Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Αρχαία Ελληνική ΦιλολογίαLibrary of the School of Philosophy
Supervisors info:
Ιωάννης Κωνσταντάκος, Καθηγητής της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Φιλολογίας στο Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Σοφία Παπαϊωάννου, Καθηγήτρια της Λατινικής Φιλολογίας στο Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπίστημιο Αθηνών
Αικατερίνη-Νίνα Καρβούνη, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Φιλολογίας στο Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Original Title:
Κύρος, Θησέας, Ρωμύλος: Ο μύθος του ήρωα και οι χρήσεις του στην Αρχαία Ιστοριογραφία
Translated title:
Cyrus, Theseus, Romulus: The myth of the hero and its functions in Ancient Greek Historiography
Summary:
This Master’s thesis endeavors to illustrate the association between mythology and historiography, a phenomenon that has persisted for centuries, with the ultimate purpose of promoting political advantages, whether individual or societal. This investigation specifically focuses on the foundational narratives of three prominent state institutions: the Persian Empire, Athens, and Rome.
The introductory section of the paper constructs a comprehensive narrative model concerning the lives of heroes, synthesizing individual narrative passages provided by various theoretical scholars, such as Campbell. The main part of this thesis comprises of three principal chapters and their subsections. Initially, (1) the various aspects of the lives of the three heroes—Cyrus, Theseus, and Romulus—are presented. Subsequently, (2) a detailed examination of the three heroes’ myths is conducted in relation to the archetypal heroic narrative. (3) This section is followed by a further comparative analysis of the three founding myths with antecedent and subsequent narratives that exhibit structural and thematic similarities. Eventually, (4) the specific episodes are reinterpreted from a historical perspective. In the concluding segment of each chapter, an attempt is made to highlight particular historical figures (originating from Persia, Athens and Rome). These figures seem to have exploited the myths of Cyrus, Theseus, and Romulus, either overtly or subtly, in order to align their names and their own political prestige with these legendary figures. The selection of these historical figures is predicated on their pivotal contributions to the history of their homelands and to the broader history of the ancient world.
Main subject category:
Language – Literature
Keywords:
Cyrus, Theseus, Romulus, Myth, Historiography, Politics
Number of references:
172
File:
File access is restricted until 2024-12-28.
Διπλωματική Εργασία, Δέξιππος, _Μανωλά.pdf
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File access is restricted until 2024-12-28.
