hesiod, the homeric hymns, and homerica-第1章

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Hesiod；　The　Homeric　Hymns；　and　Homerica





Contains　translations　of　the　following　works：

Hesiod：　〃Works　and　Days〃；　〃The　Theogony〃；　fragments　of　〃The　Catalogues　of　Women　and　the　Eoiae〃；　〃The　Shield　of　Heracles〃　（attributed　to　Hesiod）；　and　fragments　of　various　works　attributed　to　Hesiod。

Homer：　〃The　Homeric　Hymns〃；　〃The　Epigrams　of　Homer〃　（both　attributed　to　Homer）。

Various：　Fragments　of　the　Epic　Cycle　（parts　of　which　are　sometimes　attributed　to　Homer）；　fragments　of　other　epic　poems　attributed　to　Homer；　〃The　Battle　of　Frogs　and　Mice〃；　and　〃The　Contest　of　Homer　and　Hesiod〃。


PREFACE

This　volume　contains　practically　all　that　remains　of　the　post…　Homeric　and　pre…academic　epic　poetry。

I　have　for　the　most　part　formed　my　own　text。　　In　the　case　of　Hesiod　I　have　been　able　to　use　independent　collations　of　several　MSS。　by　Dr。　W。H。D。　Rouse；　otherwise　I　have　depended　on　the　apparatus　criticus　of　the　several　editions；　especially　that　of　Rzach　（1902）。　　The　arrangement　adopted　in　this　edition；　by　which　the　complete　and　fragmentary　poems　are　restored　to　the　order　in　which　they　would　probably　have　appeared　had　the　Hesiodic　corpus　survived　intact；　is　unusual；　but　should　not　need　apology；　the　true　place　for　the　〃Catalogues〃　（for　example）；　fragmentary　as　they　are；　is　certainly　after　the　〃Theogony〃。

In　preparing　the　text　of　the　〃Homeric　Hymns〃　my　chief　debt　　and　it　is　a　heavy　one　　is　to　the　edition　of　Allen　and　Sikes　（1904）　and　to　the　series　of　articles　in　the　〃Journal　of　Hellenic　Studies〃　（vols。　xv。sqq。）　by　T。W。　Allen。　　To　the　same　scholar　and　to　the　Delegates　of　the　Clarendon　Press　I　am　greatly　indebted　for　permission　to　use　the　restorations　of　the　〃Hymn　to　Demeter〃；　lines　387…401　and　462…470；　printed　in　the　Oxford　Text　of　1912。

Of　the　fragments　of　the　Epic　Cycle　I　have　given　only　such　as　seemed　to　possess　distinct　importance　or　interest；　and　in　doing　so　have　relied　mostly　upon　Kinkel's　collection　and　on　the　fifth　volume　of　the　Oxford　Homer　（1912）。

The　texts　of　the　〃Batrachomyomachia〃　and　of　the　〃Contest　of　Homer　and　Hesiod〃　are　those　of　Baumeister　and　Flach　respectively：　where　I　have　diverged　from　these；　the　fact　has　been　noted。

Hugh　G。　Evelyn…White；　Rampton；　NR。　Cambridge。　Sept。　9th；　1914。


INTRODUCTION

General

The　early　Greek　epic　　that　is；　poetry　as　a　natural　and　popular；　and　not　（as　it　became　later）　an　artificial　and　academic　literary　form　　passed　through　the　usual　three　phases；　of　development；　of　maturity；　and　of　decline。

No　fragments　which　can　be　identified　as　belonging　to　the　first　period　survive　to　give　us　even　a　general　idea　of　the　history　of　the　earliest　epic；　and　we　are　therefore　thrown　back　upon　the　evidence　of　analogy　from　other　forms　of　literature　and　of　inference　from　the　two　great　epics　which　have　come　down　to　us。　　So　reconstructed；　the　earliest　period　appears　to　us　as　a　time　of　slow　development　in　which　the　characteristic　epic　metre；　diction；　and　structure　grew　up　slowly　from　crude　elements　and　were　improved　until　the　verge　of　maturity　was　reached。

The　second　period；　which　produced　the　〃Iliad〃　and　the　〃Odyssey〃；　needs　no　description　here：　but　it　is　very　important　to　observe　the　effect　of　these　poems　on　the　course　of　post…Homeric　epic。　　As　the　supreme　perfection　and　universality　of　the　〃Iliad〃　and　the　〃Odyssey〃　cast　into　oblivion　whatever　pre…Homeric　poets　had　essayed；　so　these　same　qualities　exercised　a　paralysing　influence　over　the　successors　of　Homer。　　If　they　continued　to　sing　like　their　great　predecessor　of　romantic　themes；　they　were　drawn　as　by　a　kind　of　magnetic　attraction　into　the　Homeric　style　and　manner　of　treatment；　and　became　mere　echoes　of　the　Homeric　voice：　in　a　word；　Homer　had　so　completely　exhausted　the　epic　genre；　that　after　him　further　efforts　were　doomed　to　be　merely　conventional。　　Only　the　rare　and　exceptional　genius　of　Vergil　and　Milton　could　use　the　Homeric　medium　without　loss　of　individuality：　and　this　quality　none　of　the　later　epic　poets　seem　to　have　possessed。　　Freedom　from　the　domination　of　the　great　tradition　could　only　be　found　by　seeking　new　subjects；　and　such　freedom　was　really　only　illusionary；　since　romantic　subjects　alone　are　suitable　for　epic　treatment。

In　its　third　period；　therefore；　epic　poetry　shows　two　divergent　tendencies。　　In　Ionia　and　the　islands　the　epic　poets　followed　the　Homeric　tradition；　singing　of　romantic　subjects　in　the　now　stereotyped　heroic　style；　and　showing　originality　only　in　their　choice　of　legends　hitherto　neglected　or　summarily　and　imperfectly　treated。　　In　continental　Greece　（1）；　on　the　other　hand；　but　especially　in　Boeotia；　a　new　form　of　epic　sprang　up；　which　for　the　romance　and　PATHOS　of　the　Ionian　School　substituted　the　practical　and　matter…of…fact。　　It　dealt　in　moral　and　practical　maxims；　in　information　on　technical　subjects　which　are　of　service　in　daily　life　　agriculture；　astronomy；　augury；　and　the　calendar　　in　matters　of　religion　and　in　tracing　the　genealogies　of　men。　　Its　attitude　is　summed　up　in　the　words　of　the　Muses　to　the　writer　of　the　〃Theogony〃：　‘We　can　tell　many　a　feigned　tale　to　look　like　truth；　but　we　can；　when　we　will；　utter　the　truth'　（〃Theogony〃　26…27）。　　Such　a　poetry　could　not　be　permanently　successful；　because　the　subjects　of　which　it　treats　　if　susceptible　of　poetic　treatment　at　all　　were　certainly　not　suited　for　epic　treatment；　where　unity　of　action　which　will　sustain　interest；　and　to　which　each　part　should　contribute；　is　absolutely　necessary。　　While；　therefore；　an　epic　like　the　〃Odyssey〃　is　an　organism　and　dramatic　in　structure；　a　work　such　as　the　〃Theogony〃　is　a　merely　artificial　collocation　of　facts；　and；　at　best；　a　pageant。　　It　is　not　surprising；　therefore；　to　find　that　from　the　first　the　Boeotian　school　is　forced　to　season　its　matter　with　romantic　episodes；　and　that　later　it　tends　more　and　more　to　revert　（as　in　the　〃Shield　of　Heracles〃）　to　the　Homeric　tradition。


The　Boeotian　School

How　did　the　continental　school　of　epic　poetry　arise？　　There　is　little　definite　material　for　an　answer　to　this　question；　but　the　probability　is　that　there　were　at　least　three　contributory　causes。　　First；　it　is　likely　that　before　the　rise　of　the　Ionian　epos　there　existed　in　Boeotia　a　purely　popular　and　indigenous　poetry　of　a　crude　form：　it　comprised；　we　may　suppose；　versified　proverbs　and　precepts　relating　to　life　in　general；　agricultural　maxims；　weather…lore；　and　the　like。　　In　this　sense　the　Boeotian　poetry　may　be　taken　to　have　its　germ　in　maxims　similar　to　our　English　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　‘Till　May　be　out；　ne'er　cast　a　clout；'

or

‘A　rainbow　in　the　morning　Is　the　Shepherd's　warning。'

Secondly　and　thirdly　we　may　ascribe　the　rise　of　the　new　epic　to　the　nature　of　the　Boeotian　people　and；　as　already　remarked；　to　a　spirit　of　revolt　against　the　old　epic。　　The　Boeotians；　people　of　the　class　of　which　Hesiod　represents　himself　to　be　the　type；　were　essentially　unromantic；　their　daily　needs　marked　the　general　limit　of　their　ideals；　and；　as　a　class；　they　cared　little　for　works　of　fancy；　for　pathos；　or　for　fine　thought　as　such。　　To　a　people　of　this　nature　the　Homeric　epos　would　be　inacceptable；　and　the　post…Homeric　epic；　with　its　conventional　atmosphere；　its　trite　and　hackneyed　diction；　and　its　insincere　sentiment；　would　be　anathema。　　We　can　imagine；　therefore；　that　among　such　folk　a　settler；　of　Aeolic　origin　like　Hesiod；　who　clearly　was　well　acquainted　with　the　Ionian　epos；　would　naturally　see　that　the　only　outlet　for　his　gifts　lay　in　applying　epic　poetry　to　new　themes　acceptable　to　his　hearers。

Though　the　poems　of　the　Boeotian　school　（2）　were　unanimously　assigned　to　Hesiod　down　to　the　age　of　Alexandrian　criticism；　they　were　clearly　neither　the　work　of　one　man　nor　even　of　one　period：　some；　doubtless；　were　fraudulently　fathered　on　him　in　order　to　gain　currency；　but　it　is　probable　that　most　came　to　be　regarded　as　his　partly　because　of　their　general　character；　and　partly　because　the　names　of　their　real　authors　were　lost。　　One　fact　in　this　attribution　is　remarkable　　the　veneration　paid　to　Hesiod。


Life　of　Hesiod

Our　information　respecting　Hesiod　is　derived　in　the　main　from　notices　and　allusions　in　the　works　attributed　to　him；　and　to　these　must　be　added　traditions　concerning　his　death　and　burial　gathered　from　later　writers。

Hesiod's　father　（whose　name；　by　a　perversion　of　〃Works　and　Days〃；　299　PERSE　DION　GENOS　to　PERSE；　DION　GENOS；　was　thought　to　have　been　Dius）　was　a　native　of　Cyme　in　Aeolis；　where　he　was　a　seafaring　trader　and；　perhaps；　also　a　farmer。　　He　was　forced　by　poverty　to　leave　his　native　place；　and　returned　to　continental　Greece；　where　he　settled　at　Ascra　near　Thespiae　in　Boeotia　（〃Works　and　Days〃；　636　ff。）。　　Either　in　Cyme　or　Ascra；　two　sons；　Hesiod　and　Perses；　were　born　to　the　settler；　and　these；　after　his　death；　divided　the　farm　between　them。　　Perses；　however；　who　is　represented　as　an　idler　and　spendthrift；　obtained　and　kept　the　larger　share　by　bribing　the　corrupt　‘lords'　who　ruled　from　Thespiae　（〃Works　and　Days〃；　37…39）。　　While　his　brother　wasted　his　patrimony　and　ultimately　came　to　want　（〃Works　and　Days〃；　34　ff。）；　Hesiod　lived　a　farmer's　life　until；　according　to　the　very　early　tradition　preserved　by　the　author　of　the　〃Theogony〃　（22…23）；　the　Muses　met　him　as　he　was　tending　sheep　on　Mt。　Helicon　and　‘taught　him　a　glorious　song'　　doubtless　the　〃Works　and　Days〃。　　The　only　other　personal　reference　is　to　his　victory　in　a　poetical　contest　at　the　funeral　games　of　Amphidamas　at　Chalcis　in　Euboea；　where　he　won　the　prize；　a　tripod；　which　he　dedicated　to　the　Muses　of　Helicon　（〃Works　and　Days〃；　651…9）。

Before　we　go　on　to　the　story　of　Hesiod's　death；　it　will　be　well　to　inquire　how　far　the　〃autobiographical〃　notices　can　be　treated　as　historical；　especially　as　many　critics　treat　some；　or　all　of　them；　as　spurious。　　In　the　first　place　attempts　have　been　made　to　show　that　〃Hesiod〃　is　a　significant　name　and　therefore　fictitious：　it　is　only　necessary　to　mention　Goettling's　derivation　from　IEMI　to　ODOS　（which　would　make　‘Hesiod'　mean　the　‘guide'　in　virtues　and　technical　arts）；　and　to　refer　to　the　pitiful　attempts　in　the　〃Etymologicum　Magnum〃　（s。v。　ESIODUS）；　to　show　how　prejudiced　and　lacking　even　in　plausibility　such　efforts　are。　　It　seems　certain　that　‘Hesiod'　stands　as　a　proper　name　in　the　fullest　sense。　　Secondly；　Hesiod　claims　that　his　father　　if　not　he　himself　　came　from　Aeolis　and　settled　in　Boeotia。　　There　is　fairly　definite　evidence　to　warrant　our　acceptance　of　this：　the　dialect　of　the　〃Works　and　Days〃　is　shown　by　Rzach　（3）　to　contain　distinct　Aeolisms　apart　from　those　which　formed　part　of　the　general　stock　of　epic　poetry。　　And　that　this　Aeolic　speaking　poet　was　a　Boeotian　of　Ascra　seems　even　more　certain；　since　the　tradition　is　never　once　disputed；　insignificant　though　the　place　was；　even　before　its　destruction　by　the　Thespians。

Again；　Hesiod's　story　of　his　relations　with　his　brother　Perses　have　been　treated　with　scepticism　（see　Murray；　〃Anc。　Gk。　Literature〃；　pp。　53…54）：　Perses；　it　is　urged；　is　clearly　a　mere　dummy；　set　up　to　be　the　target　for　the　poet's　exhortations。　　On　such　a　matter　precise　evidence　is　naturally　not　forthcoming；　but　all　probability　is　against　the　sceptical　view。　　For　1）　if　the　quarrel　between　the　brothers　were　a　fiction；　we　should　expect　it　to　be　detailed　at　length　and　not　noticed　allusi