Epic Cycle Plot Motifs in Homeric Narrative

Abstract

This thesis examines the narrative function of Epic Cycle plot motifs in the Homeric poems. It is argued that, in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, traditional stories from outside the poem's temporal scope are employed to serve the main narrative. The success of the use of these stories reflects the elastic nature of oral poetry, and the poet's ability to use a broad wealth of material—familiar to the poem's audience—in the telling of a story. Three case studies form the basis of this thesis. The first of these is an examination of the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, known from the Kypria, as it appears in the Iliad. This plot motif is brought in to characterise the poem's hero, Akhilleus, and to emphasise the poem's themes of glory and mortality. The second case study is that of the Oresteia story—Agamemnon's homecoming, and part of the Nostoi—and its role in the Odyssey. This story produces such narrative effects as mirroring, and misdirection, facilitating interplay between narrators and audiences. The Oresteia also plays a role in creating a context in which to examine the poem's primary narrative, that of the return of Odysseus. The last of these three case studies examines the Ilioupersis motif of the Ilias Mikra and the Ilioupersis, as it appears in both the Iliad and the Odyssey. Particular attention is given to the concept of time in this case study, as these poems' narratives are set respectively before and after the events of the sack of Troy; in both instances, references to events outside the poem's scope ultimately serve the poem's main concern, which is the present tense of its narrative. These case studies produce a series of similar functions and effects. To conclude, a recap of the most common narrative effects is provided: mirroring, contrasting, foreshadowing, misdirection, characterisation, and the emphasising of themes.