The Homeric Hymn to Hermes

Abstract

The Homeric Hymn to Hermes is the longest surviving hymn from early Greece, our fullest source for the god Hermes, and an entertaining narrative of theft, invention, cheekiness, and learning to get along. This study contains a new text of the poem, based on advances in our understanding of its transmission, and a commentary which brings together a range of methodologies to address points of linguistic difficulty, poetic technique, and cultural background. The introduction discusses the possible context for the first performance of the hymn, and makes an original argument about the hymnist's remarkable approach to praise and to the epic tradition. This book will therefore be an essential point of reference for students and scholars interested not only in the Hymn to Hermes but in Greek literature and religion.

Citation

(2020). O. Thomas (Ed.), The Homeric Hymn to Hermes. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9780511997792

• Book Type: Scholarly Edition
• Publication Date: 2020
• Deposit Date: Sep 25, 2020
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Series Title: Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries
• ISBN: 9781107012042
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9780511997792
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2979713
• Publisher URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/homeric-hymn-to-hermes/BC9FA5BA7879CF5C4A446BCB8842E209
• Contract Date: Jul 24, 2019