Scylla: Myth, Metaphor, Paradox

321 Pages·2013·3.15 MB·English

by  Marianne Govers Hopman

more information - www.cambridge.org/9781107026766
SCYLLA
What’sinaname?UsingtheexampleofafamousmonsterfromGreek
myth,thisbookchallengesthedominantviewthatamythicalsymbol
denotesasingle,clear-cut“figure”andproposesinsteadtodefinethe
name “Scylla” as a combination of three concepts – sea, dog, and
woman – whose articulation changes over time. While archaic and
classicalGreekversionsusuallyemphasizethemetaphoricalcoherence
of Scylla’s components, the name is increasingly treated as a well-
definedbutalsoparadoxicalconstructfromthelatefourthcenturybce
onward. Proceeding through detailed analyses of Greek and Roman
textsandimages,ProfessorHopmanshowshowthesamenamecan
variously express anxieties about the sea, dogs, aggressive women,
andshymaidens,thusofferinganempiricalresponsetothesemiotic
puzzleraisedbynon-referentialpropernames.
marianne govers hopman is Assistant Professor of Classics
andComparativeLiteraryStudiesatNorthwesternUniversity.

SCYLLA
Myth, Metaphor, Paradox
MARIANNE GOVERS HOPMAN
cambridge university press
Cambridge,NewYork,Melbourne,Madrid,CapeTown,
Singapore,Sa˜oPaulo,Delhi,MexicoCity
CambridgeUniversityPress
TheEdinburghBuilding,Cambridgecb28ru,UK
PublishedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyCambridgeUniversityPress,NewYork
www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781107026766
(cid:2)c MarianneGoversHopman2012
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
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noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2012
PrintedintheUnitedKingdomattheUniversityPress,Cambridge
AcatalogrecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationdata
Hopman,Marianne,1974–
Scylla:myth,metaphor,paradox/MarianneGoversHopman.
pages cm
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
isbn978-1-107-02676-6
1.ScyllaandCharybdis(Greekmythology) I.Title.
bl820.s39h67 2012
292.1(cid:3)3–dc23 2012017772
isbn978-1-107-02676-6Hardback
CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceor
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Contents
Listoffigures pageix
Prefaceandacknowledgments xii
Noteontransliterationsandtranslations xv
Listofabbreviations xviii
Introduction 1
1
Asemioticapproachtomythicalnames
8
Scyllainfictionandculturalreflections
11
Mythsandmetaphors
18
Outline
i scylla in the odyssey
1 Theimpregnablemonster 23
26
CrossingJason’spath
28
Aparodicduel
31
AfailedHesiodiccombat
34
ScyllaandtheCyclops
2 Apoetichazard 42
43
ThesilenceofOdysseus
44
Forgettingthenostos
48
Competingtraditions
3 Thegulletofthesea 52
53
Eatingupsailors
56
Thevoracioussea
65
Bodyandspace
4 Puzzlesandriddles 71
72
Scyllatheriddle
77
Fromriddletoaporia
v
vi Contents
80
Sailingtheboundlesssea
83
Enigmaticfemales
ii scylla in classical greece
5 Afemininecomposite 91
93
Textsandimages
96
Howtomakeamonster
107
Semanticunits
6 Scyllaasfemmefatale 113
114
Sexualanxieties
123
Metaphoricalpivots
131
Visualcatachreses
7 Theuntamedmaiden 142
143
ParthenicScyllae
156
Homologiesandmetaphors
160
ScyllaandThetis
iii scylla in hellenistic greece and rome
8 Rationalizingthemonster 175
177
Themonsterasmythodes
180
Threekindsofrationalization
189
Exegetesandpoets
9 Organizingthetradition 195
196
Gatheringacorpus
201
Mythicalbiography
203
Homonyms
209
Thesemanticsofconflation
10 RomanversionsofaGreekmyth 216
217
ExemplaryScyllae
227
Aestheticsofcontrast
11 Psychologyandre-semanticizationinOvid’s
Metamorphoses 233
234
Fromcombattaletomaidenstory
239
Metamorphosisascontagion
245
Ambiguousmaidens
Contents vii
Epilogue 254
254
Fromconcepttofigure
255
Theplasticityofmythicalnames
257
Mythicalhomonyms
259
Conceptualizingmonsters,heroes,andgods
Bibliography 264
Indexofpassagesdiscussed 285
IndexofGreekandLatinwords 290
Indexofobjectsdiscussed 292
Generalindex 294

Figures
1 EtruscanivorypyxisfromthePanianecropolis,
Chiusi.Florence,ArchaeologicalMuseum73846.
(cid:2)
Photo C SoprintendenzaperiBeniArcheologici
dellaToscana/MuseoArcheologicoNazionale,
Firenze. page36
2aandb MinoansealfromKnossos.HeraklionMuseum
337–9,350–2.Photoanddrawing(cid:2)C Corpusder
MinoischenundMykenischenSiegel,Marburg. 58
3 CorinthianamphorafromCerveteri.Berlin,
StaatlicheMuseenF1652.Photo(cid:2)C bpk,Berlin/
Antikensammlung,StaatlicheMuseen,Berlin,
Germany/IngridGeske/ArtResource,NY. 60
4 LateCorinthiancolumn-kraterfromCerveteri.
Boston,MuseumofFineArts63.420.Photo(cid:2)C
2012MuseumofFineArts,Boston. 61
5 LateGeometrickraterfromPithecusae,cemeteryin
theVallediSanMontano.Ischia,Archaeological
Museum168813.Photo(cid:2)C SoprintendenzaSpeciale
periBeniArcheologicidiNapoliePompei. 63
6 Paestanred-figurecalyx-kratersignedbyAsteas.
Paestum,ArchaeologicalMuseum.Formerlyin
Malibu,GettyMuseum81.AE.78.Photoby
LeonardoVitola(cid:2)C SoprintendenzaperiBeni
ArcheologicidiSalerno.Suconcessionen.37/2011
delMinisteroiBenieleAttivita`Culturali. 98
7 “Melian”clayrelief.Paris,LouvreCA313.Photo(cid:2)C
Re´uniondesMuse´esNationaux/ArtResource,NY. 99
8aandb Black-figureamphorafromEtruria.Athens,
collectionS.NiarchosA059.Photo(cid:2)C Christie’s
Images/TheBridgemanArtLibrary. 100
ix