Epic and the Person Final Study Guide

Antithesis

figure of speech that uses contrasting ideas to emphasize a point. It often involves presenting two opposite ideas or concepts in a parallel structure, highlighting the difference or the nuance between them.  

Ekphrasis

verbal description or portrayal of a visual artwork, often a painting or sculpture. It's essentially a narrative or poem that "translates" a visual image into words, creating a dialogue between the two mediums.  

areté

a concept of excellence or virtue, particularly the realization of one's potential or inherent function. It's a Greek word meaning "excellence" or "virtue," encompassing a broad range of qualities, from moral excellence to mastery of a specific skill. 

Aristeia

scene, often in epic poetry, where a hero displays their greatest prowess or virtue in battle, usually involving a moment of intense fighting and killing. 

Kleos

immortal fame, renown, or glory. It signifies the lasting reputation or glory one earns through heroic deeds and is often associated with being immortalized in song and story. 

Timé

honor, respect, and personal worth. 

Xenia

ancient Greek concept of hospitality. 

Metis

Odysseus's cunning intelligence, wisdom, and skill in outsmarting his enemies. 

Polytropos

many twists and turns

Fama

diety, rumor

Fatum

represents the inescapable destiny or fate that shapes the narrative and the characters' lives, particularly Aeneas's journey to found Rome. It is a central theme that explores the relationship between fate and free will, divine intervention, and human agency. 

Furor

when emotions or other violent forces are allowed to run uncontrolled. Thus, for example, when people act out of passionate love or anger, their behavior is associated with furor. 

Pietas

a complex virtue embodying duty, respect, and devotion to the gods, family, and country. It's essentially about fulfilling one's obligations to higher powers, ancestors, and the community, even when it requires personal sacrifice. 

Alba Longa Latium

Alba Longa, the most ancient town in Latium; built according to tradition by Ascanius, son of Aeneas. Rome is supposed to have been founded by the inhabitants of Alba Longa, which was so called from its stretching along the narrow rim of the volcano crater above the Alban Lake. 

Cumaean Sibyl

a crucial figure who guides Aeneas on his descent into the underworld.