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[German version] In literary theory a palindrome, corresponding to παλίνδρομος ( palíndromos, 'running backwards'), denotes a sequence of letters - a word, sentence or verse ( versus supinus, recurrens; [2. 278f.] on Mart. 2,86,1-2; cf. Sid. Epist. 9,14,4-6) - that can also be read backwards with the same or a different sense, occasionally resulting also in the same or a different verse. A palindrome in the strict sense corresponds to itself mirror-wise from the middle outwards. Thus in Late Antiquity 'crab verse' (καρκίνος/ karkínos or καρκινωτόν/ karkinōtón) was a familiar for…

[1] Literary history I. Greek [German version] A. Meaning of the word As a nomen actionis the noun γνώμη (not found in Homer or Hesiod), with its originally extraordinary comprehensive range of meaning must be considered together with the verb γιγνώσκω ( gignṓskō) [11; 37. 491; 27. 32 (also with regard to etymology)]. The verb with its meanings ‘to recognize’, ‘to form an opinion’, ‘to decide’ and ‘to judge’ falls between two poles: ‘the ability to recognize a state of affairs’ and ‘the consequences of this recognition’ [40. 20-39, esp.…

[German version] [1] See > Olympionikai see  Olympionikai Günther, Linda-Marie (Munich) [German version] [2] Commander of  Philippus V in the second Macedonian War Commander of  Philippus V in the second Macedonian War, held Corinth despite being defeated in Nemea by the Achaeans under  Nicostratus (Liv. 33,14,1; 15). Günther, Linda-Marie (Munich) [German version] [3] General of the Thessalian League (middle of the 1st cent. BC) General of the Thessalian League ( praetor Thessaliae); after Caesar's defeat at Dyrrhachium, he joined  Pompeius and attempted to defend …

(Νυμφόδωρος; Nymphódōros). [German version] [1] Greek author of travel literature from Syracusai, 3rd cent. BC Greek author of travel literature from Syracusae. Towards the end of the 3rd cent. BC, he wrote - presumably as entertainment - Períploi Asías (and Eurṓpēs?) which includes the story of the slave leader Drimacus (FGrH 572 F 4), and, probably separately, Perì tôn en Sikilíai thaumazoménōn (‘Wonders of Sicily). Paradoxographoi; Periplus Gärtner, Hans Armin (Heidelberg) Bibliography A. Giannini (ed.), Paradoxographorum Graecorum reliquiae, 1966, 112-115  Id., Studi su…

[German version] A. Definition Greek κέντρων ( kéntrōn) and Latin cento -- the linguistic historical relationship between the words is a matter of contention [20. 11-13] -- have in common, even though their meanings do not quite cover the same fields, the fact that they describe a quilt made of remnants of used material sewn together, and then in the figurative sense a text that was assembled of disparate verse parts (up to one and a half verses) from well-known poets to form a new continuous meaningful …

(Οὐράνιος/ Ouránios). [German version] [0] Usurper, mid 3rd cent. L. Iulius Aurelius Sulpicius Se…

[German version] A. Definition Greek ἀπόφθεγμα ( apóphthegma), Latin facete dictum, also sententia: with reference to a certain situation, often a difficult one, these have a claim to authenticity; they are usually short, often enigmatically formulated expressions -- as already in the earliest apophthegms that have survived from Theramenes (Xen. Hell. 2,3,56), Anaxagoras (Aristot. Metaph. 1009b 26), Pittacus (Aristot. Rh. 1389a 14-16), Stesichorus (Aristot. Rh. 1395a 1-2). In this way the apophthegma differs from the related   chreia , the  aphorism …

[German version] (Μεγακλώ; Megaklṓ). Daughter of the Lesbian king Macar. In a rationalistic interpretation, the Lesbian local historian Myrsilus of Methymna represents her (FGrH 477 F 7, cf. Arnob. 3,37) as the founder of the seven Lesbian Muses: she taught seven slave women to celebrate the deeds of ancient times wit…

(Πυθέας; Pythéas). [German version] [1] P. from Aegina 5th cent. BC, his son proposed revenge measures after the battle of Plataeae After the battle of Plataeae (479 BC) his son Lampon [1] proposed desecrating the corpse of  Mardonius [1] in revenge for Leonidas [1]  (Hdt. 9,78). Stein-Hölkeskamp, Elke (Cologne) [German version] …

(Στέφανος; Stéphan…

(Μένιππος; Ménippos). [German version] [1] According to Plutarch sub-commander of Pericles In Plut. Pericles 13,10 (cf. Plut Mor. 812d) mentioned as a friend and sub-commander of Pericles (probably between 443 and 430 BC). Like the latter, he was mocked in the comedies. It is uncertain if M. really was a strategos. Plutarch's term for him ( hypostratēgṓn) is the Greek equivalent of the Latin term legatus (Develin, 103). Aristoph. Av. 1294 mentions a M., whom the scholias identify as a horse dealer. Will, Wolfgang (Bonn) Bibliography PA 10033 …

[German version] I. Concept Greek προοίμιον/ prooímion, (tragedy:) φροίμιον/ phroímion, Latin prooemium, prohoemium: 1) hymn to the gods (as an opening), 2) introductory section of a poem, 3) beginning of a speech, 4) introduction. As was already realized in Antiquity [8. 19], prooímion is etymologically related to οἴμη ( oímē, ‘song’, ‘story’, Hom. Od. 8,74; 8,481; 22,347) and οἶμος ( …

(Σκύλαξ; Skýlax). …

[German version] (Οὐστίκα/ Oustíka; also modern Ústica). Small (8·6 km2, 239 m high) originally volcanic island off the northwestern coast of Sicily (Plin. HN 3,92; Ptol. 3,4,17), 57 km to the north of Panormus [3] in the Mare Tyrrhenum, probably identical to the νῆσος Ὀστεώδης/ nêsos Osteṓdēs counted among the Aeoli insulae in Diod. Sic. 5,11,1 (cf. Mela 2,7,120). Archaeological excavations in the area of I Faraglioni (Colombaia): a prehistoric settlement of the middle Bronze Age and graves with Phoenician or Carthaginian grave goods; also m…

(Ζώπυρος; Zṓpyros). [German version] [1] Persian, took part in the capture of Babylon Prominent Persian, son of Megabyzus [1], who according to Hdt. 3,153ff. had the gates of rebelling Babylon opened to Darius [1] I by using a ruse (self-mutilation and pretending to be a victim of the Great King). For this deceptive manoeuvre (Polyaenus, Strat. 7,13; referring to King Cyrus: Frontin. Str. 3,3,4) Z. allegedly received from Darius the satrapy of Babylonia for life and tribute-free, but he was killed when the B…

[German version] The German term P riamel, neuter, but feminine since Lessing, derives from the Latin adjective praeambulus (first in Mart. Cap.; ThLL s. v. praeambulus), 'preceding'; it has been used in modern literary scholarship for small German poems of the 12th-16th cents. that place exempla in series [2; 7. 8-12]. F. Dornseiff introduced it into the interpretation of Greek and Roman literature [8. 2]. …

[German version] (σύγκρισις/ sýnkrisis; Latin comparatio). In ancient literature, synkrisis refers to the comparative juxtaposition of people and things. Through its agonal element, it is related to the genre of debate, both in prose and verse [9]. From the time of Homerus [1], comparisons were used to highlight a person or thing, from which synkrisis developed as a weighted ordering of similarities and differences in all literary genres. In rhetorical theory [6. 330-332, 336-339], the aim of synkrisis included praise (αὔξησις/ aúxēsis, Aristot.  Rh. 1368a 19-29; Encomium)…

(Πυθαγόρας/ Pythagóras). [German version] [1] Fictitious Spartan and adviser to Numa Pompilius Fictitious person, supposedly from Sparta, victor at the Olympic Games in 716 BC, emigrated to Italy where he became an adviser to king Numa Pompilius. It seems this person was constructed to establish a connection between P. [2] and Roman religion (Plut. Numa 1,2-3). Käppel, Lutz (Kiel) Bibliography …

[German version] (Θρασυάλκης; Thrasyálkēs). 'One of the old nature philosophers' (τῶν ἀρχαίων δὲ φυσικῶν εἷς οὗτος, Str. 17,1,5; 35 fr. 1 DK; [1. 2343; 2]) from Thasos probably in the 5th cent. BC. T. assigned the winds to either Boreas or Notus, the two main winds (Str. 1,2,21; Posidon. FGrH 87 F 74 with comm., critically explained by [1. 2343 f.])…

[German version] I. Definition a) A riddle is an encrypted formulation, related to the figurative speech of metaphor and posing a question; its answer (= solution) requires - indeed, provokes - the memory and imagination of the person addressed; an analogical inference is generally helpful to finding the answer [1. 261]. The person who poses the riddle has superior knowledge; hence the addressee concedes expertise to that person or authority (e.g., the seer or oracle); at the same time, the guesser seeks to demonstrate that h…