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Homer's Wine-Dark Sea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 September 2009

R. Rutherfurd-Dyer
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Extract

The adjective ωἷνοψ in the phrase translated ‘the wine-dark sea’ is normally regarded as a formulaic epithet, a meaningless romantic flourish evoking the colour or texture of wine. Homer's wine is elsewhere only red or black (⋯ρυθρός, Od. 5.165, 9.163; μέλας,5.265, 9.196, 346; αἶθωψ, Il. 1.462, 4.259), and thus, we assume, the colour of modern Mavrodaphni. Cattle of this colour (Od. 13.32, Il. 13.703) are probably dark red.

Type
Research Article
Information
Greece & Rome , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , October 1983 , pp. 125 - 128
Copyright
Copyright © The Classical Association 1983

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References

NOTES

1 Metrically οἲνοφα and οἲνοφα are always found in the fifth foot before forms of φόντος. However, in the phrase of cattle, οἲνοπɛ occupies the fourth foot.

2 The Nautical Star-guide (Nαυτικ⋯ ⋯στρολογία) probably by Phokos of Samos (Diog. Laert. 1.23) see: Kirk, G. S. and Raven, J. E., The Presocratic philosophers (Cambridge, 1957), pp. 84–6Google Scholar.

3 Lewis, David H., The voyaging stars: secrets of Pacific Island navigators (Sydney, 1978)Google Scholar, cf. id., We, the navigators: the ancient art of landfinding in the Pacific (Hawaii, 1973).