What is a Greek Myth?

W a r . V a r i o u s leading figures, such as Achilles, display the characteristics o f the ephebe, the Greek w a r r i o r at the b r i n k o f a d u l t h o o d .
Many

details o f A c h i l l e s '

life

correspond

to such

figures

as

C u C h u l a i n n , the e x e m p l a r y ephebic w a r r i o r o f Ulster; Nestor's

y o u t h f u l exploits are part o f a s i m i l a r i n i t i a t o r y t r a d i t i o n . M o r e over, a m o n g a n u m b e r o f E u r o p e a n peoples the s t o r m i n g o f a
(fake) castle was part o f the y o u n g m e n ' s r i t u a l s . A s F r i t z G r a f
observes, the convergence o f G r e e k a n d I r i s h t r a d i t i o n strongly
suggests an I n d o - E u r o p e a n epic t r a d i t i o n closely connected w i t h
the y o u n g w a r r i o r ' s i n i t i a t i o n . M y t h s associated w i t h the central
i n s t i t u t i o n s o f archaic societies, such as the w e d d i n g and the rites
of p u b e r t y , or w i t h matters o f vital concern, such as the quest for
animals ( H e r a k l e s a n d I n d r a ) , have a m u c h better chance o f surv i v a l , indeed, t h a n m y t h s connected w i t h m o r e t e m p o r a r y i n s t i t u tions, such as the f o u n d a t i o n o f clans or temples. I n the case o f
i n i t i a t i o n , a poetic t r a d i t i o n is all the more probable because some
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Greek poets (still?) acted as i n i t i a t o r s i n the archaic age. T h e close

association o f poets w i t h i n i t i a t i o n can also be found i n The Book of
Dede Korkut, a collection o f tales set i n the heroic age o f the O g h u z
T u r k s , who in the course o f the n i n t h and tenth centuries emigrated from Siberia i n the d i r e c t i o n o f A n a t o l i a . M o r e o v e r , the
t r a d i t i o n o f the T r o j a n w a r finds a close parallel in Caucasian
m y t h s , i n w h i c h a hero besieges a k i n g who has offended his
h o n o u r , and takes his castle t h r o u g h a ruse; the s t o r m i n g o f a
castie is also part o f Caucasian folklore. D o we perhaps encounter
here m y t h i c a l themes o f Eurasian pastoral peoples that reach back
into t i m e i m m e m o r i a l ?

O n the other h a n d , m y t h was also often u n t r a d i t i o n a l . T h e

suitors o f Penelope request the newest song {Odyssey 1.352), a n d
archaic poets r e g u l a r l y stress their o w n o r i g i n a l i t y .

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I n fact, m a n y

rnythox clearly are not very o l d . H e s i o d derived part o f his theogony

from the O r i e n t (cf. B u r k e r t , this v o l u m e ) ; the epic o f the Nostoi

the h o m e c o m i n g o f the T r o j a n heroes, presupposes Greek colonisation i n Southern I t a l y ; and the m y t h o f Theseus' f o u n d a t i o n o f
democracy illustrates the decline o f the aristocracy's power i n the
late archaic age. T h e respective audiences o f these mythoi must
surely have recognised the novelty o f these tales at the t i m e o f their
first

performances, even t h o u g h they soon became incorporated

into the t r a d i t i o n a l corpus o f m y t h s . M y t h o l o g y , then, was an

open-ended system. As has been p o i n t e d out recently, it is precisely
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