Opening the text

Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3: I. Prolegomena II. Achæis; or, the Ethnology of the Greek RacesGladstone, W. E. (William Ewart)

History

Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3: I. Prolegomena II. Achæis; or, the Ethnology of the Greek Races

Name: Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3: I. Prolegomena II. Achæis; or, the Ethnology of the Greek Races
Author: Gladstone, W. E. (William Ewart)

Gladstone, W. E. (William Ewart)

Civilization, Homeric; Epic poetry, Greek -- History and criticism; Homer

Now, though these are all rulers and great personages, the name Dmetor
is the only one among them which seems in any degree to present
Hellenic ideas: nor need that mean a subduer of men; it may as well
mean simply a breaker of horses. Apis, we have every reason to suppose,
means the ox. Lycoorgus, from Λυκὸς and ἔργον or its root, has all the
appearance of being characteristically Pelasgian.

Let us now inquire if the rules laid down will bear the test of being
applied to the lower order of the Greek soldiery.

In the Fifth Iliad Hector and Mars slay a batch of apparently
undistinguished persons[555]. They are,

  1. Teuthras.
  2. Orestes.
  3. Trechus.
  4. Œnomaus.
  5. Helenus (son of Œnops).
  6. Orestius.

And again in the Eleventh Iliad Hector slays nine more;

  1. Asæus.
  2. Autonous.
  3. Opites.
  4. Dolops (son of Clytus).
  5. Opheltius.
  6. Agelaus.
  7. Æsymnus.
  8. Orus.
  9. Hipponous.

Now out of the seventeen names here assembled,

Four, namely, Autonous, Clytus, Agelaus, and Æsymnus (from its
connection with the word αἰσυμνητὴς, ruler), belong to what I term the
Hellic class.

Three, namely, Teuthras, Asæus, and Helenus, do not immediately suggest
a particular derivation.

Of Hipponous I have already spoken. The other nine appear to conform to
the Pelasgian type. Œnomaus corresponds with the Latin Bibulus.

Again; the names of ordinary Trojans appear to belong generally to the
same type.

When Patroclus commences his exploits in the Sixteenth book, he slays
in succession,

  1. Pronous.
  2. Thestor, son of
  3. Enops.
  4. Erualus.
  5. Erumas.
  6. Amphoteros.
  7. Epaltes.
  8. Tlepolemus, son of
  9. Damastor.
  10. Echios.
  11. Puris.
  12. Ipheus.
  13. Euippus, and
  14. Polumelus, son of
  15. Argeas.

Of these only Tlepolemus and Pronous can with certainty be assigned
to the higher class. Damastor is doubtful, like Dmetor; but perhaps
from its connection with Tlepolemus, we ought to place it in the same
category. Still it must be observed that Homer takes care to bring into
action against Patroclus and the Myrmidons his favourites the Lycians,
as well as the Trojans[556]: and that therefore we are to presume in
this list an intermixture of Lycian names.

The names of ordinary Trojans are for the most part of the same colour.
But we must bear in mind that we cannot so easily trace the Trojan as
the Greek commonalty. Homer rarely allows a Greek of high station or
distinction to be slain: whereas the Greeks continually destroy Trojans
of eminence. We may therefore be prepared to find names of the higher
type somewhat more freely sprinkled among the Trojan than among the
Greek slain.

In the Sixth Iliad[557] a number of the Greek heroes dispatch
consecutively a list of Trojans, which supplies the following names:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3: I. Prolegomena II. Achæis; or, the Ethnology of the Greek RacesGladstone, W. E. (William Ewart)

History

Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3: I. Prolegomena II. Achæis; or, the Ethnology of the Greek Races

Gladstone, W. E. (William Ewart)

Civilization, Homeric; Epic poetry, Greek -- History and criticism; Homer

Now, though these are all rulers and great personages, the name Dmetor
is the only one among them which seems in any degree to present
Hellenic ideas: nor need that mean a subduer of men; it may as well
mean simply a breaker of horses. Apis, we have every reason to suppose,
means the ox. Lycoorgus, from Λυκὸς and ἔργον or its root, has all the
appearance of being characteristically Pelasgian.

Let us now inquire if the rules laid down will bear the test of being
applied to the lower order of the Greek soldiery.

In the Fifth Iliad Hector and Mars slay a batch of apparently
undistinguished persons[555]. They are,

  1. Teuthras.
  2. Orestes.
  3. Trechus.
  4. Œnomaus.
  5. Helenus (son of Œnops).
  6. Orestius.

And again in the Eleventh Iliad Hector slays nine more;

  1. Asæus.
  2. Autonous.
  3. Opites.
  4. Dolops (son of Clytus).
  5. Opheltius.
  6. Agelaus.
  7. Æsymnus.
  8. Orus.
  9. Hipponous.

Now out of the seventeen names here assembled,

Four, namely, Autonous, Clytus, Agelaus, and Æsymnus (from its
connection with the word αἰσυμνητὴς, ruler), belong to what I term the
Hellic class.

Three, namely, Teuthras, Asæus, and Helenus, do not immediately suggest
a particular derivation.

Of Hipponous I have already spoken. The other nine appear to conform to
the Pelasgian type. Œnomaus corresponds with the Latin Bibulus.

Again; the names of ordinary Trojans appear to belong generally to the
same type.

When Patroclus commences his exploits in the Sixteenth book, he slays
in succession,

  1. Pronous.
  2. Thestor, son of
  3. Enops.
  4. Erualus.
  5. Erumas.
  6. Amphoteros.
  7. Epaltes.
  8. Tlepolemus, son of
  9. Damastor.
  10. Echios.
  11. Puris.
  12. Ipheus.
  13. Euippus, and
  14. Polumelus, son of
  15. Argeas.

Of these only Tlepolemus and Pronous can with certainty be assigned
to the higher class. Damastor is doubtful, like Dmetor; but perhaps
from its connection with Tlepolemus, we ought to place it in the same
category. Still it must be observed that Homer takes care to bring into
action against Patroclus and the Myrmidons his favourites the Lycians,
as well as the Trojans[556]: and that therefore we are to presume in
this list an intermixture of Lycian names.

The names of ordinary Trojans are for the most part of the same colour.
But we must bear in mind that we cannot so easily trace the Trojan as
the Greek commonalty. Homer rarely allows a Greek of high station or
distinction to be slain: whereas the Greeks continually destroy Trojans
of eminence. We may therefore be prepared to find names of the higher
type somewhat more freely sprinkled among the Trojan than among the
Greek slain.

In the Sixth Iliad[557] a number of the Greek heroes dispatch
consecutively a list of Trojans, which supplies the following names:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3: I. Prolegomena II. Achæis; or, the Ethnology of the Greek Races

Studies on Homer and the Homeric Age, Vol. 1 of 3: I. Prolegomena II. Achæis; or, the Ethnology of the Greek Races

No reviews yet