Challenges to the power of Zeus in early Greek poetry

236 Pages·2011·1.42 MB·English

by  (Greek deity) Zeus

Challenges to the Power of Zeus
in Early Greek Poetry
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C
HALLENGES
TO THE
P Z
OWER OF EUS
IN
E G P
ARLY REEK OETRY
Noriko Yasumura
LONDON • NEW DELHI • NEW YORK • SYDNEY
Bloomsbury Academic
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First published in 2011 by Bristol Classical Press
an imprint of Bloomsbury Academic
Reprinted by Bloomsbury Academic 2013
© Noriko Yasumura, 2011
Noriko Yasumura has asserted their right under the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identi(cid:1) ed as
Author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or
retrieval system, without prior permission in writing
from the publishers.
No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting
on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this
publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the author.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: PB: 978-0-7156-3678-7
E-pub: 978-1-4725-1968-9
E-pdf: 978-1-4725-1967-2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
Contents
Preface vii
Introduction 1
I. The Threat of Thetis 13
1. The supplication of Thetis 14
2. Phoenix as an example of the generational strife in the Iliad 19
3. Telemachus as an example of the generational strife in the
Odyssey 20
4. Peleus and Achilles 28
II. The Golden Chain of Hera 39
1. The desmÒj of the gods in the Iliad 40
2. The golden chain of Hera 45
3. Heracles: the motive for the golden chain 49
III. The Reordering of the Universe 58
1. The tug-of-war between Zeus and Poseidon 59
2. The parallel presentation of wrath 64
3. The reordering of the universe 71
IV. The Birth of Athena 76
1. Near Eastern succession myth and Hesiod’s Theogony 76
2. The Hesiodic account: the route to Zeus’ victory 79
3. The birth of Athena 86
V. Prometheus, God of Forethought 97
1. The myth of Prometheus in the Theogony 98
2. The defeat of Prometheus 109
3. Elpis 112
VI. Typhon, Son of Hera 117
1. The arrangement of the motifs 118
2. The digression of the Typhon episode 121
3. The opening scene of the Hymn to Apollo 129
v
Contents
VII. The Bitter Sorrow of Aphrodite 132
1. The irony of human limitation 133
2. The sorrow of Aphrodite 142
3. The three goddesses at the beginning of the Hymn to
Aphrodite 151
Epilogue 157
Notes 161
Abbreviations 199
Bibliography 201
Index of Passages 213
Index of Names 215
General Index 220
vi
Preface
It was a long time ago – indeed, as long as thirty years ago – that the idea
for this book first came to my mind. In 1974-5 I was given the chance to
study at Cambridge as a British Council Scholar under the supervision of
the late Dr John Chadwick. Under his guidance I studied the Linear B
tablets and found myself particularly attracted by the religious tablets
from Pylos. They seemed to show that Zeus was just an ordinary god in
those days – a god, no doubt, but one of no specific significance. This
revelation was a great surprise: with my ideas so informed by Homer and
Hesiod, I had never doubted Zeus’ supremacy in the Greek mythological
universe. I recognised now that the characterisation of Zeus had been
transformed by the beginning of the Archaic period, and I became curious
to know more about the strategies and processes underlying Zeus’ progres-
sion to sovereignty. From this tiny germ of curiosity arose the idea for this
book.
I was able to return to this theme and build on my preliminary ideas
when I undertook a PhD at University College London under the super-
vision of Professor Richard Janko. He greatly encouraged my work and
this book has its basis in this PhD dissertation, submitted in 2004.
I returned to Japan in 1998, having obtained a professorship at
Kanazawa University. As I read Classical literature with my students, I
found myself involved in many exciting and enjoyable discussions about
my work. Moved by these dialogues, directly and indirectly, I wrote the
article on Prometheus which forms the basis of Chapter V in this book.
One fascination has remained constant throughout this long journey:
Homer. Whenever I read the Homeric epics, I find something new. I find
myself deeply impressed by the profundity of thought, richness of artistic
technique, and humour of the storytelling in these poems. Although the
history of Homeric studies dates back to the Hellenistic Age, and unimag-
inable numbers of works have been published on the poems, I believe that
it is still possible to tease out some hitherto hidden threads and reveal
some obscured facets of the Homeric tradition. That is the aim of this book.
On various occasions in my life – some delightful, some sad and some
inspiring – I have recollected and gained comfort from the Homeric poems.
For example, admiring a beautiful snowfall in Kanazawa, I recalled the
simile of the snowflakes used of the eloquence of Odysseus (Il. 3.222); when
sad, I was reminded of the story of the two jars on Zeus’ floor (Il. 24.527-
33), or of Achilles’ memorable resolve when contemplating his death, that
vii
Preface
‘even mighty Heracles could not escape death’ (Il. 18.117). I have been
encouraged, educated and restored by the Homeric verses, and it is as
though the two epics have become my good friends. It has been my greatest
pleasure to study them and I truly believe, as Xenophon so properly writes
(Smp. 4.6), that everything relating to human life is in Homer.
I am often asked how Asian people could ever understand Classical
Greek thought. But I have never doubted that we too can appreciate the
profound ideas transmitted to us from the ancient Greek world. As Hero-
dotus points out about those older times, interchange between East and
West was constant and ongoing. Thus Greek civilisation has not been alien
to Oriental people, nor does the Western world have a monopoly on its
understanding. These ideas possess a value which is universal; and we are
all part of this one world. Truly, the radiance of Greek thought should be
shared and perceived by us all.
*
I could not have completed this book without the generous support of a
large number of people who spared me their time and offered me invalu-
able insights and advice. I wish first to express my great gratitude to
Professor Richard Janko, my supervisor at the University of London. I am
indebted beyond measure to him for the time he has so freely offered in
reading and commenting on my work. I will always be grateful for his
support, innumerable useful suggestions and encouragement.
I am particularly grateful to Professor Pat Easterling, who kept me on
the right track. From the time I first met her in Cambridge in 1994, her
exceptional intellectual guidance has been as unfailing as the strength of
her moral support. It has been my privilege to know her and enjoy all of
the benefits of her generous nature. When I found the following verse in
the fragments of Diphilus,
éj mak£rion frÒnhsij 1n crhstù trÒpü
How blessed it is to have intelligence in noble character (Diph. fr. 113
K.-A.)
I thought that this entirely encapsulated Pat’s finest qualities. I hope to
dedicate this verse to her.
I would like to express my gratitude to my professors who taught me at
the International Christian University in Tokyo and the Graduate School
of Kyoto University for their guidance of my education when I was a
student. The instruction which I received from them provided a firm
foundation for my further studies. Without the enthusiasm of these teach-
ers, I could never have dreamed of a career in the Classics. I owe a great
debt to their thorough training and will always be grateful for their
personal support.
viii
Preface
Special thanks are due to my many friends who have always supported
me greatly. In particular I wish to record my thanks to the late Professor
Colin Austin who kindly read my manuscript and corrected my English
translations of the ancient texts. I deeply regret his too early death.
Professor Elizabeth Craik, Dr Natalie Tchernetska, Dr Naoko Yamagata
and Dr Antonia Ruppel kindly read my manuscript and gave me many
useful comments. I am grateful to them for their cordial friendship. I owe
a debt of gratitude to Dr Akiko Tomatsuri for the preparation of the
indexes. I have been greatly assisted by her diligence. Above all, I would
like to express my deep gratitude to Dr Victoria Jennings and Dr Andrea
Katsaros, who read my manuscript carefully, tirelessly corrected my
English, and offered countless valuable suggestions. Their patience and
warm support were indispensable for the completion of this book. I must
also thank Ms Deborah Blake, my editor, for her great support. Since the
time when the first contract for the publication of this book was made with
Duckworth, she has continued to encourage me with kindness and toler-
ance. Any remaining errors are, of course, my own. Finally, I would like to
thank my family for their unlimited empathy and patience. I am especially
grateful to my husband, who is now seriously ill, for his profound under-
standing.

Kurihira N.Y.
May 2011
ix