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"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
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Sansone, David
Department/Program
Classical Philology
Discipline
Classical Philology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree
Ph.D.
Dissertation or Thesis
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Literature, Classical
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.
