Greek Criticism of Myth Part 2: Historians, Geographers, and Biographer

Myth and History

Sources of Influence: Epic, Early Greek Historical Poetry (especially elegy), Logography (on genealogy, natural philosophy, geography, etc.) Myth in history: mythical exempla given by characters or by the narrator, explicit comparisons of mythical events/people to historical ones, etiological tales, historical events told with influence from myth, mythical events told as history (often rationalized), alternate myths, fantastic myths vs. believable stories

Herodotus
Greek Father of history from Halicarnassus (Asia Minor), Active mid to late 5th cent. BC, Uncle wrote an epic on Heracles, Hecataeus was one of his most important influences

Stylistic features: Herodotus gives a 3rd-person narrative with occasional important 1st-person comments to show his sources, criticisms, or rationalizations; like other Greek historians he starts with his name and city. Like poets he seeks to preserve fame and glory but not just for individual heroes (see first paragaph).

Herodotus (cont.)
Cites sources but usually vaguely: the Persian storytellers or Egyptian priests Often emphasizes how alternate accounts differ and sometimes gives his own opinion and at other times he specifically does not say, often when it might defame a god.

Herodotus (cont.)
Examples: Io, Europa, Medea, and Helen (long ago) Arion and the Dolphin (a couple centuries back) Helen in Egypt: Menelaus, King Proteus I think that Homer also knew this version If Helen had been in Ilion,

Thucydides
Athenian general and historian, active late 5th cent. BC Note that Thuc. too begins with name and city of origin. He is the most overtly rational historian and thus gods and fantastic events usually fall into the background. He concentrates on war, numbers of forces, accumulations of wealth and resources, and other technical details of largescale political history. Still note his NEED to compare the Peloponnesian War to Troy.

Thucydides (cont.)
Thucydides uses the Homeric poems as a source of linguistic archeology about Greek pre-history because of what words Homer uses and does not use and because of the phrase Are you a pirate? Rationalizes Minos as the first great naval commander and Agamemnon as an overlord and naval commander that gathered the less powerful kings and Pelops as a foreigner who brought in Eastern wealth. He even carefully counts the number of ships and men in the ships as Homer lists them to compare the fleet with modern ones. The army was small from lack of money. Explains 10 years as due to scattered raiding.

Diodorus
A Sicilian Greek universal historian writing under Roman rule, active 1st cent. BC Rationalizes (sometimes more and sometimes less) and specifically uses euhemerism a lot. Moderately rationalizes Heracles, Theseus, and others from Greek myth in Book 4.

Diodorus (cont.)
Amazons- rationalized tale with connections to Heracles and Achilles Atlanteans- Excellent example of euhemerism, gods portrayed as real people from long ago Orpheus- Not much rationalized but note thought, incredibly, and they tell Euhemerizing the gods in Crete- very thorough example of this critical method

Arrian
Greek historian writing in Roman empire, active 2nd cent. AD Arrian records the famous debate over Alexander being worshipped as a god This is one of many places in the tradition where he is compared with the gods, specifically Heracles and Dionysus. This also displays a genealogy that connects him with Heracles and Achillescommon for great historical figures.

Pausanias
Greek geographer or travel-writer writing in Roman empire, active 2nd cent. AD He describes temples, statues, painting, and monuments of all sorts and gives mythical background. He does little rationalizing but rather tells stories (sometimes with alternate versions) to explain art and architecture of the real world.

Pausanias (cont.)
Attitude: This and similar stories of the gods I record, though I do not accept them (346). I do not wish to charge them with having been by nature wicked; but (347). This oracle is best proof that (348). Reports inscription of Hippolytus raised from dead (349).

Pausanias (cont.)
Believes myth of Lycaon turning into a wolf (350) because things were different in the good old days when pious folk became gods. Suggests Actaeons dogs had gone mad (351). Gives rationalized version of Sphinx where she was a pirate (353).

Plutarch
Greek intellectual, biographer/statesman/ philosopher, active late 1st and early 2nd cent. AD Historicizes stories of Theseus, Heracles, and other mythical figures in his biographies by means of rationalization.

Plutarch (cont.)
Theseus as historical founder of Athens, proof in oracles, Homer, and festivals

Aelian
Native Latin speaker who wrote a historical miscellany in Greek, active late 2nd and early 3rd cent. AD Uses myths as etiologies or as exempla or models for us to follow. The latter use is akin to allegorical use of myths rather than rationalizing.

Reading Questions
What inconsistencies do you see in how these authors sometimes rationalize and sometimes accept fantastic details? How could these inconsistencies reflect the authors' cultural ideologies, customs, and prejudices? Which rationalized versions seemed more believable? Less believable? Why? Which was your favorite author or story? Why?