Reading
The body of Aristotle’s poem is explicated, with particular attention to its figurative language and the earlier Greek poetic tradition. His mythological allusions are shown to approach but not to cross over into the mythical idea of a man becoming a god after death. His diction as well both appeals to tradition and convention and pushes them to their limit. In the end, though he steers clear of impious boastfulness, Aristotle does elevate his song for Hermias to a kind of hymn: his complex and self-referring conclusion assimilates it to the hymn the Muses sing to Zeus on Olympus. Thereby Aristotle ironically represents the lastingness he hopes his song will have as a memorial to Hemrias.
Keywords: poetic glory, kleos aphthiton, Bloom, Harold, Bacchylides, Euripides, Ibycus’ encomium for Polycrates
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