JOURNAL ARTICLE

Schol ad Il.9.320: An Intratextual Appreciation.

  • Published In: Classical World, 2025, v. 118, n. 2. P. 115 1 of 3

  • Database: Education Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Flynn, James 3 of 3

Abstract

In Il. 9.320, Achilles asserts that "death comes alike to the idle man and to him who works much." 1 While this line was received well in antiquity, it has been criticized and bracketed by a number of modern scholars, who consider it irrelevant to Achilles' speech and a late interpolation. These scholars, however, almost universally overlook the Homeric scholia. In fact, schol. bT Il. 9.320 offers a unique interpretation of the line. It refers to a scene in book 7 of the Iliad , demonstrating that Achilles is not making a universal statement about death but rather criticizing Agamemnon's inability to distinguish among the Greek dead and to afford proper funeral rites to those who are worthy of them. This scholion makes a strong argument for the authenticity of 9.320. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Classical World. 2025/01, Vol. 118, Issue 2, p115
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:00098418
  • DOI:10.1353/clw.2025.a952344
  • Accession Number:183710476
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Classical World is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.