Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- PART I
- PART II
- 13 The gods in Homer
- 14 Homeric similes
- 15 Epithets
- 16 Type scenes
- 17 Homeric speeches
- 18 Reverse order
- 19 Staging, performance and dramaturgy
- Epilogue
- Glossary of Greek terms
- Editions of scholia
- Other abbreviations
- Bibliography
- Thematic index
- Index locorum
13 - The gods in Homer
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- PART I
- PART II
- 13 The gods in Homer
- 14 Homeric similes
- 15 Epithets
- 16 Type scenes
- 17 Homeric speeches
- 18 Reverse order
- 19 Staging, performance and dramaturgy
- Epilogue
- Glossary of Greek terms
- Editions of scholia
- Other abbreviations
- Bibliography
- Thematic index
- Index locorum
Summary
The gods play a central role in the Rezeptionsgeschichte of the Homeric epics, and it would no doubt be possible to devote an entire book to this topic. The purpose of the present chapter, however, is more limited and modest in scope. It primarily comprises a representative collection of ancient comments which discuss the narrative function of the gods in the Homeric epics, in other words a collection of notes on what is sometimes referred to, if somewhat misleadingly, as the Homeric Götterapparat. Conversely, the present chapter does not treat comments on questions of theology, faith, religious behaviour, cult practice, etc., in their own right, because they go well beyond the domain of literary criticism. Equally omitted are the different forms of allegorical explanation, arguably the most common and long-lived hermeneutic ancient approach to the gods in Homer.
DIVINE INTERVENTIONS
The scholia recognise a fundamental difference between human and divine characters and their respective spheres of action. Consequently, the appearance of a divine character on the human plane is seen as an exceptional measure which is called for by particular circumstances, for example, if things are going terribly wrong and must be set straight by the intervention of a god. (In Iliad 1 Achilles is about to draw his sword and to kill Agamemnon when Hera urges Athena to intervene.)
εἴωθε δὲ εἰς τοσοῦτον αὔξειν τὰς περιπετείας ὡς μὴ δύνασθαι ἄνθρωπον αὐτὰς παῦσαι, ὡς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Πείρας [sc. Il. 2.166–82] χρείαν πάλιν ἔσχε τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς. (schol. bT Il. 1.195–6b ex.)
He [sc. Homer] is wont to increase the crises to such a point that a human being cannot stop them, as in the case of the ‘Test’ too he had need again of Athena.
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- Information
- The Ancient Critic at WorkTerms and Concepts of Literary Criticism in Greek Scholia, pp. 267 - 281Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009