| Summary: | The thesis consists of a detailed commentary on the Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo, and prolegomena. The subjects treated in the prolegomena are: (i) the structure of hymns, and of the Homeric Hymns in particular, with a discussion of the context in which the Hymns were performed, concluding that they were probably performed at festivals as preludes to recitations of epic poetry; (ii) the narrative techniques of the Hymns, comparing them to Homer; (iii) the treatment of the gods in the Hymns, discussing the ways the gods are presented in the narratives, and the similarities to and differences from the depiction of the gods in Homer; (iv) the portrayal of Apollo and Delos in DAp, discussing the problems of depicting a god in literature, and the relationship between the myth told in the hymn and Delian cult; (v) the language of the hymn, discussing the history of studies of the Hymns' language, examples of un homeric usage and the relationship of the Hymns to Homer and Hesiod; (vi) the question of whether the hymn was orally composed, discussing the various criteria that have been used to attempt to determine this, and concluding that oral composition cannot be proved but is very likely; (vii) the problem of the hymn's unity, or lack of it, discussing the history of the various theories and concluding that the hymn is not an original unity, and that the Delian hymn was composed as an addition to the pre-existing Pythian hymn; (viii) the date of DAp, concluding that it may have been composed in the second half of the sixth century, possibly for a festival held by Polycrates in 523/2 B.C. The commentary deals with linguistic and literary points, and any religious, historical or geographical issues that are raised by particular passages.
|
|---|
