Agamemnon in Herodotus and Thucydides: Exploring the historical uses of a mythological paradigm

This paper explores the use of the myth of Agamemnon in Herodotus and Thucydides. I argue that the deployment of Agamemnon in their works is shaped by, and sheds additional light on, the historians’ attitude toward myth (and its use in rhetoric), their narrative aims and historical outlook. Herodotu...

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Κύριος συγγραφέας: Zali, Vasiliki
Μορφή: Online
Γλώσσα:English
Έκδοση: Centre for the Study of Myth and Religion in Greek and Roman Antiquity 2023
Θέματα:
Διαθέσιμο Online:https://pasithee.library.upatras.gr/electra/article/view/4381
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spelling oai:ojs.pasithee.library.upatras.gr:article-43812023-04-27T08:24:04Z Agamemnon in Herodotus and Thucydides: Exploring the historical uses of a mythological paradigm Zali, Vasiliki Agamemnon, history, rhetoric, politics This paper explores the use of the myth of Agamemnon in Herodotus and Thucydides. I argue that the deployment of Agamemnon in their works is shaped by, and sheds additional light on, the historians’ attitude toward myth (and its use in rhetoric), their narrative aims and historical outlook. Herodotus’ readiness to embrace myth in both narrative and speeches, his representation of complex motivation, his description of the conflict between the Greeks and the Persians, and his panhellenic outlook, influence the function of Agamemnon: as king of Sparta and the leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War, he reflects the idealistic and pragmatic motivation of the Spartans in the context of the Persian Wars. Agamemnon’s function in Thucydides is different since it is affected by the general avoidance of mythological argument – especially in rhetoric – and its merely relative significance, the description of a war between the Greeks, Thucydides’ pragmatism, and his writing for posterity: aptly replaced by Sparta’s Dorianism in the context of the war against Athens, Agamemnon becomes a contemporary tyrant king who may represent any city or individual yearning for power and empire. Centre for the Study of Myth and Religion in Greek and Roman Antiquity 2023-04-27 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion application/pdf https://pasithee.library.upatras.gr/electra/article/view/4381 10.26220/ele.4381 Electra; No 1 (2011): The Atreids; 61-98 Electra; No 1 (2011): The Atreids; 61-98 1792-605X 1792-605X eng https://pasithee.library.upatras.gr/electra/article/view/4381/4310 Copyright (c) 2023 Electra
institution UPatras
collection Pasithee
language English
topic Medicine, Plants, Vegetables, Fruits, Disease, Magic, Religion
Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Oresteia, Agamemnon, Clytemnestra
disbelief, iamata, epigraphic evidence, literary evidence, divine punishment, incubation
Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Iphigénie, Iphigénie en Tauride, sacrifice, protéleia, prémices
Asclepius, Justin martyr, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Contra Celsum, euhemerism
Hercules; Steve Moore; comics
myth;counterfeit;origami; repetition
Agamemnon, hero, Kassandra, Amyklai, Zeus
Asclepius, testimonials, medical treatment, Aristides
Heracles’ private life; Love; Family; Man /woman; Mythic parallels
greek mythology
Agamemnon, history, rhetoric, politics
Ηρακλής; Γέλα; Ακράγας; Ρόδος; Κρήτη
Snake, ambiguity, health in antiquity, healing cult, symbolism, ancient medicine, snake imagery, manipulation
Greek mythology
spellingShingle Medicine, Plants, Vegetables, Fruits, Disease, Magic, Religion
Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Oresteia, Agamemnon, Clytemnestra
disbelief, iamata, epigraphic evidence, literary evidence, divine punishment, incubation
Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Iphigénie, Iphigénie en Tauride, sacrifice, protéleia, prémices
Asclepius, Justin martyr, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Contra Celsum, euhemerism
Hercules; Steve Moore; comics
myth;counterfeit;origami; repetition
Agamemnon, hero, Kassandra, Amyklai, Zeus
Asclepius, testimonials, medical treatment, Aristides
Heracles’ private life; Love; Family; Man /woman; Mythic parallels
greek mythology
Agamemnon, history, rhetoric, politics
Ηρακλής; Γέλα; Ακράγας; Ρόδος; Κρήτη
Snake, ambiguity, health in antiquity, healing cult, symbolism, ancient medicine, snake imagery, manipulation
Greek mythology
Zali, Vasiliki
Agamemnon in Herodotus and Thucydides: Exploring the historical uses of a mythological paradigm
topic_facet Medicine, Plants, Vegetables, Fruits, Disease, Magic, Religion
Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Oresteia, Agamemnon, Clytemnestra
disbelief, iamata, epigraphic evidence, literary evidence, divine punishment, incubation
Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Iphigénie, Iphigénie en Tauride, sacrifice, protéleia, prémices
Asclepius, Justin martyr, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Contra Celsum, euhemerism
Hercules; Steve Moore; comics
myth;counterfeit;origami; repetition
Agamemnon, hero, Kassandra, Amyklai, Zeus
Asclepius, testimonials, medical treatment, Aristides
Heracles’ private life; Love; Family; Man /woman; Mythic parallels
greek mythology
Agamemnon, history, rhetoric, politics
Ηρακλής; Γέλα; Ακράγας; Ρόδος; Κρήτη
Snake, ambiguity, health in antiquity, healing cult, symbolism, ancient medicine, snake imagery, manipulation
Greek mythology
format Online
author Zali, Vasiliki
author_facet Zali, Vasiliki
author_sort Zali, Vasiliki
title Agamemnon in Herodotus and Thucydides: Exploring the historical uses of a mythological paradigm
title_short Agamemnon in Herodotus and Thucydides: Exploring the historical uses of a mythological paradigm
title_full Agamemnon in Herodotus and Thucydides: Exploring the historical uses of a mythological paradigm
title_fullStr Agamemnon in Herodotus and Thucydides: Exploring the historical uses of a mythological paradigm
title_full_unstemmed Agamemnon in Herodotus and Thucydides: Exploring the historical uses of a mythological paradigm
title_sort agamemnon in herodotus and thucydides: exploring the historical uses of a mythological paradigm
description This paper explores the use of the myth of Agamemnon in Herodotus and Thucydides. I argue that the deployment of Agamemnon in their works is shaped by, and sheds additional light on, the historians’ attitude toward myth (and its use in rhetoric), their narrative aims and historical outlook. Herodotus’ readiness to embrace myth in both narrative and speeches, his representation of complex motivation, his description of the conflict between the Greeks and the Persians, and his panhellenic outlook, influence the function of Agamemnon: as king of Sparta and the leader of the Greeks in the Trojan War, he reflects the idealistic and pragmatic motivation of the Spartans in the context of the Persian Wars. Agamemnon’s function in Thucydides is different since it is affected by the general avoidance of mythological argument – especially in rhetoric – and its merely relative significance, the description of a war between the Greeks, Thucydides’ pragmatism, and his writing for posterity: aptly replaced by Sparta’s Dorianism in the context of the war against Athens, Agamemnon becomes a contemporary tyrant king who may represent any city or individual yearning for power and empire.
publisher Centre for the Study of Myth and Religion in Greek and Roman Antiquity
publishDate 2023
url https://pasithee.library.upatras.gr/electra/article/view/4381
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