A Study of Thumos in Early Greek Epic (Mnemosyne, Bibliotheca Classica Batava Supplementum) (English and Ancient Greek Edition)

The language of early Greek epic, exemplified primarily by Homer, contains numerous descriptions of inner states and uses a specific vocabulary to do so. Scholars understand these descriptions in a general way; but the precision of the expressions remains a mystery. In this work, one of the most important of these words, thumos , is examined in each of its contexts. This synchronic formulaic analysis is carried out according to the contexts of thumos : the cognitive/intellectual, the emotional, and the physical. Two additional contexts, deliberation and motivation, are discussed separately. Within the discussion of each context, the functional synonyms of thumos, particulary phren/phrenes , and other frequent associates of thumos , are examined. Thumos has associations with words relating to winds and storms, a fact which helps clarify its significance in all contexts. Because this work is a discussion of thumos in all contexts, and also contains an appendix of the relevant passages, it should be useful to scholars engaged in research on Homeric vocabulary. A STUDY OF THUMOS IN EARLY GREEK EPIC 3 CONTENTS 7 Acknowledgements 9 I. θυμός: A Statement of the Problem 11 II. A Summary of Previous Studies of θυμός 15 III. An Analysis of the Usage of θυμός in Early Greek Epic 21 IV. θυμός Examined Further: Connections with the Winds 61 Appendix 75 Bibliography 89 Index 91 This study of thumos, one of the most important terms in the vocabulary of early Greek epic in the context of inner experience, and one of the least understood, is a systematic examination which elucidates its meaning and explains its occurrence in a variety of different contexts.