"Reciprocity and the Divine: A Study of the Major ""Homeric Hymns"""
Strolonga, Polyxeni
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/87458
Description
Title
"Reciprocity and the Divine: A Study of the Major ""Homeric Hymns"""
Author(s)
Strolonga, Polyxeni
Issue Date
2008
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Sansone, David
Department of Study
Classical Philology
Discipline
Classical Philology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Literature, Classical
Language
eng
Abstract
My dissertation is a study of the narrative pattern of reciprocity in the major Homeric Hymns to Demeter, Aphrodite, Apollo and Hermes. I argue that the structure of the Hymns emerges out of a progression of the narrative from strife to reconciliation, and I claim that the gods are celebrated for their ability successfully to perform reciprocity and reconcile with their opponents. By employing Marshall Sahlins' theoretical framework, I map out the different types of exchange and I trace the narrative development from negative to positive and balanced (quid pro quo) reciprocity, which is the precondition for the gods' reappraised status. The study of reciprocity reveals a consistent, systematic structure of the Hymns and sheds light on the value of reciprocity in the religious and social realms of Archaic Greece.
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