Homeric Formulae
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: This article discusses the issue of applicability of Milman Parry’s principles of economy and extension to Homer and other epic traditions. By addressing the objections raised by scholars in various fields, it argues that the presence of formulae is in itself not enough for either proving or disproving a given text’s orality. Only economy and extension embodied in the systems of formulae can serve as such a proof. Application of this criterion to various epic traditions shows that, although economy and extension cannot be considered universal indices of orality, they do fulfil this function in Homer and early Greek epic.
Author: Margalit Finkelberg
Institution: Tel Aviv University
Language: English
Topic: Classical Antiquity Studies
Subfield: Anthropology
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4404615468