Rite de Passage—The Tradition of Starting Over 1. On Terminology I classify stories that deal with ‘coming of age’ by the three steps defined by Van Gennep 1909 and Turner 1964: separation from society, a phase of transition / liminality, and aggregation, the reintegration into society with a new status. Herodotus’ stories do not deal with actual initiation rites, but they show the same structure. Read more
Conclusions 1. Structure, Semantics, Validity: the Function of Myth in History From the passages analysed, we have seen that the ‘father of history’ remains much indebted to mythical and ritual paradigms. His structures of thought are shaped by the patterns his contemporaries think with: the sacrileges of his historical characters are the same as the acts of the mythical heroes; their madness works the same way;… Read more
Bibliography Alexiou, M. 2002. After Antiquity. Greek Language, Myth, and Metaphor. Ithaca, NY; London. Aly, W. 1969 [1921]. Volksmärchen, Sage und Novelle bei Herodot und seinen Zeitgenossen. 2nd edition. Göttingen. Asheri, D. 2007 [1988]. Erodoto. Le Storie, I: La Lidia e Persia. Testo e commento a cura di David Asheri, traduzione di Virginio Antelami, Mailand 1988; quoted from:… Read more
Acknowledgments Two people have had a particularly large influence on this book. Gregory Nagy, with his insight into Greek epic tradition, inspired my efforts from the start, and Amy Sabatini, with her insight into comparative religions, gave focus to my efforts at an early and opportune moment; to both of these friends I am deeply grateful. I am likewise grateful to my former teachers, John Finley, Calvert… Read more
Introduction [In this on-line version, the page-numbers of the printed version are indicated within braces (“{” and “}”). For example, “{69|70}” indicates where p. 69 of the printed version ends and p. 70 begins. These indications will be useful to readers who need to look up references made elsewhere to the printed version of this book.] Since much of the following study will have to do… Read more
Formal Evidence for the Etymology of Greek nóos Various attempts have been made to etymologize Greek nóos, but none of these has carried wide conviction. The word permits a large number of formal reconstructions, and this helps to explain both the number of attempted etymologies and the uncertainty of all of them. The crucial problem is the hiatus, which may be accounted for by the loss… Read more
The Root *nes– in Prehistoric Greek 1. Evidence for the Primitive Meaning In order to connect nóos with néomai one must first reconstruct the primitive meaning of Greek nes-. Other Indo-European families (notably Germanic) contain valuable comparative evidence, and some of this evidence will enter the present discussion. The bulk of the Indo-European evidence, however, will be treated separately in chapter 6. The first step is… Read more
The Return of Odysseus 1. Introduction In the last chapter two Homeric verses, each with a form from the root nes-, were seen to have a common origin in the early history of Greek epic. It was argued that these forms from nes– originally had to do with “returning to life and light” and that this meaning can best be understood in the context of solar… Read more
Nestor 1. Introduction The focus of attention in the last chapter was Odysseus, whose adventures preserve a latent relation between “mind” and “return.” In this chapter I shall consider another Homeric figure, who by his very name— Néstōr—tightens the connection between the words nóos and néomai. Much of the scholarly work necessary to understanding Nestor’s name has already been done, and this work is fundamental… Read more
Achilles The two preceding chapters have dealt with a pair of Homeric figures who show in a very positive way the connection between nóos and néomai. As far as the verb is concerned, it is Nestor in whose name the very root of néomai is contained, and it is Odysseus who was celebrated beyond all others for his “return home.” Both of these figures, moreover, were renowned… Read more
