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Wordplay is pretty common in early-to-classical Greek poetry. But ... don& #39;t think of it as puns.
When Odysseus tricks the Cyclops with the name & #39;Nobody& #39; (Outis) and calls that a metis -- μῆτις & #39;cunning trick& #39; ~ μή τις & #39;nobody& #39; -- it isn& #39;t a joke. Or, it isn& #39;t JUST a joke.
When Odysseus tricks the Cyclops with the name & #39;Nobody& #39; (Outis) and calls that a metis -- μῆτις & #39;cunning trick& #39; ~ μή τις & #39;nobody& #39; -- it isn& #39;t a joke. Or, it isn& #39;t JUST a joke.
It& #39;s be more on the mark to think of it as word magic. It& #39;s like when the Derveni papyrus equates & #39;being beneficial& #39; and & #39;prophesying& #39;, because χρῆσαι can mean both. Or when it relates Kronos/Chronos to κρούω (& #39;collide& #39;). There& #39;s something mystical about it.
A famous one is in Aeschylus& #39; Agamemnon. At one point the chorus sings about evil Helen, and calls her
& #39;ship-destroyer, man-destroyer, city-destroyer& #39;
ἑλένας ἕλανδρος ἑλέπτολις
helenas helandros heleptolis
(Ag. 689)
This definitely isn& #39;t a comedy by the way.
& #39;ship-destroyer, man-destroyer, city-destroyer& #39;
ἑλένας ἕλανδρος ἑλέπτολις
helenas helandros heleptolis
(Ag. 689)
This definitely isn& #39;t a comedy by the way.
But the biggest cluster of wordplays, I think, is around Odysseus. Odysseus& #39; name is a big deal in the Odyssey. He& #39;s anonymous in the proem (until line 21); he& #39;s anonymous to the Phaiakians for 3 books; he& #39;s literally Nobody to the Cyclops; he doesn& #39;t name himself to his son.
In fact when he does reveal himself to Telemachus, he says:
& #39;I am no god...
but I am your father& #39;
οὔ τίς τοι θεός εἰμι...
ἀλλὰ πατὴρ τεός εἰμι
ou tis toi tʰeos eimi...
alla pater teos eimi.
(Remember Outis = & #39;Nobody& #39;: & #39;I am no god& #39; ~ & #39;I am your Nobody& #39;.)
& #39;I am no god...
but I am your father& #39;
οὔ τίς τοι θεός εἰμι...
ἀλλὰ πατὴρ τεός εἰμι
ou tis toi tʰeos eimi...
alla pater teos eimi.
(Remember Outis = & #39;Nobody& #39;: & #39;I am no god& #39; ~ & #39;I am your Nobody& #39;.)
