest of Odysseus, which anticipates his rejection of the nymph. The connections with the weeping Achilles in the same setting looking out on the sea determine this contrast further as central to the theme of the Calypso episode and the Odyssey as a whole. The parallel between the Sirens' and Calypso's meadows underscores the seducing power of the meadow, which Odysseus has already learned before his arrival at Calypso's island.
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