Tales of Epic Ancestry: Boiotian Collective Identity in the Late Archaic and Early Classical Periods (Historia: Einzelschriften)

This book explores late-sixth and early fifth-century Boiotia as a case study in the construction and articulation of collective identity in archaic and early classical Greece. By juxtaposing a variety of sources – historiography, numismatics, iconography, epigraphy – the author discusses traditions of Boiotian descent and territory as well as Boiotian use of a common symbol, promotion of shared dialect, and use of a common name. These sources suggest that by the late sixth century the Boiotians actively promoted collective links to Athena and Thessaly as well as to epic tradition and specific epic heroes. They did not begin using their collective name in a strictly political or military sense until the middle of the fifth century BC. With this ethnic portrait, the author offers an alternate explanation to the opinio communis that attributes late sixth-century Boiotian solidarity to an early political and military federation of poleis. The author rather argues that the Boiotians adopted a permanent federal system only in the mid-fifth century. CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION APPROACH AND STRUCTURE SOURCES, METHODS, RESTRICTIONS, AND TERMINOLOGY CHAPTER 1 BOIOTOS’ PARENTAGE BOIOTOS’ CHILDREN SUMMARY AND DATE OF THE TRADITION PRIMARY CONSEQUENCES OF BOIOTOS’ GENEALOGY Aiolos Poseidon CONCLUSIONS CHAPTER 2 THE ILIAD A. The Catalogue of Ships (Il. 2.494–511) B. Arne BETWEEN THE ILIAD AND EHOIAI: ARNE AND BOIOTOS ADDITIONAL EPIC REPRESENTATIONS OF BOIOTIANS IN THE ILIAD THE ASPIS CONCLUSIONS: THE ARCHAIC SOURCES THUCYDIDES ON BOIOTIAN MIGRATION AND HABITATION A. The Text B. Interpreting Thucydides 1.12 C. Thucydides and the Ehoiai D. Implications of Thucydides’ Account RECAPITULATION CHAPTER 3 A NUMISMATIC HISTORY AND A RECONSIDERATION OF BOIOTIAN COINAGE PROBLEMS IN ASSESSING BOIOTIAN COINAGE THE SYMBOL OF THE CUTOUT SHIELD A. The Chalkidian Issues, the Asyut Hoard, and the Beginnings of Boiotian Coinage B. The Pun C. Divine Significance D. Links Between the Shield and the Aiakids in Genealogy and Iconography E. The Boiotian Provenience of Ajax’s Shield F. Ajax’s Shield Type G. Boiotian Links to Shields in the Aspis H. Boiotian Manufacture of Raw Materials and Weaponry RECAPITULATION AND SPECULATION ON AN ICONOGRAPHIC SHIFT CHAPTER 4 SOURCES SELECT DETAILS OF BOIOTIAN DIALECT A FEW EPICIZING EXAMPLES CHAPTER 5 BOIOTIAN USE OF REGIONAL ETHNICS (INTERNAL USE) A. The Sixth Century B. The Early to Mid-Fifth Century P i n d a r E p i g r a p h i c E v i d e n c e NON-BOIOTIAN USE OF REGIONAL ETHNICS (EXTERNAL USE) CONCLUSIONS CHAPTER 6 EARLIER APPROACHES THE FIFTH-CENTURY HISTORIANS A. The Collective Regional Ethnic in Herodotus B. Herodotus’ Use of the Term Boiotarchai C. Thucydides’ Boiotians: the Plataian Debate T h e P l a t a i a n S p e e c h T h e T h e b a n S p e e c h EVIDENCE FOR SIXTH-CENTURY POLIS RIVALRY AND INDEPENDENCE KORONEIA: A FIFTH-CENTURY TURNING POINT CHAPTER 7 EXTERNAL CATALYSTS FOR BOIOTIAN COLLECTIVE COHESION ICONOGRAPHIC APPENDIX A. ACHILLES IN BLACK FIGURE WITH CUTOUT SHIELD B. OTHER ARCHAIC MEDIA DEPICTING ACHILLES AND THE CUTOUT SHIELD C. ACHILLES IN BLACK FIGURE WITH ROUND SHIELD D. AJAX IN BLACK FIGURE WITH CUTOUT SHIELD E. AJAX IN BLACK FIGURE WITH ROUND SHIELD F. ACHILLES IN RED FIGURE WITH CUTOUT SHIELD G. ACHILLES IN RED FIGURE WITH ROUND SHIELD H. AJAX IN RED FIGURE WITH CUTOUT SHIELD I. AJAX IN RED FIGURE WITH ROUND SHIELD J. MENELAOS IN BLACK AND RED FIGURE BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX OF SOURCES I. LITERARY SOURCES AND TEXTS II. INSCRIPTIONS GENERAL INDEX Stephanie L. Larson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [217]-231) And Indexes.