The Artistry of the Homeric Simile [Paperback]

The similes in Homer are treasure troves. They describe scenes of Greek life that are not presented in their simplest form anywhere else: landscapes and seascapes, storms and calm weather, fighting among animals, civic disputes, athletic contests, horse races, community entertainment, women involved in their daily tasks, men running their farms and orchards. These basic paratactic additions to the narrative show how the Greeks found and developed parallels between two sceneseach of which elucidated and interpreted the otherthen expressed those scenes in effective poetic language. In The Artistry of the Homeric Simile, Scott explores the variations and modifications that Homer employs in order to make similes blend expressively with the larger context. This engaging study will help unlock the richness of Homer for the modern reader.

WILLIAM C. SCOTT is emeritus professor of classics at Dartmouth College. His previous publications include The Oral Nature of the Homeric Simile, Musical Design in Aeschylean Theater, Platos The Republic with Richard W. Sterling, and Musical Design in Sophoclean Theater.

Preface Similes, the Shield of Achilles, and Other Digressions The Usefulness of Book Divisions The Simileme: The Background of the Homeric Simile The Oral Nature of Homeric Verse The Simileme Homer and His Audience Simile and Simileme Homers Use of Similes to Delineate Character and Plot Iliad, Book 2: Ironic Characterization The Similes of Book 2 The Role of Similes in Book 2 Iliad, Books 21 and 22: Similes to Show a Thematic Contrast Iliad, Book 11: Similes to Mark a Shifting Scene Conclusion Similes to Delineate a Narrative Theme Iliad, Book 12: Direct Focus on a Single Theme Iliad, Book 5: The Use of Parallel Similemes to Create a Unified Theme Odyssey, Book 22: Similes to Interpret Typical Actions Odyssey, Book 5: Thematic Similes Conclusion Problem Books Iliad, Book 13: The Ordering of ConsclÃU