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The Homeric Centos, A Poem That Is Homeric In Style And Biblical In Theme, Is A Dramatic Illustration Of The Creative Cultural And Religious Dialogue Between Classical Antiquity And Christianity Taking Place In The Roman Empire During The Fifth Century Ce. The Text Is Attributed To Eudocia, The Empress And Poet Who Died Exiled In The Holy Land Ca. 460. With Lines Drawn Verbatim From Homer's Iliad And Odyssey, The Poet Begins With The Creation And Fall And Ends With Jesus' Resurrection And Ascension. In This Blend Of Homeric Style And Christian Theme, There Are Also Echoes Of Classical And Classicising Literature, Stretching From Homer And Drama To Imperial Literature; Equally Prominent Are Echoes Of Earlier Christian Verse Models And Theological Works. This Analysis Focuses On The Poem's Double Inspiration From Both Classical And Christian Traditions; Emphasises The Prominent Role Of Women; Explores Its Relationship With The Cultural Milieu Of The Fifth Century Ce; And Offers In-depth Analysis Of The Scenes Of Creation And Fall And Jesus' Passion, Resurrection, And Ascension. This Book Exposes The Work's Debt To Centuries Of Homeric Reception And Interpretation As Well As Christian Exegesis, And Places It At The Crossroads Between Christian And Pagan Literary Traditions-- Provided By Publisher.
This work investigates how the Homeric Centos function as a bridge between classical antiquity and Christian theology within the cultural landscape of the fifth-century Roman Empire. Anna Lefteratou, a scholar of classical literature, examines the poem attributed to Empress Eudocia, which repurposes lines from the Iliad and Odyssey to narrate biblical events. The author argues that this synthesis represents a deliberate creative dialogue, positioning the text at the intersection of pagan literary tradition and emerging Christian exegesis.
What You Will Find
Scholars recognize this text as a significant contribution to the study of late antique literature and the transformation of classical forms. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous examination of the interplay between pagan and Christian intellectual traditions.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
2023-01-01
Publisher:
New York, NY : Oxford University Press,
ISBN-10:
0197666582
ISBN-13:
9780197666586
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