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 of these fifteen names none, if judged by the rules which we have
laid down, would clearly fall into the Pelasgian, or more plebeian,
class, except Dryops, perhaps Laogonus, and Bias: three only. Peiroos
and Rigmos (probably akin to ῥῖγος) are Thracian, and may be put aside.
Six, viz., Demuchus, Philetor, Alastor (contrast with this Lethus),
Echeclus, Agenor, and Areithous, are of the Hellic class. The others,
Dardanus, Tros, Moulius (Il. xi. 739), and Deucalion are repeated from
eminent historical personages.
In this set of names we observe, in conjunction with a new instance
of Homer’s ever wakeful care in doing supreme honour to Achilles,
unequivocal evidence, as I think, that the poet did distribute his
names with some special meaning among his minor, and, (so we must
suppose,) generally or frequently, non-historical personages.
And the further inference may perhaps be drawn of a probable affinity
of race between the highest Trojans and the Hellic tribes.
This inference may be supported by another example. The numerous sons
of Antenor, whose names are collected from different parts of the poem,
are as follows:
1. Agenor, Il. xi. 59.
2. Acamas, ii. 823. xi. 60. xii. 100, _et alibi_.
3. Archelochus, ii. 823. xiv. 464.
4. Coon, xi. 248.
5. Demoleon, xx. 395.
6. Echeclus, xx. 474.
7. Helicaon, iii. 123.
8. Iphidamas, xi. 221.
9. Laodamas, xv. 516.
10. Laodocus, iv. 87. and
11. Pedæus (νόθος), v. 70.
I apprehend Laodocus should be construed, after the manner of
Demodocus, to signify having fame or repute among the λαός. If so, then
of the ten legitimate sons, eight have names with an etymology that
directly connects them with the higher signification. The name of the
Bastard only is more doubtful.
Among the Suitors in Ithaca, who are the princes and chief men of the
island, with their connections, and others of the same class, we have
the following list of names of the high class:
Mentor.
Elatus. (cf. Il. xi. 701.)
Euryades.
Eurydamas.
Eurymachus.
Eurynomus.
Amphinomus.
Peisander.
Eupeithes.
Antinous.
Leiocritus.
Leiodes.
Agelaus.
Damastor.
Demoptolemus.
Euryades.
Mastor.
Euenor.
Phronius.
Noemon.
Nor are the names which have not been placed in this list of an
opposite character. They are chiefly such as have not an obvious
etymology. Two of them, Ægyptius and Polybus, were, as we know, great
names in Egypt, and they probably indicate a Pelasgian or an Egyptian
extraction. Others are, Halitherses, Melaneus, Ctesippus, Nisus,
Antiphus, Peiræus. Of these, the two, or even the three, first may
perhaps be regarded as properly Hellic.
Take again the six sons of Nestor:
1. Antilochus.
2. Stratius.
3. Thrasymedes.
4. Echephron.
5. Perseus.
6. Aretus (akin to ἀρέσκω, ἀρετή, and the Arete of Scheria).
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