Ancient Greek Dialects and Early Authors : Introduction to the Dialect Mixture in Homer, with Notes on Lyric and Herodotus

Epic is dialectally mixed but Ionic at its core. The proper dialect for elegy was Ionic, even when composed by Tyrtaeus in Sparta or Theognis in Megara, both Doric areas. Choral lyric poets represent the major dialect areas: Aeolic (Sappho, Alcaeus), Ionic (Anacreon, Archilochus, Simonides), and Doric (Alcman, Ibycus, Stesichorus, Pindar). Most distinctive are the Aeolic poets. The rest may have a preference for their own dialect (some more than others) but in their Lesbian veneer and mixture of Doric and Ionic forms are to some extent dialectally indistinguishable. All of the ancient authors use a literary language that is artificial from the point of view of any individual dialect. Homer has the most forms that occur in no actual dialect. In this volume, by means of dialectally and chronologically arranged illustrative texts, translated and provided with running commentary, some of the early Greek authors are compared against epigraphic records, where available, from the same period and locality in order to provide an appreciation of: the internal history of the Ancient Greek language and its dialects; the evolution of the multilectal, artificial poetic language that characterizes the main genres of the most ancient Greek literature, especially Homer / epic, with notes on choral lyric and even the literary language of the prose historian Herodotus; the formulaic properties of ancient poetry, especially epic genres; the development of more complex meters, colometric structure, and poetic conventions; and the basis for decisions about text editing and the selection of a manuscript alternant or emendation that was plausibly used by a given author. Dating and Other Conventions Dating Signs and symbols Other conventions Citation of Indo-European roots Greek Authors and Their Abbreviations Bibliographical Abbreviations General Abbreviations 1 Indo-European Background 1.1 Proto-Indo-European 1.2 Proto-Indo-European phonological system 1.3 PIE laryngeals and apophony 1.4 Features of Indo-European that Greek inherited/developed 2 Anatolian 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Hittite 2.3 Evidence of Greek-Anatolian contacts 2.4 The Luvian song of Wilusa 2.5 The Anatolian-Hellenic cultural and linguistic koine 3 Pre-Greek 3.1 Pelasgian, Ancient Macedonian, and Thracian 3.2 Ancient Macedonian 3.3 Thracian 3.4 Summary 4 Greece, Greek, and Its Dialects 4.1 The name of the Greeks 4.2 The rise of Greek civilization 4.3 Principal dialects and authors 4.4 General features of Greek dialects as reflected in Roman borrowings 4.5 Greek form classes and Latin adaptations 4.6 Summary 5 Phonological Systems of Greek through Time 5.1 Mycenaean phonological system 5.2 Classical Attic 5.3 Phonological systems and adaptation 5.4 Hellenistic and Later Greek 5.5 Modern Greek 5.6 Summary 6 Evolution of the Greek Vowel System 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Common Greek 6.3 Early dialectal changes 6.4 Attic-Ionic 6.5 Early Attic: the fronting of /u/ and /Å«/ 6.6 Mid vowels and their representation 6.7 Variation in 6th century Attic 6.8 Merger of /Ç£/ with /ɛ̄/ 6.9 Early allophones of the long diphthongs? 6.10 Round vowels in the 6th century 6.11 Front vowel raising during c5 6.12 Monophthongization of /ai/ and /oi/ 6.13 Monophthongization of the long diphthongs 6.14 The evidence from Boeotian 6.15 Quantity and quality 6.16 The remaining diphthongs 6.17 Changes in the Common Era 6.18 Vowel shifts in theory and Greek 7 Chronology of Changes in Attic and Ionic 7.1 The long a and e vowels: the problem 7.2 The systematicity of Doric transpositions 7.3 Alleged errors and the optionality of transposition 7.4 Transposition as a literary convention 7.5 Phonological dissimilation and transposition-neglect 7.6 Perceptual space and orthography 7.7 Restructurings in the late 5th century 7.8 Antevocalic shortening and quantitative metathesis 7.9 Chronology of changes 7.10 Conclusion 8 Poetic Heritage 8.1 Vedic and Indo-European meter and poetic tradition 8.2 On the pre-Homeric poetic tradition 8.3 Stabilization or recording of the Homeric texts? 8.4 The early poetic tradition 8.5 Stesichorus 8.6 Lyric meters and metrical expansion 8.7 Dactylic hexameter 8.8 Traditional forms, modification, hiatus, and repair 8.9 Metrical lengthening 8.10 Artificial forms 8.11 Summary and conspectus 9 Homer and Early Epic 9.1 Poetic artistry: opening lines 9.2 Î1⁄4ῆÎ1⁄2Î1Ï‚ 9.3 Î ̧Îμα ̄ 9.4 Proems and thematic content 9.5 Traditional and untraditional proems 9.6 Summary 10 Argives, Danaans, and Achaeans 10.1 What‘s in a name? 10.2 The language of polarization 10.3 Old tribal rivalries? 10.4 Summary 11 The Language of Achilles 11.1 Formulas and behavior 11.2 The embassy and the duals 11.3 Language and characterization 11.4 Achillesâ€TM great speech 11.5 Discourse properties of Achillesâ€TM Great Speech 11.6 Summary 12 Homer as Artist: Language and Textual Iconicity 12.1 Phonic and semantic iconicity 12.2 Syntactic-semantic iconicity 12.3 Syntax iconic to subliminal message 12.4 On evaluating Homeric language 13 Attic and West Ionic 13.1 Unity of Attic and Ionic 13.2 Dipylon vase inscription [c.740?] (Attic) 13.3 Tharriasâ€TM skyphos [c.650] (Attic) 13.4 Neck amphora [c7⁠́] (Attic) 13.5 Sophilos vases [c6Â2] (Attic) 13.6 West Ionic 13.7 Nestorâ€TMs cup [c.715] 13.8 Tataieâ€TMs aryballos [c.675/50?] 13.9 Prize cauldron [c.500?] 13.10 Features of Attic and (West) Ionic 14 Central Ionic 14.1 Naxos: Nikandre [c.655] 14.2 Paros/Thasos: monument of Glaucus [c.625/00?] 14.3 Archilochus on Glaucus, son of Leptines 14.4 Archilochus on orgies 14.5 Archilochus on Leophilus 14.6 Archilochus on Dionysian choruses 14.7 Burial ordinance at Iulis, Ceos [c5⁠́] 14.8 Simonides of Ceos [556‒468] 14.9 Features of Central Ionic 15 East Ionic 15.1 Subdialects 15.2 Chios, the early period 15.3 Constitution of Chios [c.575‒550] 15.4 Miletus and colonies 15.5 Temple dedication, Sidene [c.525/00] 15.6 Fragment of an honorific decree, Cyzicus [c.525/00] 15.7 Herodotus 15.7.1 Noun inflection 15.7.2 Failure of unlike-vowel contraction 15.7.3 Failure of like-vowel contraction 15.7.4 Antevocalic shortening and quantitative metathesis 15.7.5 Specifically Ionic forms 15.7.6 Textual difficulties 15.7.7 Interrogative/indefinite words with k- for p- 15.8 Features of East Ionic 16 Northern Doric 16.1 West Greek and the division of Proto-Doric 16.2 Elean 16.3 Corinthian 16.3.1 Plaque from Penteskouphia [c.650/25] 16.3.2 Epitaph of Xenwares, Corcyra [c.570/50?] 16.3.3 Dedication of Aristis, Cleonae [c.560?] 16.3.4 Stele of Dweinias, Bartata [c.650?] 16.4 Megarian 16.4.1 Phiale dedicated to Athena [c.500?] 16.4.2 Sacred law, Megara Hyblaea, Sicily [c6áμ‡] 16.4.3 Epitaph of Somrotides, Megara Hyblaea, Sicily [c.c6áμ] 16.5 East Argolic 16.6 West Argolic 16.6.1 Later samples 16.7 Features of Saronic Doric 17 Laconian-Messenian 17.1 Laconian and Sparta 17.2 Bronze aryballos [c.600?] 17.3 Ivory plaque of a ship [c7⁠́] 17.4 Alcman [c.650/00] 17.5 The Partheneion 17.6 Another song for girls 17.7 A proverb 17.8 The hendecasyllable 17.9 Taras/Tarentum: Melusaâ€TMs victory cup [c.540‒530] 17.10 Messenian 17.11 Dedication to Apollo [c.450?] 17.12 Dedication to Apollo [c.460‒450?] 17.13 Features of Laconian-Messenian 18 Insular Doric 18.1 Theran and Coan 18.1.1 Theran rock graffiti [c8/7] 18.1.2 Epitaph of Praxilas [640/00] 18.1.3 Model house [650‒625] 18.1.4 Athletic lifting stone [c6] 18.1.5 Sacred law [c.c4áμ‡] 18.2 Rhodian 18.3 Cretan 18.4 Archaic vase inscription, Phaistos [c8áμ‰] 18.5 Gortyn Code [c5áμ] 18.6 Features of Insular Doric 19 Boeotian and Thessalian 19.1 Aeolic: The family question 19.2 Boeotia and Boeotian 19.3 Lebes, Thebes [c.700/675] 19.4 Mantiklosâ€TM dedication to Apollo [c.700/675] 19.5 Ptoion, near Acraephia [c.550/25?] 19.6 Vase inscription, Tanagra [c6] 19.7 Mogeaâ€TMs graffito, Thespiae [c.450/30] 19.8 Dialects of Thessaly 19.9 Precinct of Apollo, Korope [c.550?] 19.10 Polyxenaâ€TMs stele, Larisa [c.450?] 19.11 Two fragmentary inscriptions, Larisa 19.12 Law tablet, Phalanna [c5] 19.13 Features of mainland Aeolic 20 Lesbian 20.1 Dialect area, accent, psilosis 20.2 Monument to Stheneias, Cebrene [c.500/475] 20.3 Monetary agreement, Mytilene [c5áμ‰/4áμ‡] 20.4 Sappho 20.5 Sappho 16 (strophe 1) 20.6 Sappho 31 (strophes 1–3) 20.7 Sappho 44: Wedding of Hector and Andromache (lines 4‒16) 20.8 Digamma and hiatus 20.9 Thematized and athematic verbs 20.10 Features of Lesbian and the Aeolic question 21 Arcadian, Cyprian, and Mycenaean Phonological and Morphological Sketch 21.1 Dialectal affinities 21.2 First compensatory lengthening 21.3 Other processes potentially affecting vowels 21.4 The noun 21.5 The verb 21.6 Features of Arcadian, Cyprian, and Mycenaean 22 Arcadian, Cyprian, Pamphylian 22.1 Arcadian 22.2 Bronze apple [c.550/25?] 22.3 Bronze cymbal [c5áμ‡] 22.4 Precinct of Athena Alea, Mantinea [c.460?] 22.5 Cyprian 22.6 Idalium bronze [c.450] 22.7 Epitaph from Arsinoa [c6‒4] 22.8 Dedication to Zeus: Larnaca [n.d.] 22.9 Pamphylian 22.10 Features of Arcadian, Cyprian, and Pamphylian 23 Mycenaean 23.1 Introduction 23.2 Deities and offerings 23.3 Cattle tending at Pylos (PY Ae 04, DMG 31) 23.4 Land tenure at Pylos 1 (PY Eo 04, DMG 121.1 ff.) 23.5 Land tenure at Pylos 2 (PY Ep 704, DMG 135.5 f.) 23.6 Furniture at Pylos (PY Ta 722, DMG 246.1) 23.7 Miscellaneous workers at Pylos (PY An 654, DMG 58.7 f.) 23.8 Syllabic liquids in Mycenaean or the epic tradition? 23.9 Features of Mycenaean 24 Dialect Mixture in the Epic Tradition 24.1 Labial reflexes of labiovelars 24.2 First person plural pronouns 24.3 Third compensatory lengthening 24.3.1 Disyllabic vs. polysyllabic words 24.3.2 Analogical and other formations 24.4 Assibilation 24.4.1 Archaic residues: Ï€(ρ)οτá1⁄2· 24.4.2 The effect of three or more syllables 24.5 Modal particles 24.5.1 A particle Î ́á1⁄2±Î1⁄2? 24.5.2 Sources of á1⁄4„Î1⁄2 and ÎoÎμ(Î1⁄2) 24.6 Sentence connectives and discourse particles 24.7 Epic dialect and meter 24.8 Summary 25 Alleged Phases in Epic Development 25.1 Pylian-Ionic fusion 25.2 The question of an Aeolic phase 25.2.1 The irrelevance of the Medes 25.2.2 The problem of Aeolic as a family 25.2.3 No epic forms are exclusively Thessalian 25.2.4 Instrumental phrases are not the same as locatival 25.2.5 Many epic forms are exclusively Lesbian 25.2.6 The problem of the †̃Aeolicâ€TM modal particle ÎoÎμ(Î1⁄2) 25.2.7 The alleged break in the tradition: quantitative metathesis 25.2.8 Traditional and poetic words prove nothing 25.2.9 Irrelevance of the labial reflex of labiovelars 25.2.10 Independent traditions cannot be sorted chronologically 25.2.11 Counterevidence to an Aeolic phase: the verbal system 25.2.12 East Ionic aorist infinitives in -á1⁄23ÎμÎ1Î1⁄2 25.2.13 Resegmentation of Î1⁄2-movable requires Ionic continuity 25.2.14 The range of attested forms reflects the entire Ionic history 25.2.15 Mycenaean and Aeolic forms differed trivially and constituted high style 25.3 Lesbian input 25.4 The question of localization 25.5 Conclusion 26 Special Phonetic Symbols 26.1 Special diacritics 26.2 Classification of consonants References Index of Cited Passages Greek Index Subject Index Main description: This volume provides linguistic background to the ancient authors and commentary on both epigraphic and literary dialect texts. By means of dialectally and chronologically arranged texts, translated and provided with running commentary, Gary Miller compares early authors against epigraphic records to facilitate an understanding of Homer, choral lyric, and authors from different dialect areas