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Laura Slatkin, The Power of Thetis and Selected Essays: Introduction to this Volume

Introduction to this Volume [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.] The Power of Thetis and the several essays included here… Read more

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Laura Slatkin, The Power of Thetis and Selected Essays: Acknowledgments

To C.A.S.and to the memory of R.L.S. and C.E.S. Acknowledgments When The Power of Thetis was first published, I noted that for a short book, it boasted a long list of people to thank. Although that study, recast in the pages that follow, has not gotten longer, over the intervening years the list of friends and colleagues who have contributed to my thinking on its subject—and… Read more

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Bibliography

Bibliography Aly, W. 1969. Volksmärchen, Sage und Novelle bei Herodot und seinen Zeitgenossen. Göttingen. Armayor, O. K. 1978. “Herodotus’ Persian Vocabulary.” Ancient World 1:147–156. Asheri, D. 1989. Erodoto. Le Storie. Libro I . La Lidia e la Persia. Milan. ———. 1990. Erodoto. Le Storie. Libro III. La Persia. Milan. Asheri,… Read more

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Appendix

Appendix: The Formality Hypothesis A tradition stretching back to antiquity categorizes the earliest preserved Attic oratory as “dignified,” “formal,” or “austere.” [1] In The Evolution of Greek Prose Style Dover offers the most precise analysis of this feature and seeks to explain it as a continuation of the traditional style of public speaking at Athens, the only area that has provided specimens… Read more

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Part 3. The Use and Abuse of Signs

Part 3: The Use and Abuse of Signs 3.1 The Manipulation of Signs in Herodotus’ Histories 3.1.1 Introduction Herodotus’ Histories contain many examples of figures who by a certain ingenuity and cunning manage to turn an unfavorable situation to their own advantage. [1] These figures have in common an ability to think quickly and to outwit others, and they make use… Read more

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Part 2. Sign Systems

Part 2. Sign Systems 2.1 Portents and Their Interpretation in Herodotus 2.1.1 Definition Portents are aberrations and departures from the norm which by reason of their unusual nature and unexpected appearance are interpreted as signs declarative or prescriptive of some present or future action. We shall elaborate on the elements of this definition a little later, but let us look first at the vocabulary which… Read more

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Part 1. The Vocabulary of Signs, Their Transmission, Reception, and Interpretation

Part 1. The Vocabulary of Signs, Their Transmission, Reception, and Interpretation 1.1 The Sign Herodotus has few words to convey the general concept of a sign. [1] These do not occur as frequently as verbal forms based on some of the same stems. Thus there are only nine instances of the noun σημήιον (‘sign, device on shield’), for example, but some… Read more

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Introduction

Introduction This work is an investigation of signs, their interpretation, and the use to which they are put in the Histories of Herodotus. The collocation ‘signs’ and ‘Herodotus’ is most likely to suggest the bizarre portents, riddling oracles, and striking dreams which make an impression on every reader of the Histories. Yet there are other types of signs and sign systems at play in the work to… Read more

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Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments This book started life as a Ph.D. dissertation, the writing of which I completed largely while seated on a couch with an implacably immobile cat on my lap. These lengthy periods of enforced motionlessness greatly helped concentrate my mind on the text of Herodotus, and I have dedicated this book to her manes in gratitude for her good humor and company during those years. A… Read more

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Bibliography

Bibliography Aceti, C., D. Leuzzi, and L. Pagani. 2008. Eroi nell’Iliade: personaggi e strutture narrative. Rome. Addison, C. 1993. “From Literal to Figurative: An Introduction to the Study of the Simile.” College English 55:402–419. ———. 2001. “‘So Stretched Out Huge in Length’: Reading the Extended Simile.” Style 35:498–516. Adkins, A. W. H. 1960. Merit… Read more