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Hesiod's Metallurgy Simile (Th. 861–7)*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2013

Naomi Rood
Naomi Rood
Affiliation:
Colgate University, Hamilton, New York
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Extract

Hesiod's Theogony contains three similes, each of which elaborates a climactic moment in Zeus' securing of power: an image of bees (594–602) describes the nature of women in the Pandora episode, the aftermath of Zeus' triumph over Prometheus; battle resounds with a crash as if earth and heaven are coming together (699–705) in the climax of the Titanomachy, wherein Zeus and the Olympians overcome the Titans; and Zeus is likened to a craftsman melting ore (861–7) during his conquest of his final challenger, Typhoeus. In each episode complemented by a simile, Zeus' power attains greater stability; in the aftermath of the last of these episodes, the Typhonomachy, his power achieves permanent ascendancy (881–5). Despite the prominent occasions of these similes, they stand largely unexplored. This paper considers the simile of metallurgy in the Typhonomachy, the simile that reconfigures Zeus' final acquisition of power. Positioned at such a critical moment, attention to this simile promises to reveal elements fundamental to an understanding of Zeus' ultimate power.

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Type
Research Article
Information
The Cambridge Classical Journal , Volume 53 , 2007, pp. 112 - 123
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s). Published online by Cambridge University Press 2007

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