Homeric resonances in Demosthenes’ Second Olynthiac

John L. Jacobs (Yale University)

The present paper aims to address a neglected area of scholarship in Greek oratory: the impact of Homeric language and imagery on Demosthenes. Given the current interest in ancient rhetoric (see Carawan 2007), as well as the continued evolution in the techniques of intertextual criticism, this kind of comparative analysis across generic boundaries holds great promise. The recent appearance of the new OCT volumes for Demosthenes (Dilts 2002-), as well as the many translations in the ever growing series “The Oratory of Classical Greece”, attest to his vitality in modern scholarship (see Gibson 2002). Yet, critics have not thus far paid much attention to the many Homeric resonances which Demosthenes deploys in order to cast himself in the mold of a Homeric speaker. In this paper, I will focus on one major example, from the Second Olynthiac, and then discuss the general nature of Homer’s impact on Greek oratory (see Roisman 1999).

In the Second Olynthiac (see Ryder 2000 and Karvounis 2002: 287-352), Demosthenes calls on the Athenians to come to the immediate assistance of the Olynthians. At the end of the speech (29-31), he uses the phrase erizein kai diestanai (29) to describe the wrangling among the Athenians which has thus far prevented them from taking action against Philip. Concerning this passage, the ancient scholia record only two glosses for diestanai, with no comment whatsoever on erizein (see Dindorff 1846-1851 ad loc.). Among modern commentators, Tyler 1875 ad loc. offers no remark, while Sandys 1897 ad loc. merely notes the strong rhetorical force inherent in the collocation of the verbal synonyms. Similarly, Sharpley 1900 ad loc. calls erizein “a poetical (and Platonic) word”, and McQueen 1986 ad loc. elaborates on the morphology and the semantic force of diestanai. However, all of these scholars have overlooked the fact that Demosthenes here directly alludes to the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon at the beginning of the Iliad (diastētēn erisante in 1.6). Furthermore, by depicting the squabbling Athenians in this manner, Demosthenes casts himself as Nestor, the wise councilor who offers both parties advice for how to break the impasse and confront the enemy (Olynthiacs 2.29-31 ~ Iliad 1.274-284).

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