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
This is the more worthy of remark, when we look to the preamble and
peroration of the speech. For in both of these, which refer to the
whole body of the Greeks and to the Trojan epoch, he employs his usual
names, and calls them both Danaans (Δαναῶν οὐ κήδεται, v. 665, also
vid. 797), and Argives (Ἀργείων ἀέκητι, v. 667): finally Achæans (υἷες
Ἀχαιῶν, 800).
Thus then he calls the Pylians Achæans at the time of the Argive
predominance: for this local war could hardly have been more than ten
or twenty years after the birth of Eurystheus, and must therefore have
been before, or else during his reign; that is to say, at a time when
his own subjects are called Ἀργεῖοι.
Again. Homer uses the word Ἀργεῖος in the feminine singular fifteen
times. Twice it is with reference to Juno. Of course this application
of the term is figurative. But though it be figurative, the figure
is evidently founded on her close and intimate relation, not to the
Greeks at large only, but to the Argive name; and to the persons, but
more particularly to the place, that was so specially associated with
it[618].
In all the other thirteen places, the epithet is joined with the name
of Helen. Does it for her mean simply Greek, or something special and
beyond this? Now if it meant simply Greek, it would be strange that
she is never called, I will not say Δαναὴ, because the Danaan name has
no singular use in Homer, but certainly Ἀχαιὴ or Ἀχαίïς. Especially as
the word Ἀχαιὸς is used as an epithet, be it remembered, many times
oftener, than is Ἀργεῖος: and it alone is used to describe the women of
Greece generally.
Again, if the epithet Argive, as applied to Helen, meant simply Greek,
it might be suitable enough in the mouth of a Trojan speaking among
Trojans, but it would have been weak and unmeaning, and therefore most
unlike Homer, in the mouth of a Greek or a friend of Greeks; or when,
as in the Odyssey[619], Helen is no longer among strangers, but at
home. Yet it is used in the following passages among others, (1) by
Juno to Minerva, Il. ii. 161, (2) by Minerva to Ulysses, Il. ii. 177;
and here in a near juxtaposition with the Achæan appellative, which
goes far to prove of itself that Ἀργείη has a meaning more specific
than merely Greek. The passage is,
Ἀργείην Ἑλένην, ἧς εἵνεκα πολλοὶ Ἀχαιῶν
ἐν Τροίῃ ἀπόλοντο.
I doubt whether Homer ever places in such proximity the two epithets
with the same meaning for each[620]. The tautology would be gross, if
Achæan and Argeian each meant neither more nor less than Greek: but if
Ἀργείη have the local sense, nothing awkward remains. (3) It is used by
Agamemnon, Il. iii. 458, in addressing the Trojans; (4) Il. iv. 174, in
addressing Menelaus; (5) Il. ix. 140, in addressing the Greek Council.
It seems quite clear, from even this enumeration, that Ἀργείη, as
applied to Helen, must mean something different from the mere fact that
she belonged to the Greek nation at large.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account