Programmatic use of rare Homeric words in the Epigrams of Callimachus
Date
2010-01-25T17:45:59Z
Authors
Moss, Brian William
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Abstract
This thesis examines the programmatic use of rare Homeric words in the epigrams of Callimachus. Particular interest is taken in hupar.r Iegwnena, words that occur only once in the Homeric corpus. The initial task of the thesis is to establish context for the epigrams by placing Callimachus in his historical and cultural milieu. Then a detailed study of five key epigrams, 1, 2, 3, 34 and 54 Gow-Page (AP 12.102, 12.43. 12.1.50, 7.80 and 7.89), is undertaken. In each of these poems. Callimachus uses allusion to Homer in order to express his literary aesthetic. Callimachus explores ideas such as the tension between his role as both a scholar and a love poet. the concept of immortality through poetry, and the importance of originality and concision in the creation of poetry. These ideas are more than just themes in Callimachus' poetry: they also serve as programmatic statements for his epigrams.
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Keywords
Callimachus, Homer, influence, epigrams