Papers by Andromache Karanika
The Classical Review, 2018
course. In the epilogue and conclusion, T.-B. turns to the very different approach of Aristotle i... more course. In the epilogue and conclusion, T.-B. turns to the very different approach of Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics. The volumealso includes a detailed bibliography and an indexof passages cited. The book adroitly moves across genres – poetry, history, ethics, medicine, warfare, politics, rhetoric – providing nuanced readings in each case. This study is a rich resource for anyone interested in Greek perceptions of the role of chance, timing and opportunity across many contexts. It follows in the footsteps of landmark studies such as M. Detienne and J.-P. Vernant’s Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society (1978). Like that work, it makes an important contribution to both classical philology and an interdisciplinary history of ideas.
Athena in the Classical World, 2001
The Classical Review, 2021
may be taken to indicate this), I. notes that, while the Creon of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is ... more may be taken to indicate this), I. notes that, while the Creon of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King is not in fact envious or ambitious, Oedipus accuses him of being such, and thus Euripides may have ‘relied on’ Sophocles in this extended sense (p. 132). Earlier (p. 122) I. suggests that Euripides’ negative portrayal of Creon may represent a purposeful ‘imitation by contrast’ of the figure who, when he re-enters late in Sophocles’ play, declines to mock Oedipus. Like many others, I. makes a similar observation about the characterisation of Eteocles in Euripides’ Phoenician Women (p. 138), but more, and more daring, interpretations of this kind would have been welcome. The book’s origins as a dissertation remain evident, and indeed I. cites the excellent Munich dissertation of C. Zimmermann, Der Antigone-Mythos in der antiken Literatur und Kunst (1993) as a precedent for her aims and methods. Unlike Zimmermann, however, I. does not equip her book with extended theoretical reflections on the concept of myth or concluding remarks on the social, political, religious and ethical dimensions of her subject. She requires only three pages (pp. 3–5) to adopt a conventional working definition of myth and a procedure for detecting and describing intertextual influence. She takes interpretations of Oedipus by modern psychologists and philosophers off the agenda, and her reception history stops with Seneca. Of course, the myth of Oedipus could provide and has provided material for countless books other than the one I. chose to write. Her study can be recommended as a convenient and generally reliable source for exactly what it sets out to deliver. Among sundry minor slips, perhaps the most consequential concerns the content of the archaic epic Oedipodea. Although I. is aware that scholars dispute the date, authorship, sources and reliability of the so-called Peisander-scholion (Σ Eur. Phoen. 1760), she writes without qualification in her summary of the Oedipodea (p. 24) that it ‘must’ have treated Laius’ abduction of Chrysippus, familiar later as an aition of pederasty. I. writes clearly and concisely. She has read widely in the relevant scholarship and engages with it appropriately. She is not overzealous for novelty, but she expresses opinions on controversial matters and supports them with good arguments. The chapter on Euripides’ Oedipus stands out. Here I. goes into depth and offers an appealing, if necessarily speculative, reconstruction of many aspects of this puzzling play, with informed commentary on all the fragments, not just the ones pertaining directly to the myth of Oedipus.
Religion in the Roman Empire, 2020
Information on submitting manuscripts, about transferral and retainment of rights, as well as the... more Information on submitting manuscripts, about transferral and retainment of rights, as well as the correct presentation style for submissions can be found at www.mohrsiebeck.com/rre by selecting "Manuscripts". Frequency of publication: One volume with three issues per year.
The Fall of Cities in the Mediterranean
Arethusa, 2011
... Buchan, Mark. 2004. The Limits of Heroism: Homer and the Ethics of Reading. Ann Arbor. Burges... more ... Buchan, Mark. 2004. The Limits of Heroism: Homer and the Ethics of Reading. Ann Arbor. Burgess, Jonathan S. 1999. "Gilgamesh and Odysseus in the Otherworld," ECM 18.171-210. . 2001. The Tradition of the Trojan War in Homer and the Epic Cycle. Baltimore. . ...
Sacred Words: Orality, Literacy and Religion
In this paper, the author investigates the complex relation between orality and literacy by analy... more In this paper, the author investigates the complex relation between orality and literacy by analyzing a set of magical papyri that quote disconnected and seemingly out of context Homeric verses. This set is generally referred to as the homeromanteion , the 'Homer oracle,' and can be dated around the fourth or fifth century century CE. The author also discusses the homeromanteion by first looking at instances where Homeric verses are quoted in a larger narrative in contexts of divination. It is also important to compare the Homeric lines in the homeromanteion with the use of Homer for ritual purposes elsewhere in the magical papyri. The author then compares this compilation of lines with similar sortes and other divination practices and propose a reading of the homeromanteion as a full manual and document in its own right, at the same time attempting to explain why these verses were included in it. Keywords: divination; Greek; Homer; homeromanteion ; magical papyri; prophet; sortes ; tradition
Fakes and Forgers of Classical Literature, 2014
This chapter offers a reading of Eudocia's Homerocentones that presents it as an independent ... more This chapter offers a reading of Eudocia's Homerocentones that presents it as an independent work in its own terms without delving into the connections and alluded meanings created through the communication with the "original" text of Homer. One could discern an external mimetic force, namely the Homeric verses, as the forma , and the internal narrative needs as deriving from the Bible. The scene of the Cana Wedding focuses on women. The woman is described like a worm on the earth (line 998), and Eudocia presents the emotional outburst as she cries. It is not difficult to see why Eudocia would take such an interest in a conversion story of a figure who used to be a magician. The underlying theme of transformation is a persistent interest both as substance and as form, through the use of centos in one case and the poeticization of available prose on the other. Keywords: Bible; Cana Wedding; emotional outburst; Eudocia's Homerocentones ; forma ; poeticization
Trends in Classics, 2013
Abstract: This paper discusses how wedding performances permeate Homeric discourse with a focus o... more Abstract: This paper discusses how wedding performances permeate Homeric discourse with a focus on the “Teichoskopia” section of the Iliad (3.146-244). In Iliad 3 Priam’s inquiries to Helen about the leaders of the Achaean army at the tenth year of the war are puzzling and have been viewed by many critics as anachronistic in the light of the narrative time of the poem. While most scholarship has focused on Helen, this paper analyzes Priam’s speech acts from the perspective of traditional poetic genres. The common themes of eikasia and makarismos typically found in wedding poetry are prevalent throughout Priam’s speech acts. Such an interpretation seeks to put this scene in the context of oral poetics while illuminating further the associations evoked regarding Helen’s position in the context of the tradition of Helen’s suitors in epic poetry.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010
Commentators have long noted the peculiarity in the questions posed by Priam regarding the identi... more Commentators have long noted the peculiarity in the questions posed by Priam regarding the identity of the Achaean leaders in the tenth year of the Trojan War. The section known as “teichoskopia” in Iliad 3.161-244 has an idiosyncratic relationship with the narrative time of the Iliad. The entire book 3 of the Iliad has been read from many angles, emphasizing Helen’s position in epic poetry and poetics and self-referentiality of epic (e.g. Clader 1976, Bergren 1980, Pucci 1993, Worman 2001, Elmer 2005, Martin 2007). The exchange between Helen and Priam is problematic in multiple ways. Moreover, the affinities of this passage with passages from the Odyssey have presented further challenges in its interpretation. Much of the diction is typical in guest scenes (Higbie 1995, Mackie 1996, Tsagalis 2008). Other scholars have regarded the “teichoskopia” as an earlier part of Trojan war narratives (Parry 1966, Kakridis 1971, Edwards 1980, Postlethwaite 1985). Other readings put forth the cognate perspective of wooing and counter-wooing scenes in the indo-european tradition (Jamison 1994). While most studies on Iliad 3 have focused on Helen, this paper analyzes Priam’s speech act from the perspective of traditional poetics and reflections of other speech genres in the Iliad. As I argue, the topoi of traditional discourse around weddings permeate the epic fabric. Priam’s discourse exhibits elements of the tradition of praise, eikasia and makarismos that are aptly placed in the iliadic context. It is a communis opinio that performances at wedding are centered around praise for the couple. The core of the song is praise, possibly modeled on an ainos poetry that seeks to extol the beauty of the bride and the strength of the groom. The wedding theme appears not infrequently in Homeric narrative (e.g. Il. 18.490-496; Od. 4. 1-19; Od. 6 passim; Od. 15.125-127; Od. 23.129-140) but typology and forms of wedding poetry enrich the epic fabric in more subtle ways. While similar strategies have been explored in the Odyssey (Hague 1983) wedding diction in the Iliad remains largely unexplored. A detailed reading of Priam’s questions to Helen shows how he orchestrates the praise of all the Achaean leaders with regards to the size of their appearance, something that can be read against wedding song poetics (as in Sappho. fr. 111). Moreover, Priam’s address to Agamemnon’s name includes a makarismos, also typical in wedding related diction (cf. Hes. Fr. 211 M.-W). The references to Odysseus include an eikasia that likens Odysseus to a ram. While Helen initially responds to Priam using a language that exhibits the strategy of the expert lamenter in a discourse of blame and guilt, she later corresponds her answers to the speech acts of Priam and offers information on more Achaean leaders on the field of Troy (Ajax and Idomeneus). The same preoccupations with size and eikasia are present in Helen’s answers that complement Priam’s speech. This paper focuses on Priam’s speech and aims to shed more light to our understanding of interdiscursivity in epic poetry by highlighting the narrative associations that Priam’s language conveys. Priam’s language renegotiates Helen’s position in the stories around Trojan War and places it in the context of the poetic tradition around Helen’s suitors.SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHYBergren, Ann 1980. "Helen's Web: Time and Tableau in the Iliad ." Helios 7(1): 19-34Clader, L.L. 1976. Helen: The Evolution from Divine to Heroic in Greek Epic Diction. Leiden.Edwards, M.W. 1980. “Structure of Homeric Catalogues.” TAPA 110: 81-105.Elmer, D. 2005. “Helen Epigrammatopoios” Classical Antiquity 24.1: 1-39.Higbie, C. 1995. Heroes’ Names: Homeric Identities. New York and London.Jamison, S.W. 1994. “Draupadi on the Walls of Troy: Iliad 3 from an Indic Perspective.” Classical Antiquity 13: 5-16. Kakridis, I. 1971. Homer Revisited. Lund. Mackie, H. 1996. Talking Trojan: Speech and Community in the Iliad. London.Martin, Richard. 2007. “Keens from the Absent Chorus: Troy to Ulster.” In Lament: Studies in Ancient Mediterranean. A. Suter (ed.) Oxford: 118-138.Postlethwaite N. 1985. “The duel of Paris and Menelaos and the Teichoskopia in Iliad 3.” Anthichthon 19: 1-6.Pucci, P. 2003. “Prosopopee d’ Helene.” Le mythe d’ Helene, ed. M. Broze et al., 89-119. Brussels.Roisman, H. 2006. “Helen in the Iliad; Causa Belli and Victim of War: From Silent Weaver to Public Speaker” American Journal of Philology 127.1: 1-36Tsagalis, C. 2008. The Oral Palimpsest: Exploring Intertextuality in the Homeric Epics. Washington DC: Center for Hellenic Studies.Tsagarakis O. 1982. “The teichoskopia cannot belong in the beginning of the Trojan war.” QUCC 41 : 61-72.Worman 2001. “This Voice which is Not One: Helen’s Verbal Guises in Homeric Epic.” In Making Silence Speak: Women’s Voices in Greek Literature and Society, ed. A. Lardinois and L. McClure, 19-37. Princeton.
The Journal of Roman Studies, 2004
... | Ayuda. Children and Childhood in Roman Italy. Autores: Mary Harlow; Localización: American ... more ... | Ayuda. Children and Childhood in Roman Italy. Autores: Mary Harlow; Localización: American historial review. Clases I, ISSN 0002-8762, Vol. 110, Nº 1, 2005 , pag. 199. © 2001-2010 Universidad de La Rioja · Todos los derechos reservados. XHTML 1.0; UTF‑8.
This paper discusses how wedding performances permeate Homeric discourse with a focus on the "Tei... more This paper discusses how wedding performances permeate Homeric discourse with a focus on the "Teichoskopia" section of the Iliad (3.161-244). In Iliad 3 Priam's inquiries to Helen about the leaders of the Achaean army at the tenth year of the war are puzzling and have been viewed by many critics as anachronistic in the light of the narrative time of the poem. While most scholarship has focused on Helen, this paper analyzes Priam's speech acts from the perspective of traditional poetic genres. The common themes of eikasia and makarismos typically found in wedding poetry are prevalent throughout Priam's speech acts. Such an interpretation seeks to put this scene in the context of oral poetics while illuminating further the associations evoked regarding Helen's position in the context of the tradition of Helen's suitors in epic poetry.
When the world-famous opera singer Luciano Pavarotti made his debut in the Arab world in Beirut, ... more When the world-famous opera singer Luciano Pavarotti made his debut in the Arab world in Beirut, Lebanon, performing at a concert to celebrate the recovery from the Lebanese 1975-1990 civil war, he was congratulated in the end, not only with the expected cheers and applause but also with the traditional ululation. CNN reported on June 14, 1999 that Pavarotti "broke a different kind of sound barrier." Indeed, ululation has been used in many cultures as a distinctive kind of voice, which is replete with emotional intensity and comes as a release of tension, not incongruent with community politics. The ancient Greek ululation is perceived as a ritual cry in specific moments that is crystallized in narratives in ways that pose many questions. The purpose of this paper is to make our hearing more sensitive to the utterance of such voices and the connotations they have in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, investigating further the role of the ritual cry of the ololygê. In the polyphony of voices so characteristic of the Hymn to Apollo, the ritual cry that accompanies and marks the birth of the god creates a special effect. No reference to such ritual cries is made in vain. As McClure remarks, "like lamentation, this speech genre may be considered a socially constructive utterance executed on behalf of the larger community." 1 According to the early dictionaries, the ololygê is a cry uttered by women, interwoven with ritual action. 2 The lexicographers note that the ololygê can be a thanksgiving ritual cry of ecstatic joy or the crying of lamentation. In both classical as well as later evidence it becomes synonymous with a lamentation cry, like the oimogê. 3 Ololygê possibly has an onomatopoeic origin denoting the shrieking female voice. Lamentation cries are often referred to as ololygê in classical historiography and in tragedy. There are many more such references in Second Sophistic literature, and Christian writers also use the word
Already in antiquity, the end of the Nekyia presented many diffi culties to readers. 2 In Odyssey... more Already in antiquity, the end of the Nekyia presented many diffi culties to readers. 2 In Odyssey 11, Odysseus goes to the Underworld and sees other heroines and heroes, some of whom belong to earlier mythic generations. The journey to the Underworld involves an expansion of not only the epic poem's geography but also its chronology. 3 This paper seeks to analyze Odysseus's relationship with Heracles as a pre-Trojan War hero and explain the presence of Heracles and the Gorgon as the closing images of Odysseus's journey to the Underworld. Heracles is the last of the heroes whom Odysseus meets before his puzzling departure from Hades, and the typology of their encounter differs signifi cantly from Odysseus's other encounters.
Information on submitting manuscripts, about transferral and retainment of rights, as well as the... more Information on submitting manuscripts, about transferral and retainment of rights, as well as the correct presentation style for submissions can be found at www.mohrsiebeck.com/rre by selecting "Manuscripts". Frequency of publication: One volume with three issues per year.
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Papers by Andromache Karanika