Abstract
Gk. elasibróntas (Pind. fr. 144) has to be interpreted as “driving (elaúnō) the thunder (brontḗ)”, in the light of elatḗr brontãs ‘driver of the thunder’ (Pind. O. 4.1). Pindar knew a tradition which connected Zeus to Pegasos (O. 13.92, I. 7.44–7), “who carries lightning and thunder to wise Zeus,” according to Hesiod’s Theogony. As elaúnō is a synonym órnumi and brontḗ a marked synonym for ktúpos, elasibróntas can be considered a synonym of orsíktupos, applied to thundering Zeus in Pindar (O. 10.79–81). The comparison with Rigvedic text passages, confirms that a similar system of associations can be reconstructed for the “divine horses, which thunder as the heaven.” At the same time, the “putting in motion” of the thunder is expressed by Ved. ar/r̥, etymologically related to Gk. órnumi (cf. IE *h3er-).
Translated title of the contribution | Two Pindaric epithets of Zeus: ἐλασιβρόντας (fr. 144), ἐλατὴρ βροντᾶς (Ol. IV 1) |
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Original language | Italian |
Journal | Aevum Antiquum |
Volume | N.S. 14 |
Pages (from-to) | 119–30 |
ISSN | 1121-8932 |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Faculty of Humanities
- Greek
- Pindar
- choral lyric
- epithets
- Zeus
- phraseology
- Indo-European linguistics
- Indo-Iranian