Comparative Studies in Greek and Indic Meter [Reprint 2014 ed.] 9780674182646, 9780674182639

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COMPARATIVE STUDIES IN GREEK AND INDIC METER

Harvard Studies in Comparative Literature Founded by William Henry Schofield 33

Gregory Nagy COMPARATIVE STUDIES IN GREEK AND INDIC METER

Harvard University Press Cambridge, Massachusetts 1974

© Copyright 19 74 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College All rights reserved Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 73-90 339 SBN 674-152-75-1 Printed in the United States of America

Contents Foreword by Cedric H. Whitman

vii

Acknowledgments Checklist

xv

of Greek and Indie M e t r i c a l

Terminology

xvii

Symbols

xxi

A b b r e v i a t i o n s of E d i t i o n s

xxii

Introduction P a r t I. 1.

1

xXeos

ctcp$LTov

and Greek M e t e r

The C o m m o n H e r i t a g e of Greek Indie Meter:

and

A Survey

27

2.

Internal E x p a n s i o n

37

3.

O n the O r i g i n s o f D a c t y l i c H e x a m e t e r

49

4.

The M e t r i c a l C o n t e x t of x Xio s atpOu-rov in E p i c a n d L y r i c

103

5.

The W e d d i n g of H e k t o r and A n d r o m a c h e : E p i c C o n t a c t s in Sappho 44LP

118

6.

F o r m u l a a n d Meter:

140

P a r t II. 7.

srava(s)

aksitam

a n d Indie M e t e r

T h e M e t r i c a l C o n t e x t of R i g - V e d i c srava(s)

8.

A Summary

aksitam

a n d aksiti

sravas

A n Inquiry into the O r i g i n s of Indie Trimeter

9.

153 166

The D i s t r i b u t i o n of R i g - V e d i c

Sravas:

A n Intensive C o r r e l a t i o n of P h r a s e o l o g y with Meter Epilogue:

191

The H i d d e n M e a n i n g of xX^os

a/


two short syllables or one long

A-£2

Iliad I-XXIV

a-to

Odyssey i-xxiv

syllable

Abbreviations of Editions D

E. Diehl, Anthologia lyrica Graeca (2nd ed. Leipzig 1933-1942; fascicles 1-3, 3rd ed. 1954-1964)

LP

E. Lobel and D. Page, Poetarum Lesbiorum fragmenta (Oxford 1955)

MW

R. Merkelbach and M. L. West, Fragmenta Hesiodea (Oxford 1967)

N

A. Nauck, Tragicorum Graecorum fragmenta (2nd ed. 1889 reprinted with supplement by B. Snell, Hildesheim 1964)

P

D. Page, Poetae melici Graeci

(Oxford 1962)

S

B. Snell, Bacchylidis carmina cum fragmentis (8th ed. Leipzig 1961)

W

M. L. West, Iambi et elegi Graeci I, II (Oxford 1971, 1972)

COMPARATIVE STUDIES IN GREEK AND INDIC METER

Introduction Just as the Greek language is cognate with the Sanskrit language, so also the meters of Greek Lyric are cognate with the meters of Sanskrit Vedic. This hypothesis was first propounded by Meillet, 1 who applied the linguistic techniques of comparative reconstruction 2 to Greek and Indie versification.

If it is true that the native

meters of these Indo-European languages are related, it may be possible to find correspondences of traditional phrases embedded in these meters. My point of departure is the phraseological correspondence, already noticed by Kuhn in 1853,3 between Sapphic/Homeric xXeos Rig-Vedic irava(s) aksitam.

5*5XTOIS

TE

xau fiyap

(x 80, etc.)

59

Dactylic Hexameter

(b) Xauiv

o"

oil

eitovTo||ait'Au04iouo

pociwo

(A

91)

vs. metrically regular Xauv o " oil eno VTo 11 Tp u«n S e? £ m o B Ss

+>

•H h EH '—

4-1

a ;

E ö

fi-

ö O

E

3 C

+J» 01»

>i 1(0

T-

IO -rs M ö »

«

E

E \ ö to

ö

S)

i

ö rS ö

ö

ö ö

lö to

N ö

Ä

a v s

»

\ ö

O

ö » \ ö Pi Vo

SS

\to

M ö «

l to

Silo

S » lö

to»

lö

\ Ss

to

0

S3 +Ì

» »

=tfc lö

=tfc =8= ö

v a

Si

lö to

O

Ss

35 s; ö

^

AÎ

Ä

rC>

ö,

E \ ö to

ö ^

=tt ta Ss M

tB «

Ss / ö \ ö M S Ä S s S Í, \to

^ts-

!s \ ö

to

>r¿ ä

%

V

ö »

'ö

\ ö •P

\ ö ÏH M O

n ' Q,

=tfc •r* lö Ä rO

3

E » lö Ti

-W

fc »t» rS rC> O »

ö

t«

v

w

3 10-

=tt Ä »

rC» lö

=tfc »T»

•

•

205

% % RR\ 3

/LO

=*T

»

S J RC

=TFC

CO

-W

RH

Ö

R5¿ 3

=8=

R \LÖ

Ö O

=

TT

V »

=TT

RR

E

RR

RX>

X «

S

- P

R

Ö

«

M Ö

E

»

£>

E

V

Si si

T -

-O

- O

N

M

OO

I D

0 0

CN

I

T

-

H I

•

I

(N

VE

VO

IN

CN

I

LO

O R -

ID TT> ID

FN

I

M

CN

-

I

0 0

I

L

M

OO I

^

I

- P

H)

0 0

L

VO

L-H

•A

(N

I

I

• R -

I N

OO

I

N

Ö

•P

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

O

OO

O

L-H

M

>1

ID

ft,

L-H

H ID

-P

A

O

O

M

3

LID

M

A A % %

ID

U

VLÖ

R

^

M

L-H

H

o

I Ö

»

L-H

Ö

S>

Ä

RH

\CO

L-H L-H -P

3 5

Ö LÖ

\ Ö

LÖ

E

\ Ö 1 3

Ä

® R

Ö

1 3

=TT

£ •

RH

RH

\C0

LÖ

E -

VTI

\CO Ö

L'T» 1 3

CO

VO

\ Ö

M» S>

RH

\ Ö

» Ö

RH

\Ö

LÖ

RH

R >

S > %

«O

E \-T¿

Ö

NO

S> »

S>

\CO

Ö

\ Ö

»

Ö

Ö +»

»

M

E »

CO

\ «

LÖ

Ö

»

\Ö

/ 3

RH

RH

3

CO

LÖ

»

O

1 3

\ Ö

^

LÖ

Ä

CO

O

Ö 1 3

O

CO

Ö RCL

» +>•

X Ö

\ 3 %

\CO

IFC

Ö

ÖL

XÖ

Ö

Ö E -

RH

ÖI

%

•R

CO

LÖ

E

RR

LÖ RR «

3

E CÛ

1 3

ÏTFC

ÖJ

E

O

Ä

RS!

R-I \ Ö

O

Ö

Ö

Ö

1 3

R

Ö

RH

S I

S

S

Ö

RH

VO

S

O

RR

\ Ö

\ Ö

\C0

S S

«0

»

RH

RH

V®

RR

\ Ö

LÖ

LÖ

NÖ

Ö US

=8=

1 en ta

00

X o

ü •rl XI id i-i rH

>•

ta

CN A r- * —

Ox

X m

Ox

X o

TT

h « 1-H 3 vo tri e M-l •H O w

00 1 r-

>i c •H 0) p -P m tr tn a> • c tn 'S* ID i n i" i n

X

Ox

X

•

»

00

2x

VO 1 in

Ox

X IT)

Vf>

< e

»ö

X o

X VD

00

X o

X o

Ox

X o

6x

r\l

2x

r-

X

^—

Ox

'

eri

X o

Ox

X O

00

o

Ox

a-i

•

ta CN i— T—

208

CM *—

CM r-

Ox

Ox

T—

Ox

CM

o -H -O a> >

u •H -a

C

X

CO

Ox

0 1 cu

Ox Ox

Ox

X

X

l in ID

i in iin • "¡r i n i ro

CM CO 1 CM

CM

tr

8-syllabic

•rH X I P í EH

u u o

X

3x

X o

X o

2x

i m

M En 1 a) o fi cu k H

X

11-syllabic

2x

n

CD

\D

Ox

X o

3 0

vo

Ox

U

1 •

X o

X

o

Ox

s CU - H +J H 3 U U O

X T

X

o

Ox

o

c

X

Ox

lO

0 id

Ox

id

vo i IT)

Ox

u•

X o

m

Ox

n

1

Ox

a)

id

w

i

vo

Ox

cu

0 cr

a) > -H •P

Ox

>1

>

i

r-

Ox

m O

00

12-syllabic

X VD

Ox

i

r-

5x

p-

1

00

8-syllabic

MJ3

árávas in

00 6x

\e

Ox

03 W

c

X 00

Ox

Ox

Ox Ox

Ol •

00

Ox

c

•H

o

X

I

Ox

8-9-10

c

-H W

Ox

9-10-11

n id

9-10-11

O

O

id u

8-9-10

ra cu ra

Cases

-P O

All Plural

CU

XI

\D CU iH XI

id

Eh

209

Rig-Vedic §ravas The point of departure in this extended survey of sravas-collocations will be the proposed diachronic 4 + 4 + 4 dodecasyllabic verses.

segmentation of

We have already seen how

the distribution of mahi sravas adheres to such a segmentation, and now further evidence emerges from the list in Table 1.

For example, just as

mahi sravas may occupy 9 10 11 12 of 12 as well as 5 6 7 8 of 8, so also srava(s) brhat:

RV

1.9.7/8, 1.44.2, 5.86.6, 8.9.17, 8.65.9, 9.44.6, 9.98.8 (5 6 7 8 of 8); 9.83.5, 9.86.40 (9 10 11 12 of 12); or again, just as mahi sravas alternatively occupies 1 2 3 4 of 8, so also srava(s) brhat:

8.31.7.

To sum up, let us map

out the positions: ftmahi sravas 5 6 7 8l

12 U12

3 4 3 4 mahi sravasU

5 6 #1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

7 8 mahi sravastt

9 10

11 12

flsravas brhat 5 6 7 8]!

12

3 4

#1 2 3 4 Sravas brhatji

5 6 7 8 #1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

sravas brhatji

9 10

f-| 12

The positions of the phrase §rava(s) brhat follow definite patterns not only in contiguity but also in tmesis, that is, when iravas and brhat are separated by intervening (A) words,

210

sràva(s) àksitam and Indie Meter

(B) verse-boundaries, or (C) both: (A) jtèràvas 3 4 5 6 brhàfrff1

2

(8.89.4)

7 8

(B) #1 2 3 4 5 6 sravasft

7 8 #brhàt

3 4 5 6 7 8#

(5.18.5)

1 2 (C) #1 2 3 4 5 6 brhatft

7 8

#1 2 3 4 5 6 sravas#

(8.74.9)

7 8 Type A shows both sravas and brhat occupying slotn which they also have when they are in contiguity, 1 2 ( 3 4) and (5 6 )7 8 respectively. In type C, however, only brhat occupies the slots which it also has in contiguity with sravass namely (5 6 )7 8, while Sravas itself occurs in a slot independent of its position in contiguity with brhat, namely 7 8. To put it another way: in terms of the ensemble srava(s) brha+ , the tmesis of type C has resulted in a slot-switch for Sravas but not for its epithet, brhat. Such coexistence of noun + epithet combinations in both contiguity and tmesis offers additional incentive for reconstructing sravafs) aksitam in contiguity, alongside the actually attested Rig-Vedic sravas...aksitam in tmesis; the epithet aksitam remains at 6 7 8 in both the reconstructed and the actual instance.6 6

Cf. pp. 110-114.

Rig-Vedic

211

sravas

A s for T y p e B, n e i t h e r sravas

n o r brhat

occupies

the slots w h i c h they have w h e n they are i n contiguity. sravas

O n the other h a n d , slot 5 6 b e f o r e

is o c c u p i e d by mahi

in the only repre-

sentative of type B (5.18.5), and this fact m a y b e a key to the explanation: phrase mahi srava(s)

sravas

brhat,

I p r o p o s e that the

has taken p r e c e d e n c e

over

and a c o n f l a t i o n of the two

p h r a s e s results i n p o s i t i o n a l r e a r r a n g e m e n t of the latter in favor o f the former. I n d i r e c t typological p a r a l l e l s are f r o m Greek Epic:

available

for e x a m p l e , c o n f l a t i o n of the

common v e r s e - f i n a l p h r a s e uuotSv

exatpov# and

ecr$X8v E i a t p o v | likewise results in p o s i t i o n a l r e a r r a n g e m e n t of one in favor o f the o t h e r . W h a t results is ituaTbv exaCpov^eaSXov (P 589-590). C o n s i d e r also this o t h e r v e r s e - f i n a l

example:

xaXxoBoiTes 6ujK (A 426, etc.) plus ui)jepetp&s 6 (x 111, etc.) r e s u l t in x a ^ o S a T e s 6u>#u(|)epeSi,Tov avxpov Isthmian

8.41.

('cave'),

Furthermore, Pindar uses the

adjective aifiiTo- as the epithet of oc (p $ u x o u ' Evvoctl'Scx , Pythian 4.33.

Poseidon: In the

same

ode, Pindar describes as acpdutov. . . auepya ('seed') the magical clod of earth exchanged sons of Poseidon crxniTpov

'scepter' B 46, 186:

this 0xf)TtTpov

...ScpSltov of Agamemnon w a s m a d e by the Hephaistos

fire-god

(B 101); Hephaistos gave it to Zeus,

who gave it to Hermes, who transmitted Agamemnon's

by

(lines 42f) .

forefathers

(B 102ff).

it to

The inter-

m e d i a c y of Hermes is important because

the

scepter is his symbolic attribute. The custom of holding the scepter for solemn verbal interchange (as in B 186) is connected with the function of Hermes as the god of interchange, verbal and otherwise. 1 6

16

At Chaironeia, there w a s a cult of the

MX£OS ScpSuTov a n d srava(s)

aksitam

ufioop 'water' H e s i o d , T h e o g o n y 805:

243 ETUYSS

aipdLTOv u 6 u p , the aipiitov w a t e r of the u n d e r w o r l d river

Styx.

ET>5?

'Styx' H e s i o d , T h e o g o n y

CTUS

' w h e e l - r i m ' E 724:

389,

397.

the g o l d e n

CTUS

atpduTos is a p a r t o f H e r a ' s w a r - c h a r i o t ,

which,

w e m a y s p e c u l a t e , w a s m a d e for h i s m o t h e r b y the fire-god Hephaistos

(compare E 167).

ayiEXoi, ' g r a p e - v i n e s ' o 133:

the

a^itoi,

SuTteXoL are r e c o u n t e d as one a m o n g the m a n y v e g e t a l m a r v e l s to b e f o u n d o n the I s l a n d of the Cyclops.

T h e r o o t