Decoding the Ancient Novel

The Look of Lyric: Greek Song and the Visual

“…50-57). 5 Even if the simulated second-person addressee, who is urged to look at what the song describes, is the chorus members themselves addressing each other, there should be no question that the targeted and ultimate addressee of this animated rhetoric is the audience watching the choral performance. Yet the repeated encouragement to behold, and even more the rhetoric of admonition to look at details supposedly obvious and in front of one's eyes (for instance, the silvery face of Hagesichora) was in fact much more artful, especially if one takes into account not only the restrictions on optical access for an audience watching the performance but, even more, the time of the actual performance which, as has been repeatedly suggested, was probably before sunrise.…”

“…Once described this way, this practice helps us realize the existence of a common attitude towards visuality in verbal samples of very different provenance. It is because of this well-established cultural stance, for instance, that the ancient commentator Heraclitus could contend that Archilochus' poem impelling Glaucus to look at the threatening signs of a storm is part of an elaborate allegory.7 Regardless of whether or not these lines were meant 5 The translation here as in 297-298 and n. 3. 6 For an extensive discussion of the way visual perception operates in this poem along with a discussion of the relevant literature (including Calame's seminal work) see .…”

“…Zimmermann (1989) 99 n. 27;Francis (1990) 58; Calame (1996) 153-156. but I consider him a special viewer who-as I will suggest-was inspired by the monument but cast his experience in a tragic mould. 5 There is reason to believe that Bacchylides was an engaged viewer. His overt reference to Hieron's dedicatory offerings to the Delphic sanctuary in the epinician song that he composed for Hieron's chariot victory at Olympia in 468 (ode 3.17-22) offers such an indication: λάμπει δ' ὑπὸ μαρμαρυγαῖς ὁ χρυσός, ὑψιδαιδάλτων τριπόδων σταθέντων πάροιθε ναοῦ, τόθι μέγιστον ἄλσος 20 Φοίβου παρὰ Κασταλίας ῥεέθροις Δελφοὶ διέπουσι.…”

“…ἀποπλέουσι δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐκ τῆς Μυσίας χειμὼν ἐπιπίπτει καὶ διασκεδάννυνται. 5 The first attempt at a comparison between the literary tradition and the scenes of the Telephus frieze can be read in Robert (1887), especially pp. 254-259 (on the Mysian battle), Robert (1888a), and Robert (1888b), whose work is still the starting point of the majority of the interpretations of the frieze.…”

“…Th. [5][6]. The garlands will also reappear in the final choral scene, worn or carried by the dancing girls, just as the mention of Okeanos in this innermost band anticipates his final appearance as the outermost ring of the shield.…”