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The Beacon-Sites in the Agamemnon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

J. H. Quincey
J. H. Quincey
Affiliation:
The University of Sydney, Australia
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Extract

Beazley, quoted by Fraenkel ad loc., has suggested that τρίτον Άθῷον αἶπος Ζηνὁς alludes to τρίτος (Σωτήρ) Ζεύς. The role played by Ζεὺς Σωτήρ in the religious thought of Aeschylus and in his treatment of the Oresteia myth is important (cf. Fraenkel on 1387), but this is not by itself sufficient to prove the allusion here. The route Ida-Lemnos-Athos shows no signs of having been artificially contrived in order to bring Athos into the third place, and while Aeschylus evidently intends to give the signal a divine send-off, so to speak, with the triad Hephaestus, Hermes and Zeus, the importation of a particular Zeus into the context makes no useful contribution to this end. τρίτον may undoubtedly evoke thoughts Σωτήρ, but Aeschylean evocations of thought usually have point; hence, perhaps, the caution detectable in Fraenkel's approach to Beazley's suggestion. Our doubts may be resolved by the fact that even if we restrict τρίτον to the literal sense, Σωτήρ is already present in the context by implication, in the word Ἀθῷον. No audience could distinguish between Ἀθῷον and ἀθῷον, and three of the manuscripts have not succeeded in doing so either (ἄθωον MFTr). Aeschylus frequently embarks on word-play, particularly with proper names (see, e.g., Suppl. 45–7, 315; PV 732–4, 848–52; Ag. 681 ff.; Αἰτν. fr. 27 Mette), and in some of the cases is probably exercising the poet's prerogative to coin his own etymologies, but this may be an instance drawn from popular usage. Athos, rising to a height of 2033 m.

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Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Hellenic Studies , Volume 83 , November 1963, pp. 118 - 132
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1963

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References

1 The geographical data in this article are drawn mainly from M. D. R. 676, Ἑλλάς, 1: 100,000. Heights are given in metres and distances in statute miles.

2 See my article, ‘Notes on the Persae’, forthcoming in CQ lvi (1962).

3 See Calder, , CR xxxvi (1922), 155 ff.Google Scholar, and Fraenkel.

4 The further image of the Persian ἀγγαρήιον, 282, compared to the λαμπαδηφορία by Hdt. viii 98.2, is not developed; the recurring παραγγέλλειν, 289, 294 and 316, applies literally to the transmission of the signal.

5 Calder's Statement that all the beacons lie in the Athenian sphere of influence is unwarranted.

6 Abh. Münch. Akad. Philol.-philos. Cl. v. 2 (1849) 39; I.owe this reference to Fraenkel.

7 Hesych. s.v. ‘Ἀθῷς’. For other look-outs see Eur., Hel. 1323–4 and El. 447 (text uncertain); in Simon. 130, Κίθαιρῶνος οἰονόμοι σκοπιαί, Cithaeron is the mountain and not the ‘king’ of Paus, ix 3. 1–2, since it is bracketed with Pelion and Ossa.

8 Steph. Byz. s.v. ‘Μήκιστον’; the Ionic form derives from Hecataeus (cf. supra). The Elean Macistum is expressly distinguished from the Triphylian by Stephanus, but not by Bölte, RE s.v.

9 Apoll, i 7.3, 9.1, iii 4.3; Paus, ix 34.4; Hyg. i–v.

10 See Cook, A. B., Zeus i 414 ff.Google Scholar, ii 8991.

11 Hdt. vii 197. The associated human sacrifices seem to have persisted into the fourth century (Plat., Min. 315c).

12 Dover, K.J., ‘The Political Aspects of Aeschylus' Eumenides ’, JHS lxxvii (1957) 235 Google Scholar, is more cautious, but I hope to show in a later article that the correct interpretation of Orestes' parting speech, Eum. 762–74, puts Aeschylus' sympathies beyond doubt.

13 Thuc. i 107; for the date see Gomme, i 411–12, on Diodorus and Theopompus fr. 88.

14 Dindorf's replacement of πλέον … εἰρημένων with the anonymous fragment cited by Hesych. s.v. προσαιθρίζουσα πόμπιμον φλόγα evidently makes matters worse; but his hypothesis, that the traditional text is not Aeschylean, is correct.

15 τοῦ πάρος λελεγμένον, Sept. 424 and 555, is no parallel; in the first passage the sense is ‘reckoned’ and in the second ‘chosen’.

16 Frazer, Pausanias, ad loc. and Müller, , Orchomenos und die Minyer 2 216 ff.Google Scholar

17 Suppl. 529 (lyric), where λίμνη means the sea, apparently open (though the chorus may be thinking of the Gulf of Argos), is not really relevant; the important thing is that the water should be enclosed.

18 Pers. 69, 722 and 799. Ἑλλήσποντον of the Hellespont in Pers. 745 is remarkable, but it is restricted by Βόσπορον ῥόον θεοῦ in apposition.

19 Fraenkel, ii 165 n. 1, referring to Holt, J., Glott. xxvii (1939) 192 f.Google Scholar

20 Paus, ii 30.7; see also the discussion of Strabo viii 2.2, 6.4 and 6.22 by Beattie, op. cit., 80.

21 On the last point Beattie was anticipated by Ahrens, 499 ff.

22 A bare mention in Thuc. ii 19.2.

23 The summit is at present occupied by the Greek navy, apparently for its commanding position.

24 A further item of interest deserves to be recorded. The shape of the coastline from a point west of Eleusis to the north shore of Salamis resembles the profile of a human head with a ferocious expression, the Kirá Islands forming the eye and Leros the mouth (the present configuration of the coast should be corrected in the light of Hafemann, D., Die Frage des Eustatischen Meeresspiegelanstiegs in historucher Zeit, Deutscher Geographentag in Berlin 20–25 Mai 1959, Tagungsbericht und wissenschaftl. Abhandlungen (Wiesbaden, 1960) 218–31Google Scholar, to which Mr F. H. Sandbach has drawn my attention). The resemblance is not by itself sufficient to account for γοργῶπις, for it is scarcely perceptible from a ship entering the bay or from any of the heights in the vicinity, but it may be relevant to an ultimate solution.

25 For assistance with geographical data I am much indebted to Mr Markakis, General Director of the Greek Ministry of Public Works, Mr T. Nikolopoulos, an officer of the Ministry, and Mr J. Devery of the Department of Geography, Sydney University; for the map to Mr F. H. Jenkins of the Institute of Classical Studies, London University; and for valuable general criticism to Professor O. Skutsch, Professor T. B. L. Webster and Dr W. Ritchie.