{"title":"THE EPIC SCOWL: A NOTE ON THE METONYMIC BASIS AND CONTEXTUAL MEANING OF THE FORMULA ὑπόδρα ἰδών","authors":"Fabian Horn","doi":"10.1017/S0017383522000031","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Drawing on the perspectives of cognitive linguistics and evolutionary biology, this contribution revisits the meaning of the Homeric formula ὑπόδρα ἰδών, literally ‘looking from below’, which is generally acknowledged as an indication of anger in epic poetry. A detailed examination of the phrase suggests that the facial expression it refers to was originally an inclination of the head while maintaining a fixed gaze ahead, resulting in a view from beneath lowered brows. It is argued that this position of the head serves as a functional preparation for a physical conflict, and consequently that the epic phrase ὑπόδρα ἰδών is not merely a metonym for anger but also a signal of the willingness to resort to violence if the conflict is not resolved by other means. This is also borne out by the contexts in which the formula occurs, since in most cases the speeches introduced with a ‘look from below’ are either followed by violent actions or cause their addressee to retract the offence.","PeriodicalId":44977,"journal":{"name":"GREECE & ROME","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.1000,"publicationDate":"2022-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"GREECE & ROME","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0017383522000031","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"0","JCRName":"CLASSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Drawing on the perspectives of cognitive linguistics and evolutionary biology, this contribution revisits the meaning of the Homeric formula ὑπόδρα ἰδών, literally ‘looking from below’, which is generally acknowledged as an indication of anger in epic poetry. A detailed examination of the phrase suggests that the facial expression it refers to was originally an inclination of the head while maintaining a fixed gaze ahead, resulting in a view from beneath lowered brows. It is argued that this position of the head serves as a functional preparation for a physical conflict, and consequently that the epic phrase ὑπόδρα ἰδών is not merely a metonym for anger but also a signal of the willingness to resort to violence if the conflict is not resolved by other means. This is also borne out by the contexts in which the formula occurs, since in most cases the speeches introduced with a ‘look from below’ are either followed by violent actions or cause their addressee to retract the offence.
期刊介绍：
Published with the wider audience in mind, Greece & Rome features informative and lucid articles on ancient history, art, archaeology, religion, philosophy, and the classical tradition. Although its content is of interest to professional scholars, undergraduates and general readers who wish to be kept informed of what scholars are currently thinking will find it engaging and accessible. All Greek and Latin quotations are translated. A subscription to Greece & Rome includes a supplement of New Surveys in the Classics. These supplements have covered a broad range of topics, from key figures like Homer and Virgil, to subjects such as Greek tragedy, thought and science, women, slavery, and Roman religion. The 2007 New Survey will be Comedy by Nick Lowe.
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