From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Epithets in Homer

Characteristic of the poetic style of Homer

A characteristic of Homer's style is the use of epithets, as in "rosy-fingered" Dawn or "swift-footed" Achilles. Epithets are used because of the constraints of the dactylic hexameter (i.e., it is convenient to have a stockpile of metrically fitting phrases to add to a name) and because of the oral transmission of the poems; they are mnemonic aids to the singer and the audience alike.

Formulae in epic poetry from various Indo-European traditions may be traced to a common tradition. For example, the phrase for "everlasting glory" or "undying fame" can be found in the Homeric Greek as κλέος ἄφθιτον / grc and Vedic Sanskrit as श्रवो अक्षितम् / sa. These two phrases were, in terms of historical linguistics, equivalent in phonology, accentuation, and quantity (syllable length). In other words, they descend from a fragment of poetic diction (reconstructable as Proto-Indo-European ḱléwos ń̥dʰgʷʰitom) which was handed down in parallel over many centuries, in continually diverging forms, by generations of singers whose ultimate ancestors shared an archetypal repertoire of poetic formulae and narrative themes.

In contrast to the more general term 'epithet' (ἐπίθετον), which is used in poetic contexts, for the ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis (grc (ἐπίκλησις; literally 'calling upon')) was used as the surname that was associated with a deity during religious invocations.

Epithets alter the meaning of each noun to which they are attached. They specify the existential nature of a noun; that is to say, Achilles is not called "swift-footed" only when he runs; it is a marker of a quality that does not change. Special epithets, such as patronymics, are used exclusively for particular subjects and distinguish them from others, while generic epithets are used of many subjects and speak less to their individual characters. In these examples, the epithet can be contradictory to the present state of the subject: in Odyssey VI.74, for instance, Nausicaa takes her "radiant clothing", ἐσθῆτα φαεινήν, to be washed; since it is dirty, it is unlikely to be radiant.

List

General

General epithets are applied to common nouns, or the people or things that fall under such a noun. For example, Odysseus, Achilles, and Agamemnon are all referred to as "brilliant" (a general epithet for men) at various points.

men
- shining, divine (δῖος, grc)
- born from Zeus (διογενής, grc)
- god-like (ἀντίθεος, grc; θεοειδής, grc)
- high-hearted
- brilliant (dios)
leaders
- lord of men (ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν, grc)
women (incl. goddesses)
- white-armed (λευκώλενος, grc)
- lovely-haired (ἐυπλοκάμις, ἐυπλόκαμος, grc)
- ox eyed (βοῶπις, grc)
goddesses
- of the golden distaff with (χρυσηλάκατος, grc)
day
- the day of return (νόστιμον ἦμαρ, grc — nostalgia also comes from grc)
sea
- loud-roaring (πολυφλοίσβοιο θαλάσσης)
- grey
- wine-colored, wine-dark (οἶνοψ)
ships
- well-balanced
- swift
- black
lions
- eating raw flesh (ὠμόφαγος)
- mountain-bred (ὀρεσίτροφος)
- fiery (αἴθων)
spears
- sharp (ὀξύς)
- long-shadowed (δολιχόσκιος)
- brazen (χαλκηρής)

Nations

Abantes
- swift (θοοί, grc)
- sporting long hair (ὄπιθεν κομόωντες, grc)
Achaeans
- hairy-headed (κάρη κομόωντες, grc)
- bronzed-armored (χαλκο-χίτωνες, grc)
- strong-greaved (ἐυ-κνήμιδες, gec)
- glancing-eyed (ἑλίκ-ωπες, grc)
- with hollow ships
Trojans
- tamers of horses (ἱπποδάμοι, grc)
Phaeacians
- oar-loving

Individuals

Achilles
- son of Peleus (Πηληϊάδης grc)
- swift-footed (πόδας ὠκύς grc; ποδ-άρκης grc; ποδ-ώκεος grc)
- breaking through men (ῥηξ-ήνωρ grc)
- lion-hearted (θῡμο-λέοντα grc)
- like to the gods (θεοῖς ἐπιείκελος grc)
- shepherd of the people (ποιμήν λαῶν grc)
Aeneas
- son of Anchises (Ἀγχῑσιάδης grc)
- counselor of the Trojans (Τρώων βουληφόρος grc)
- lord of the Trojans (Τρώων ἀγός grc)
- great-hearted (Mεγαλήτωρ grc)
- great-minded (Μεγάθυμος grc)
- king of men (Ἂναξ ἀνδρών grc)
- great (Μέγας grc)
Agamemnon
- breaker of horses, horse-tamer (ἱππό-δαμος grc)
- son of Atreus (Ἀτρείδης grc: also transliterated grc)
- wide-ruling lord (εὐρὺ κρείων grc)
- the lord marshal
- powerful
- shepherd of the people (ποιμὴν λαῶν grc)
- lord of men (ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν grc)
Aias/Ajax
- Son of Telamon (Τελαμώνιος grc)
- swift
- gigantic (πελώριος grc)
  - the mighty
Alcinous
- the hallowed prince
- great
Andromache
- daughter of Eetion (θυγάτηρ Ἠετίωνος grc)
- white-armed (λευκώλενος, grc)
Aphrodite
- laughter-loving (φιλομμειδής grc)
- daughter of Zeus (Διὸς θυγάτηρ grc)
- goddess of love
- fair (δῖα grc)
Apollo
- Phoebus, i.e. the Bright or Pure, (Φοῖβος grc)
- with unshorn hair; i.e., ever-young (ἀ-κερσε-κόμης grc)
- destroyer of mice (Σμινθεύς grc)
- distant deadly Archer (ἑκηβόλος grc)
- far-aiming lord (ἑκατηβελέτης ἄναξ grc)
- rouser of armies
- son of Zeus (Διὸς υἱός grc)
- of the silver bow (ἀργυρότοξος grc)
- famous with the bow (κλυτοτόξος grc)
- whom the sleek-haired Leto has born (τὸν ἠΰκομος τέκε Λητώ grc)
Ares
- slayer of men (ἀνδρειφόντης grc)
- sacker of cities (πτολι-πόρθιος ptoli-pórthios)
- bronzen (χάλκεος grc)
- furious (θοῦρος grc)
- destroyer of city walls (τειχεσιπλήτης grc)
- of the glinting helmet
Ariadne
- lovely-haired (καλλιπλόκαμος grc)
Artemis
- the archer-goddess
- shooter of arrows (ἰοχέαιρα grc)
Athena
- Pallas (Παλλάς grc)
- gray-, bright-eyed (γλαυκ-ῶπις grc)
- daughter of Zeus
- third-born of the gods
- whose shield is thunder
- hope of soldiers
- tireless one
Briseis
- beautiful-, fair-cheeked (καλλιπάρῃος grc)
- fair-haired (ἠΰκομος grc)
Calypso
- beautiful nymph
- softly-braided nymph
- divine
- goddess most divinely made
- daughter of Atlas
- cunning goddess (δεινὴ θεός grc)
Charybdis
- dreaded
Chryseis
- beautiful, fair-cheeked (καλλιπάρῃος grc)
Circe
- enchantress
- shining among goddesses, bright among goddesses
- the dread goddess
- who talks with mortals
- Aeaean
Cronus (Kronos)
- crooked-counselling, devious-devising (ἀγκυλομήτης grc)
- all-powerful
Demeter
- fair-haired
Diomedes
- son of Tydeus
- great spearman
- master of the war cry
- god-like
- strong
- breaker of horses, horse-taming (ἱππό-δαμος grc)
Eos
- Rosy-fingered (ῥοδοδάκτυλος grc)
- Early-born (Erigeneia)
- Of the golden throne
Hector
- tall
- shepherd of the people
- of the glinting helmet, of the shining helm (κορυθ-αίολος grc)
- man-killing
- breaker of horses, horse-taming (ἱππό-δαμος grc)
- dear to Zeus
- glorious (phaidimos)
Helen
- daughter of a noble house
- Daughter of Zeus who holds the aegis
- long-dressed
Helios
- who brings joy to mortals
- the sun god
- who sees all things and listens to all things, all seeing and all hearing
- brilliant
- Hyperion
Hera
- ox-eyed lady (βοῶπις πότνια grc)
Hephaestus
- the famous craftsman
- the famous lame god
- of the strong arms
Hermes
- messenger of the gods and conductor of men (διάκτορος grc)
- slayer of Argos (Ἀργειφόντης grc)
- son of Zeus
- giant-killer
- the strong one
- keen eyes emissary
Icarius
- great-hearted (μεγαλ-ήτωρ grc)
Ino
- lovely-ankled (καλλίσφυρος grc)
Iris
- wind-footed
Menelaus
- red-haired, fair-haired, flaming-haired
- master of the war-cry
- son of Atreus (Ἀτρείδης grc)
- spear-famed
- loved by Ares, war-like (ἀρηΐφιλος grc)
- cherished by Zeus (διοτρεφές grc)
Naubolos
- great-hearted (πτολι-πόρθιος grc)
Nestor
- breaker of horses, horse-tamer (ἱππό-δαμος grc)
- Godly
- Gerenian charioteer
- son of Neleus (Νηληιάδης grc)
- Pylos born king
- sweet spoken
- wise old
Odysseus
- resourceful, man of many resources, of many turns, man of twists and turns (πολύ-τροπος grc)
- much-enduring, long suffering (πολύ-τλᾱς grc)
- great-hearted (μεγαλ-ήτωρ grc)
- sacker of cities, raider (πτολι-πόρθιος grc)
- son of Laertes (Λαερτιάδης grc)
- wise
- loved of Zeus
- great glory of the Achaeans
- master mariner
- mastermind of war
- hotheaded
- honored
- man of action
- the great teller of tales
- man of exploits
- man of pain
- that kingly man
- hero (ἥρωϊ grc)
- the great tactician
- cunning (πολύ-μητις grc)
Onchestos
- sacred
Pandaros
- son of Lykaon
Patroclus
- son of Menoitius (Μενοιτιάδης grc)
- Zeus-born, sprung from Zeus (διογενές)
- dear to Zeus (Ζεύς φίλος)
- great-hearted (μεγαλήτωρ grc)
- horseman (ἱπποκέλευθε grc or ἱππεύς grc)
- peerless (ἀμύμονος)
- peer to gods in counsel (θεόφιν μήστωρ ἀτάλαντος grc)
- gentle (ἐνηείης)
- hero (ἥρωϊ grc)
Paris
- Alexandros
- magnificent
Penelope
- cautious
- careful
- circumspect
- daughter of Icarius
- discreet
- temperate
- wise
- self-obsessed
Poseidon
- earth-shaker (ἐννοσίγαιος grc or ἐνοσί-χθων grc)
- earth-moving, earth-carrying (γαιή-οχος grc)
Sarpedon
- leader of the Lycians
Suitors
- swaggering
- haughty
Telemachus
- poised
- thoughtful
- prudent
Thetis
- silver-footed
Thersites
- of the endless speech
Tiresias
- the blind prophet
- the Theban
Tydeus
- driver of horses
Zeus
- mighty
- son of Kronos (Κρονίδης grc)
- wide-seeing
- cloud-gatherer, who marshals the thunderheads (νεφελη-γερέτᾱ grc)
- father of gods and men (πατὴρ ἀνδρῶν τε θεῶν τε grc, Iliad 11.182)
- of the dazzling bolt (ἀργι-κέραυνος grc)
- loud-thundering (ἐρί-γδουπος ἐρί-δουπος grc)
- delighting in thunder (τερπι-κέραυνος grc)
- dark-clouded
- aegis-holding (αἰγί-οχος grc)
- of the counsels (metieta)
- of the wide brows, wide browed (euryopa)

Shared

Paris, Hector, Polites
- son of Priam (Πριαμίδης grc)
Antilochus, Pisistratus
- son of Nestor (Νεστορίδης grc)
Agamemnon, Menelaus
- son of Atreus (Ἀτρείδης grc)
Hector, Agamemnon, Atreus, Diomedes, Nestor
- breaker of horses, horse-tamer (ἱππό-δαμος grc)
Agamemnon, Achilles, Diomedes
- best of the Achaeans
Hector, Ares
- man-slaughtering
Diomedes, Menelaus
- master of the war-cry
Athena, Zeus
- aegis-holding (αἰγί-οχος grc)

Notes

Sources

Parry, Milman. "L'Épithète traditionnelle dans Homère: Essai sur un problème de style homérique." Paris: Société d'Éditions "Les Belles Lettres", 1928.
Parry, Milman, ed. Adam Parry. "The Making of Homeric Verse: The Collected Papers of Milman Parry." Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1971.
Edwards, Mark. "Homer and the Oral Tradition: The Formula (part one)." Oral Tradition 1 (1986) 171-230.
Edwards, Mark. "Homer and the Oral Tradition: The Formula (part two)." Oral Tradition 3 (1988) 11-60.
Reece, Steve. "Greek Epic Formulae," in Giorgios Giannakis (ed.), Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek Language and Linguistics (Leiden: Brill, 2014) 613-615. Greek_Epic_Formulas
Reece, Steve. "Epithets," in Margalit Finkelberg (ed.), Homeric Encyclopedia (Oxford: Blackwell, 2011) 257-259. Epithets
V.J. Howe, "Epithets in Homer." Available online at https://www.angelfire.com/art/archictecture/articles/008.htm. (Retrieved October 16, 2007.)
Fagles, Robert. "The Odyssey." Penguin Books, 1996.

References

Parry 1928: 5-10
John Curtis Franklin, ''Structural Sympathies in Ancient Greek and South-Slavic Heroic Singing''.
Parry 1971: 121

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

homeric-greek greek-epithets

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Epithets in Homer — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report