A Study of Thumos in Early Greek Epic

Abstract

The language of early Greek epic, exemplified primarily by Homer, contains numerous descriptions of inner states and uses a specific vocabulary to do so. Scholars understand these descriptions in a general way; but the precision of the expressions remains a mystery. In this work, one of the most important of these words, thumos, is examined in each of its contexts. This synchronic formulaic analysis is carried out according to the contexts of thumos: the cognitive/intellectual, the emotional, and the physical. Two additional contexts, deliberation and motivation, are discussed separately. Within the discussion of each context, the functional synonyms of thumos, particulary phren/phrenes, and other frequent associates of thumos, are examined. Thumos has associations with words relating to winds and storms, a fact which helps clarify its significance in all contexts. Because this work is a discussion of thumos in all contexts, and also contains an appendix of the relevant passages, it should be useful to scholars engaged in research on Homeric vocabulary.

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