"Reciprocity and the Divine: A Study of the Major ""Homeric Hymns"""

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.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Classical Philology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Strolonga, Polyxeni

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sansone, David

• Literature, Classical

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3347542

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/87458