LOCAL TRADITION IN EARLY GREEK HEXAMETER

Abstract

Abstract This article discusses local tradition and Panhellenism in early epos. Examination of three characters (Nestor, Iris and Sarpedon) challenges the popular model of isolated local traditions undergoing a Panhellenic synthesis around the eighth century. Instead, it is argued that the supra-local quality of epos is more ancient, reflecting the interconnectivity of the Greek world in the Early Iron Age.