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Chapter 1 - ‘To the Immortals Everything Is Possible’

Portraits of Homeric Gods Between Savagery and Empathy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2024

By
Corinne Bonnet
Edited by
Corinne Bonnet
Translated by
Ralph Häussler
Preface by
Ian Rutherford
Corinne Bonnet
Affiliation:
Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa
Ian Rutherford
Affiliation:
University of Reading
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Summary

Moving from the Camp Grant massacre, this chapter addresses the question of narratives on violent events such as wars, more specifically the Trojan War in the Homeric epic. Human and Divine names are part of a complex system of signs which guide the audience. The case study of Euryopa Zeus – that is, a god who has a ‘Vast Voice’ and an ‘Ample Sight’ – provide a divine portrait of the overarching authority in matters of war and destiny. The chapter also suggests a network of divine powers who share specific aptitudes, such as Athena, Hera and Hermes, between distance and proximity, control and empathy.

Keywords

ZeusEuryopaAthenaGlaukopisHeraHermeswarviolenceempathyview
Type
Chapter
Information
The Names of the Gods in Ancient Mediterranean Religions , pp. 13 - 36
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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