Ancient Poetic Etymology: The Pelopids: Fathers and SonsThe potential of ancient Greek poetic etymologizing and its reception in antiquity are analyzed with new interpretive models. The author studies poetic etymology in a holistic and integrative manner, as a tool of thematic and narrative unification. Select passages from Homer and archaic lyric poetry provide the matrix for etymological patterns; their validity is examined in an intertextual study of the names of Pelops and his kin. This family exhibits a consistent naming system: the signifiers and signifieds of its male members manifest a lexical and semantic affinity; fathers and sons are linked with inherited linguistic and behavioral bonds. Pelops is given a focal position on account of his preeminence at Olympia and his polyvalent and polysemous name, in which the ambiguities and polarities of his mythic and cultic identity are embedded. |
Contents
Chapter | 11 |
Scientific and Ancient Etymology | 25 |
Chapter 2 | 32 |
Copyright | |
10 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
Achilles Aeschylus Agamemnon alliteration ambiguous ancient Apollo argues associations Athena becomes belongs bright called cognates common connections connotations constitution context contrast darkness death derivation describes divine epic epithet etymology Eust evokes eyes father figure function gives gods Greek hand hence hero Homer horses human Iliad individual killed language later light linguistic literary marked meaning Menelaus mental mother motivation myth mythical narrative nature notion object Odysseus Oenomaus Orestes original passage Pelops person phrase Pindar Plato play poet poetic poetry Poseidon proper name qualities refers relation reversed role scholars scholiasts semantic sense share shoulder signifies similar sounds speaks story suggests symbol synonyms takes Tantalus things tion traditional verb vision Zeus γὰρ δὲ διὰ ἐν καὶ οἱ παρὰ τὸ τε τὴν τῆς τὸν τοῦ τῷ τῶν ὡς