A Mythological and Comparative Literary Study on the Tradition and the Innovation of Mythological Narratives in Greco-Roman Classical Literature

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02602
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: European literature
• Research Institution: International Christian University
• Principal Investigator: Sano Yoshinori 国際基督教大学, 教養学部, 教授 (50295458)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 古代ギリシア文学 / 神話 / 叙述技法 / 『イーリアス』 / 『オデュッセイア』 / 「叙事詩の環」 / 『縛られたプロメーテウス』 / ヘーロドトス『歴史』

Outline of Final Research Achievements

As for the mythological description in the Iliad, the methodology of Neoanalysis, which postulates a prior version of the myth, was critically examined, and the importance of the mythological descriptions in the framework of the whole epic was elucidated. As for the mythological description in the Odyssey, the description of the Sirens and the description of the ruse of the Wooden Horse were elucidated introducing the comparative viewpoint. As for the description of the myth of Io in the Prometheus Bound, the figure of Io was interpreted anew introducing comparisons with other works which contain the same mythological material, the importance of the motif of memory and identity was pointed out, and the geographical problem of the course of Io's wandering was elucidated.

Free Research Field

西洋古典学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

入門書『ホメーロス『イーリアス』への招待』に掲載された二つの章には、『イーリアス』を読解する際の方法論の重要性および範例として用いられる神話叙述の重要性を一般読者にわかりやすく伝える社会的意義がある。『イーリアス』、『オデュッセイア』、『縛られたプロメーテウス』の神話叙述の特徴について、作品比較の観点を導入し叙述技法に注目することによって新たな解釈の可能性が開かれることを日本語および英語の学会発表と論文発表により国内・海外に発信したところに本研究の学術的意義がある。