The Homeric Hymn to Hermes: Introduction, Text and Commentary

The Homeric Hymn to Hermes: Introduction, Text and Commentary......Page 4
Table of Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgments......Page 8
Abbreviations......Page 10
Introduction......Page 16
1. Summary of the poem......Page 17
2.1 Hermes’ Two Songs......Page 19
2.2 Hermes’ Songs as Mise en Abyme......Page 24
2.3 Semata, Poetry, and Prophecy......Page 30
2.4 Hermes’ Deceptive Language......Page 37
3. Humour in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes......Page 41
4.1.1 Vocabulary......Page 55
4.1.2 Formulaic phrases......Page 63
4.2.1 Dactyls and Spondees......Page 72
4.2.2 Caesurae, Bridges, Word-ends, and Enjambment......Page 74
4.2.3 Other prosodic features......Page 77
4.3.1 The Homeric Hymn to Hermes and the Odyssean tradition......Page 80
4.3.2 The Homeric Hymn to Hermes and Hesiod......Page 82
4.3.3 The Homeric Hymn to Hermes and the Homeric Hymn to Apollo......Page 85
Appendix: Oral or literate composition?......Page 88
5.1 References to the Story of the Homeric Hymn to Hermes in Other Authors......Page 91
5.2 Allusions to the Homeric Hymn to Hermes......Page 125
6. Structure and Arrangement......Page 140
7. Date and Place of Composition......Page 145
7.1.1 J. H. Voss, Mythologische Briefe......Page 146
7.1.2 The Seven-stringed Lyre......Page 148
7.1.3 Delphi......Page 150
7.1.4 Allusions to Social or Political Issues......Page 151
7.1.5 The Argument from Rhetoric and Music......Page 153
7.1.6 The Glottochronologic Approach......Page 157
7.1.7 Other Considerations......Page 160
7.2 Place of Composition......Page 163
8. The Transmission of the Text......Page 169
Ὕμνος εἰς Ἑρμῆν......Page 176
Sigla......Page 177
Εἰς Ερμῆν......Page 179
Commentary......Page 228
1–19 Proem......Page 229
1–9 Hermes’ parentage......Page 230
10–19 Hermes’ birth......Page 243
20–62 Hermes and the tortoise......Page 255
20–29 Hermes leaves his cave and encounters the tortoise......Page 256
30–38 Hermes’ address to the tortoise......Page 264
39–51 Hermes kills the tortoise and constructs the first lyre......Page 273
52–62 Hermes’ first song......Page 286
63–67 Hermes leaves his cave again......Page 294
68–86 Hermes steals fifty of Apollo’s cows......Page 298
87–93 Hermes at Onchestos......Page 312
90–93 Hermes’ address to the Old Man......Page 318
94–104 Hermes’ journey to the Alpheios......Page 322
105–141 Hermes at the Alpheios river......Page 331
109–114 Hermes invents the fire-sticks......Page 334
115–141 Hermes kills two cows and roasts their meat......Page 339
142–53 Hermes returns to his cave......Page 365
154–83 Hermes’ first confrontation......Page 373
154–61 Maia’s speech......Page 374
162–183 Hermes’ reply......Page 379
184–211 Apollo at Onchestos......Page 391
189–200 Apollo’s address to the Old Man......Page 398
201–211 The Old Man’s reply......Page 404
212–26 Apollo rushes to Pylos......Page 410
227–53 Apollo rushes to Mt. Cyllene and enters Hermes’ cave......Page 417
254–277 Hermes and Apollo’s first exchange of speeches......Page 432
254–260 Apollo’s speech......Page 434
261–77 Hermes’ reply......Page 437
278–280 Hermes’ non-verbal conclusion to his speech......Page 447
281–312 Hermes and Apollo’s second exchange of speeches......Page 449
281–293 Apollo’s second speech......Page 450
294–297a Hermes’ non-verbal reply......Page 455
297b–303 Apollo’s third speech......Page 457
304–312 Hermes’ protest......Page 459
313–28a Hermes and Apollo arrive at Olympus......Page 462
328b–332 Zeus’s question......Page 472
333–365 Apollo’s speech......Page 474
366–386 Hermes’ speech......Page 488
387–388 Hermes’ non-verbal conclusion to his speech......Page 500
389–396 Zeus’s reaction to Hermes’ speech and his verdict......Page 501
397–408 Hermes reveals the stolen cattle to Apollo......Page 504
409–414a Apollo unsuccessfully attempts to bind Hermes......Page 509
414b–435 Hermes reveals his lyre and performs a theogony......Page 513
435–462 Apollo’s response to Hermes’ theogony......Page 529
463–495 Hermes’ reply: praise of Apollo and instructions on how to use the lyre......Page 545
496–502 The exchange of the lyre for the stolen cattle......Page 559
503–578 On Mt. Olympus......Page 561
503–510 The two gods return to Mt. Olympus with the lyre......Page 563
511–512 Hermes invents the syrinx......Page 566
513–520 Apollo’s request for an oath......Page 567
521–528a Exchange of oaths......Page 570
528b–532 The caduceus......Page 573
533–566 Discussion on divination......Page 575
550–565 The Bee-oracle......Page 581
567–573 Further gifts for Hermes......Page 593
574–578 Moving towards the present......Page 596
579–580 The Hymn’s closure......Page 598
Bibliography......Page 602
Illustrations......Page 662
Index Rerum......Page 672
Index Locorum......Page 683