A Theoretical Interpretation of Hesiod's Chaos

Antiquorum Philosophia , 2021

Per uso strettamente personale dell'autore. È proibita la riproduzione e la pubblicazione in open access. For author's personal use only. Any copy or publication in open access is forbidden.

The Classical Review 73.1 (2023), 39-41 , 2023

the authorship of some passages included in the Theognidean collectionhe suggests that Theognidea 1123-8 are by Archilochus (Chapter 12), and that Theognidea 667-82 were probably composed by Euenus of Paros and one Simonides of Eretria might have composed Theognidea 903-30 (Chapter 20)-; and although his suggestions are speculative, as he recognises, it is rewarding to observe and follow the thought process by which B. reaches these conclusions. In its totality, the volume grapples with fundamental aspects of research on Greek lyric poetry, which is perceived in its oral and performative contexts, in sociocultural and political circumstances, within the mythological continuum, in generic dialogue with epigram and prose genres, featuring metrical entities and items of intertextuality, and lastly as a material text that can be collected and transmitted. Some of the chapters included would otherwise not have been readily accessible in many libraries, and their inclusion makes them available to a broader readership. The contents of this volume bear witness to B.'s remarkable scholarly range, erudition, command of the evidence, skill at close reading, lucid and elegant argumentation, and wit. It is a treat for readers to be able to track, within a single volume, the generation and elaboration of B.'s ideas over the last four decades.

Creation and Chaos: A Reconsideration of Gunkel’s Chaoskampf Hypothesis, 2013

This chapter explores the definition and function of chaos within its original contexts, the Greek and Roman mythological texts in which cosmogonic or precosmic chaos is explicitly referenced; considers the extent to which cosmogonic chaos may be legitimately mapped onto the Mesopotamian cosmogonies, specifically the cosmogony contained in Enūma eliš, the so-called Babylonian Epic of Creation; and examines kratogenic chaos, its role in the Mesopotamian world view, and its specific manifestation in the text of Enūma eliš.

Expositions, 2012

Solid Earth Discussions, 2009

We propose the Chaotian Eon to demarcate geologic time from the origin of the Solar System to the Moon-forming impact on Earth. This separates the solar system wide processes of planet formation from the subsequent divergent evolution of the inner planets. We further propose the division of the Hadean Eon into eras and periods and naming the proto-Earth Tellus.

2009

There is a debate about the account of the origins of the cosmos given in Plato’s Timaeus. Should we take it literally, as giving us a cosmogony? Or should it be taken metaphorically, giving an account of what the world would be like in the absence of god? This paper looks at the evidence in Plato’s other works on whether there was an actual origin to the cosmos or not. This paper also looks at what Plato means by the description “demiurge” and related terms in other works, and asks how appropriate a description that is of the god of the Timaeus on the literal and metaphorical views. This paper concludes that there is good evidence in favour of a literal cosmogony outside the Timaeus and that the demiurge description is highly appropriate for god on the literal account but thoroughly inappropriate on the metaphorical account.

Hesiod's Th eogony and the Babylonian Enūma eliš both move from chaos to order, divine confl ict to consensus. Th ey draw on the narrative template of a myth of succession among the gods which culminates in the current ruler of the universe ascending to power, and remaining in power for evermore: Zeus in the Th eogony , Marduk in Enūma eliš . However, the two texts interpret this general template diff erently: whereas Enūma eliš concentrates on clashes between the younger gods and the primordial couple Apsû and Tiāmat, confl ict is passed down the generations in the Th eogony . When resolution comes, the two texts again adopt diff erent approaches: whereas the Th eogony plays down consensus among the gods and the closure it brings, the opposite is true of Enūma eliš . I argue that these fundamental diff erences between the two texts are facets of a coherent strategy of adaptation: Hesiod's Th eogony and the Babylonian Enūma eliš shape the succession myth so as to make it fi t their distinct contexts of performance and reception. Th e aim of this chapter is to demonstrate that Greeks and Babylonians drew on a shared stock of narrative themes and techniques when describing the earliest history of the universe -and that by comparing the two traditions we can hope to gain a better understanding of each.

Conflict and Consensus in Early Greek Hexameter Poetry

Time and Cosmogony in Plato and the Platonic Tradition, 2022

I defend, against its more recent critics, a literal, factual, and consistent interpretation of Timaeus’ creation of the cosmos and time. My main purpose is to clarify the assumptions under which a literal interpretation of Timaeus’ cosmology becomes philosophically attractive. I propose five exegetical principles that guide my interpretation. Unlike previous literalists, I argue that assuming a “pre-cosmic time” is a mistake. Instead, I challenge the exegetical assumptions scholars impose on the text and argue that for Timaeus, a mere succession of events and the relations derived from it (before, after, simultaneous with) imply no time, given the narrow definition of the term used in the dialogue. For Timaeus, I explain, time is measurable, regular, and dependent on the motion of the celestial bodies. A mere succession of events like the one needed to understand the creation story and the pre-cosmos requires none of these elements. Readers of Plato erroneously assume that a succession of events implies time, but that is to impose a conception of time absent in the text. The chapter offers a detailed reconstruction of the pre-cosmic stage under a literalist interpretation and argues how it is compatible with the immutable relationship between the Demiurge and the cosmos. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC 4.0 license. chapter 4