Part II. Chapter 3. Composition by Theme and the Mêtis of the Odyssey Why is the narrative structure of the Odyssey so complicated? Although the plot of the poem is perfectly straightforward—Aristotle observed that it was the imitation of a single action—nevertheless the ordering of its narrative… Read more
Part II. Chapter 4. Genre and Generation in the Odyssey In recent years, much brilliant and invaluable work elucidating Greek myths has been done by Jean-Pierre Vernant and Marcel Detienne, [1] who have looked across texts and across historical periods in order… Read more
Part II. Chapter 5. The Poetics of Exchange in the Iliad [1] ξένια γὰρ Ἄρεος τραύματα, φόνοι —scholia Sophocles Electra 96 Τhe far-reaching implications of Marcel Mauss’s Essai sur le Don, [2]… Read more
Part II. Chapter 6. Measuring Authority, Authoritative Measures: Hesiod’s Works and Days [1] Observe due measure: and best in all things is the right time and right amount. [2] Hesiod, Works and Days 694… Read more
Part II. Chapter 7. Remembering Nicole Loraux Remembering Athens [1] I wish this morning to offer a few remarks on method and memory, topics that this anthology asks us to recall and rethink. In the course of these remarks I wish as well to recall explicitly… Read more
[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… Read more
1. Kleos and Oral History “Es Tagträumt in mir.” Ernst Bloch, Das Prinzip Hoffnung ‘αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν Ἰθάκην ἐσελεύσομαι, ὄφρα οἱ υἱὸνμᾶλλον ἐποτρύνω, καί οἱ μένος ἐν φρεσὶ θείω,εἰς ἀγορὴν καλέσαντα κάρη κομόωντας Ἀχαιοὺςπᾶσι μνηστήρεσσιν ἀπειπέμεν, οἵ τέ οἱ… Read more
2. Kleos and Oral News ‘ἐγὼ μὲν ἐξ ἐμοῦ τε κοὐκ ἄλλης σαφῆσημεῖ’ ἰδοῦσα τῷδε πιστεύω λόγῳ.’ Sophokles Elektra 885–886 Both oral history and oral tradition spring from orally transmitted messages, [1] or, to… Read more
3. Kleos and Social Identity ‘ὦ πάτερ, ἦ τοι σεῖο μέγα κλέος αἰὲν ἄκουον,χεῖράς τ’ αἰχμητὴν ἔμεναι καὶ ἐπίφρονα βουλήν.’ Odyssey 16.241–242 “Father, truly I used to hear of your great reputation (kleos),that you were warlike with your hands… Read more
4. The Little Prince’s Voyage on a Borrowed Ship ‘ἄτοπος δοκεῖ εἶναι Τηλεμάχου ἡ ἀποδημία.’ Scholiast ad Odyssey 1.93 (Dindorf) “Telemachos’ going abroad seems absurd.” Telemachos and Eugene Onegin Let us imagine the world… Read more
