language of praise/blame

When Achilles calls Agamemnon kun-ōpa ‘having the looks of a dog’, he is engaging in the language of blame. When Achilles calls Agamemnon kun-ōpa ‘having the looks of a dog’, he is ... Continue reading

In Agamemnon’s language of blame as directed against Achilles, eris ‘strife’ is a defining feature of Achilles. In Agamemnon’s language of blame as directed against Achilles, eris ... Continue reading

This insult, kunos ommat’ ekhōn ‘having the looks of a dog’, directed at Agamemnon by Achilles, exemplifies the language of blame. As also at cross-ref. I.01.159, the translation ‘ ... Continue reading

This insult directed at Agamemnon by Achilles exemplifies the language of blame. Another aspect of the blame here is the double meaning of dēmo- in the compound formation dēmoboros ... Continue reading

Agamemnon as speaker refers to the oneidea ‘words of insult’ directed at him by Achilles, who has been resorting to the language of blame in his quarrel with the over-king. Agamemn ... Continue reading

This word indicates the language of blame vs. praise. Such words can refer to blame as a foil for epic. This word indicates the language of blame vs. praise. Such words can refer t ... Continue reading

The expression erizemenai basileusin ‘engage in strife against kings’ is a programmatic way of referring to the language of blame as a challenge to royalty. In the Iliad, Thersites ... Continue reading

The programmatic representation of Thersites as an exponent of blame poetry is summed up in the description of this character as aiskhistos ‘most disgraceful’. In the Poetics of Ar ... Continue reading

The content of the words of Thersites as blame poetry is matched by the form of the blame poet: just as the content is ugly, the form too is ugly. Thersites actually looks ugly. If ... Continue reading

As an exponent of blame poetry, which is antithetical to the poetry of epic as a vehicle for praising what is good about heroes, Thersites is truly ekhthistos ‘most hateful’ to the ... Continue reading

Besides the noun neikos (plural neikea) ‘quarrel’ and the verb neikeîn ‘quarrel with’, on both which see the comment on I.02.221, another set of words referring to the poetics of b ... Continue reading

Here again, the verb neikeîn ‘quarrel with’ refers to the poetics of blame. Here again, the verb neikeîn ‘quarrel with’ refers to the poetics of blame. Here again, the verb neike ... Continue reading

Epic quotes here directly the poetry of blame as displayed by Thersites. His words of blame are introduced and concluded at I.02.224 and I.02.243 respectively by way of the word ne ... Continue reading

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Here again, the expression erizemenai basileusin ‘engage in strife against kings’ is a programmatic way of referring to the language of blame as a challenge to royalty. Here again, ... Continue reading

Hector quarrels with Paris, as signaled by the verb neikeîn ‘quarrel with’. He aims words of blame at Paris, and these words are aiskhra ‘disgraceful, shameful’ because they are me ... Continue reading

In situations of strife among heroes as warriors, there is contention over status. Quarreling happens, as indicated here by way of the verb neikeîn ‘quarrel with’. Positive things ... Continue reading

The Trojan War is eris ‘strife’. See also eris ‘strife’ at Pindar Paean 6.50–53. That is how this war is seen in the words of Menelaos the Achaean, who claims a juridical grievanc ... Continue reading

The verb neikeîn ‘quarrel with’ here again marks the language of blame as opposed to the language of praise. The verb neikeîn ‘quarrel with’ here again marks the language of blame ... Continue reading

The objects of blame here are those who hesitate in battle, described as elenkhees, plural of the adjective elenkhēs ‘disgraceful’, which is a derivative of the noun elenkhos ‘disg ... Continue reading

Agamemnon starts quarreling with Diomedes, as signaled by neikeîn ‘quarrel with’ at I.04.368. The over-king’s language of blame here is meant to diminish the epic reputation of Dio ... Continue reading

comment on the application of the words characterizing Achilles at I.01.177 (eris, wars, and battles are dear to him) to Ares in this verse, complaints lodged by Agamemnon and Zeus ... Continue reading

analysis of blame and aiskhros, and Hektor’s words of blame to Paris being aiskhra not because Hektor is, but because Paris is soHector quarrels with Paris, as signaled by the verb ... Continue reading

comment on aisa in the context of analyzing blame and praise (poetry)Here at I.06.333 as also at I.03.059, Paris actually accepts the words of blame directed at him by his quarreli ... Continue reading

By goading the Achaeans, Nestor is engaged in the act of neikeîn: so he ‘quarrels with’ the Achaeans. This way, he engages in the language of blame as opposed to praise. And, even ... Continue reading

analysis of the language of praise poetry as presenting the language of unjustified blame as parallel to the eating of heroes’ corpses by dogsThe verb haptesthai ‘grab a hold of’ h ... Continue reading

The words of Odysseus here, I.10.249–253, spoken in response to the preceding words of Diomedes, I.10.241–247, highlight the need for balancing the positive force of praise poetry ... Continue reading

Even though the attacking Trojans here are fewer in number than the defending Achaeans, they are evenly matched in strength. This detail is relevant to the taunt of Sthenelos when ... Continue reading

The verb lōbeuein ‘say words of insult’ is parallel to kertomeîn ‘say words of insult’, on which see the comment on I.02.256. The verb lōbeuein ‘say words of insult’ is parallel to ... Continue reading

It is claimed that the deeds of Clytemnestra have disgraced not only herself but all women, and that women will be blamed for her deeds by way of blame poetry. On the poetics of bl ... Continue reading

... drink, O.18.002–003. A character who is margos is not just a negative example of lowly humans in general: in the poetic language of praise/blame, such a character is a negative example of lowly poe ... Continue reading

The noun kertomiai ‘words of insult’ is correlated with the verb kertomeîn ‘say words of insult’, as attested also at I.02.256, O.02.323, O.18.350. The noun kertomiai ‘words of in ... Continue reading

The noun enīpē ‘scolding’ is correlated with the verb eniptein ‘scold’, on which see especially the comment at O.18.321–326. The noun enīpē ‘scolding’ is correlated with the verb ... Continue reading