Βούβρωστις: Interpretation and Fortune of a Homeric Hapax
Abstract
This paper reconsiders the occurrences of the noun βούβρωστις in Greek literature starting from its first occurrence in Il. 24.532. On the basis of the presumable meaning of the term in a hexameter poem of the Hellenistic period (adesp. epic. fr. 4 Powell) and in a metrical inscription dated to the Imperial age (SGO 16/62/01) and taking into account pieces of evidence provided by Greek erudition, an interpretation of the term in the Iliadic passage different from the commonly accepted one is then proposed: instead of meaning ‘great hunger’ or ‘suffering’, the word refers to the personification of a malevolent deity.
Submitted: Dec. 6, 2024 | Accepted: Jan. 20, 2025 | Published June 26, 2025 | Language: it
Keywords Greek poetry • Homer • Etymology • Greek religion • Callimachus
Copyright © 2025 Elisa Nuria Merisio. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/Lexis/2724-1564/2025/01/002