What is it about?
In an conscious or unconscious continuation of thought patterns that regards historical developmen as an evolutionary sequence of monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy, the 'beginning' of Greek history was usually presented as a form of monarchy. Through an analysis of the basic narrative structures, it is possible to illustrate that in the Homeric and Hesiod's epics various debates can be discerned in different discourses: debates on rightful leadership, on rule, force, and power; on how to deal with conflicts, on justice, social standing, in inter-generational relationships. By reference to these discourses, Homer and Hesiod establish a fresh, but idealizing discourse on political leadership which can be situated within the context of the developing polis.
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Why is it important?
The paper fits very well the current discussion on how a political community should be organized.
Perspectives
This paper might instigate a new debate on how the epics could be read without presuming the outdated model of the epics as being part of a 'Greek' oral tradition.
Prof. Christoph J Ulf
University of Innsbruck
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Führung – nicht: Herrschaft Widerstreitende Diskurse bei Homer und Hesiod und ihr historischer Kontext, January 2017, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1515/9783110463859-007.
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