Ancient Greek Myths in Medieval Armenian Literature

Erscheinungsjahr 2022
ISBN: 978-90-04-51979-4
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 5, 442 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 236 mm, Gewicht: 776 g

Reihe: Armenian Texts and Studies

Though references to Greek myths will hardly surprise the reader of western European literature, the reception history of Greek mythology is far richer and includes such lesser known traditions as the Armenian one. Greek myths were known to medieval Armenians through translations of late classical and early Christian writings and through the original works of Armenian authors. However, accessing them in their Armenian incarnations is no easy task. References to them are difficult to find as they are scattered over the vast medieval Armenian written corpus. Furthermore, during the process of translation, transmission, retelling, and copying of Greek mythical stories, Greek names, words, and plot details frequently became corrupted.

In this first-of-its-kind study, Gohar Muradyan brings together all the known references to ancient Greek myths (154 episodes) in medieval Armenian literature. Alongside the original Armenian passages and, when extant, their Greek originals, she provides annotated English translations. She opens the book with an informative introduction and concludes with useful appendices listing the occurrences of Greek gods, their Armenian equivalents, images, altars, temples, and rites, as well as Aesop’s fables and the Trojan War.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Muradyan, Gohar

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literaturen sonstiger Sprachräume Literaturen sonstiger Sprachräume
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literaturgeschichte und Literaturkritik
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literarische Stoffe, Motive und Themen
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Asiatische Geschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements

Preface

Introduction

1 Ancient Greek Myths in Christian Authors

2 Ancient Greek Myths in Old Armenian Literature

3 Names of Gods and Other Personages of Myths

Editorial Principles

Texts

1 The Hundred-handed, Titans, Giants, Cerberus, Chimera and Gorgos

2 The Castration of Uranus and the Birth of Aphrodite

3 Cyclopes

4 Children of Uranus and Gea

5 The Birth of Zeus

6 Zeus’ Tomb in Crete

7 Atlas

8 Centaurs

9 Mythical Musicians

10 Musician Thamyris

11 Punishment of Hera, Hephaestus’ Disabling, Aphrodite and Ares

12 The Birth of Athena

13 Founding Eleusis and Attica

14 Leto and Tityos

15 Apollo and Daphne

16 The Court of Areopagus

17 Orion

18 Demeter, Persephone and Triptolemus

19 Zeus and Persephone-Pherephatte

20 Revolt of the Giants against Zeus

21 Prometheus and Hephaestus

22 Deucalion and the Flood

23 Graeci and the Origin of the Name of the Hellenes

24 Ion and the Origin of the Name of the Greeks

25 Otus and Ephialtes

26 The Flight of Phrixus and Helle from Ino

27 The Foundation of Corinth

28 Salmoneus and Tyro

29 Soothsayer Melampus

30 The Argonauts

31 Pelias Killed by Medea

32 Medea Takes Revenge on Jason

33 Medea’s Son Medus

34 The First Kings of Sicyon

35 The First Kings of Argos

36 Zeus and Inachus’s Daughter Io

37 Belus King of Assyria

38 The Daughters of Danaus and Sons of Egypt

39 Bellerophontes and Chimera

40 Zeus and Danae, the Birth of Perseus

41 Perseus and Gorgo Medusa

42 Eurystheus Reigns over Mycenae

43 The Birth of Heracles

44 Heracles and the Fifty Daughters of Thespius

45 Heracles’ Madness

46 Heracles and the Nemean Lion

47 Heracles and the Lernean Hydra

48 The Mares of Diomedes

49 The Amazons

50 Geryon and the Pillars of Heracles

51 Heracles’ Single Combat with Antaeus

52 Heracles and Busiris

53 The Adventures of Theseus and Pirithous

54 Cerberus and Heracles

55 Cercopes and Heracles

56 Heracles Destroys Troy

57 Heracles and Auge, the Birth of Telephus

58 Heracles and the Oxen of Thiodamas

59 Heracles and Deianeira. Heracles’ Death

60 The Apotheosis of Heracles

61 The Return of the Heraclids to Peloponnese, Aristodemus Stricken by a Thunderbolt

62 Distribution of the Towns of Peloponnese among the Heraclids

63 The Birth of Cadmus, Phoenician Letters Introduced to Greece

64 Europa and Zeus

65 Sarpedon in Lycia

66 Minos and Rhadamanthus as Judges

67 Pasiphae and the Bull, the Birth of Minotaur

68 Foundation of Thebes

69 Cadmus and the Sparti

70 Zeus and Semele, the Birth of Dionysus

71 Dionysus’ Upbringing

72 Madness of Athamas and Ino

73 Dionysus and the Tragedy

74 Actaeon

75 Dionysus and the Vine

76 Dionysus Torn Apart by the Titans

77 Dionysus and Pentheus

78 Dionysus’ Apotheosis

79 Labdacus and Lycus Reigning in Thebes

80 Zethus and Amphion, the Musician Arion

81 The Walls of Thebes

82 Niobe and Leto

83 The Sphinx Sent to Thebes

84 The Tragedy of Oedipus

85 Argos’ War against Thebes

86 The Transformation of Tiresias

87 Details of the Theban War

88 Single Battle of Eteocles and Polynices

89 Amphiaraus and Adrastus

90 The Epigones against Thebes

91 Zeus and Callisto, the Birth of Arcas

92 Atalanta and Hippomenes

93 Asclepius Struck by the Thunderbolt

94 Zeus and Leda

95 Dardania and Troy

96 The Rape of Ganymede

97 The Founding of Ilium and the Reign of Priam

98 Aeacus

99 The Birth and Upbringing of Achilles

100 Cecrops

101 Greek Letters Ascribed to Cecrops

102 Phoenix Blinded

103 The Strife of Athena and Poseidon for Athens

104 Cecrops’ Son Erysichthon

105 Phaethon

106 Myrrha, Birth of Adonis

107 Atthis and the Name of Attica

108 Cranaus’ Successors on the throne of Athens

109 The Birth of Erichthonius

110 The Daughters of Pandion, Triptolemus

111 Icarius

112 The Tragedy of Procne and Philomela

113 Erechteus’ Ascension to the Throne, Orythia and Boreas

114 Eumolpus

115 The Seventh to Eleventh Kings of Athens

116 Theseus in Attica

117 Daedalus and Icarus

118 Theseus and the Marathonian Bull

119 Medea’s Banishment from Athens

120 Theseus and Ariadne

121 Daedalus’ Flight and the Murder of Minos

122 Phaedra and Hippolytus

123 Ixion and Hera

124 The Battle of Centaurs and Lapiths

125 Helen Kidnapped by Theseus

126 The Adventures of Theseus and Pirithous in Hades

127 Tantalus’ Punishment

128 The Ivory Shoulder of Pelops

129 Pelops’ Marriage and Ascension to the Throne, the Pelopids

130 Atreus’ and Thyestes’ Ascension to the Throne

131 Agamenon and Menelaus, the Birth of Orestes

132 Helen’s Rape by Paris

133 Proteus Keeps Helen, Proteus’ Transformation, His Sons

134 Odysseus and Palamedes

135 Iphigenia in Aulis and in Tauris

136 Aphrodite Wounded

137 Diomedes Wounded by Paris’ Arrow

138 The Death of Patroclus

139 Achilles and the Scamander River

140 Hector Killed

141 Achilles and Thersites

142 Memnon Protector of Troy, Zarmayr

143 The Conquest of Troy, Polyxene

144 Orestes’ Ascension to the Mycenaean Throne, Pyrrhus Killed

145 The Island of the Cyclopes

146 Odysseus and Polyphemus

147 The Island of Circe

148 The Sirens

149 Scylla and Charybdis

150 On the Island of Calypso

151 Penelope’s Bridegrooms

152 The Birth of Pan

153 The Foundation of Rome

154 Narcissus

Appendices

1 Mentions of Greek Gods, their Armenian Equivalents and Images

2 Complete Narrations about the Trojan War

3 Shaking Olympus

4 Candaules and Gyges, Midas

5 Halcyon

6 Hayk’s Grandson Cadmus

Bibliography

Literature

Index of Names

Über Autor(innen)

Gohar Muradyan, PhD (1986) and DSc (2005), is Head of the Department of Translated Literature at Matenadaran (Institute of Ancient Manuscripts, Armenia). She has published numerous articles and several monographs on translated literature and the Hellenizing School of Armenian translators, as well as critical editions of old Armenian translations from Greek, including Physiologus: The Greek and Armenian Versions with a Study of Translation Technique (Peeters, 2004), Grecisms in Ancient Armenian (Peeters, 2012), and David the Invincible, Commentary on Porphyry’s Isagoge (Brill, 2014). She has also translated, in collaboration with Aram Topchyan, many Greco-Roman classics into modern Armenian (Homer, Euripides, Aristophanes, Longus, Virgil, Ovid, Marcus Aurelius et al.).