Kylintirea, Evangelia;
(2002)
Pseudo-Apollodoros' Bibliotheke and the Greek mythological tradition.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Pseudo-Apollodoros' Bibliotheke is undeniably the most useful single source for the mythical tradition of Greece. Enclosing in a short space a remarkable quantity of information, it offers concise and comprehensive accounts of most of the myths that had come to matter beyond local boundaries, providing its readers with their most popular variants. This study concentrates on the most familiar stories contained in the first book of the Bibliotheke and their proper place in the overall structure of Greek mythology. Chapter One is dedicated to the backbone of Apollodoros' work: the chronological organisation of Greek mythical history in genealogies. It discusses the authors individual plan in the arrangement and presentation of his material and his conscious striving for cohesion. Chapters Two and Three are closely linked together: they deal with different stages of the unique narrative of the succession-myth, an account which ultimately comes from a single, archaic source (with minor reworkings to agree with the prevailing tradition of the myth from the Hellenistic period onwards), thus reaffirming Apollodoros' predilection for early accounts. The fourth Chapter discusses the myths concerning on the family of Oineus and the participants in the Kalydonian Boar Hunt, while the final Chapter concentrates on the first part of the Argonautic expedition, the voyage to Kolchis, as an indication of how Apollodoros reports the whole of the expedition. This study concludes that the mythographers main aim is to reproduce a cohesive and faithful summary of the canonical versions of the myths he records, but not necessarily of his sources. Every myth is discussed in the context of the long Greek mythological tradition, giving us a rare insight to Apollodoros' main preoccupations in structuring his work and the handling of his sources, and rewarding us with tantalising glimpses of many Greek myths that are otherwise lost.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Pseudo-Apollodoros' Bibliotheke and the Greek mythological tradition |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Thesis digitised by ProQuest. |
| Keywords: | Language, literature and linguistics; Apollodoros |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10098738 |
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