Esclanda, Maria Carmela Rachel G.

PdD English
08/31/2019

Homeric Epithet
Usually called an epithet or a Homeric epithet, but sometimes called a Homeric
epitaph, it is one of the most noticeable features of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Epithet comes
from the Greek for putting (something) on (something). It is a tag or nickname that can be
used on its own or together with the real name, depending on other features of the Greek
language.
Purpose and Use

Epithets add a bit of color and also fill out the meter when the name on its own
doesn't quite fit. In addition, epithets serve as a mnemonic device reminding listeners that
they have, indeed, already heard mention of the character. The epithets, generally compound
adjectives, are picturesque, which certainly helps make the assignment of character to epithet
memorable.

Examples
Most of the important people in the Iliad have a special epithet that serves as an extra
name. Athena is the only one described as glaucopis 'grey-eyed'. She is called thea glaukopis
Athene 'goddess grey-eyed Athena' and also Pallas Athene 'Pallas Athena'. On the other hand,
Hera shares her epithet leukolenos 'white-armed'. Hera does not, however, share the longer
epithet thea leukolenos Hera 'goddess white-armed Hera'; nor does she share the
epithet bouopis potnia Hera 'cow-eyed mistress/queen Hera'.

Homer never calls the Greeks 'Greeks'. Sometimes they are Achaeans. As Achaeans,
they receive the epithets 'well-greaved' or 'brazen-clad Achaeans'. The title anax andron 'lord
of men' is most often given to the leader of the Greek forces, Agamemnon, although it is also
given to others. Achilles receives epithets based on the swiftness of his
feet. Odysseus is polutlos 'much-suffering' and polumytis 'of many devices, crafty'. There are
other epithets for Odysseus beginning with polu-'many/much' that Homer selects on the basis
of how many syllables he needs for the meter. The messenger goddess, Iris (note: the
messenger deity is not Hermes in the Iliad), is called podenemos 'wind-swift'. Perhaps the
most familiar epithet is the one used for the passage of time, rhododaktulos Eos  'rosy-
fingered Dawn.'

Epithets for Odysseus

 Son of Laertes
 Laertes’ son
 Raider of cities
 The strategist Odysseus
 Wily Odysseus
 The man skilled in all ways of contending
 Resourceful Odysseus
 The man of many resources,
 He of many twists and turns
 Much-enduring Odysseus
 Great-hearted Odysseus
 Sacker of cities
 Wise Odysseus
 Great glory of the Achaeans
 Odysseus, the master mariner
 Mastermind of war
 Hotheaded Odysseus
 The man of action
 The great teller of tales
 Man of exploits
 Man of pain
 That kingly man
 Odysseus the hero
 The great tactician
 Cunning Odysseus

Epithets for Athena

 The grey-eyed goddess
 Grey-eyed Athena
 Goddess of wisdom
 Bright-eyed daughter of Zeus
 Hope of soldiers
 Third-born of the gods
 Pallas
 Tireless one

Epithets for Poseidon

 The blue girder of the islands
 He who sets the earth atremble
 The earthshaker
 The sea god
 Earth-moving Poseidon
 The earth-carrying god

Epithets for Penelope

 Faithful Penelope
 Cautious Penelope
 Circumspect Penelope
 Discreet Penelope
 Wise Penelope

Epithets for Telemachus

 The poised Telemachus
 Thoughtful Telemachus
Epithets for Zeus
 Mighty Zeus
 Son of Kronos
 Wide-seeing Zeus
 The cloud-gatherer
 Father of gods and men
 Zeus of the dazzling bolt
 Loud-thundering Zeus
 He who delights in thunder
 Aegis-holding Zeus
 Zeus who marshals the thunderheads

Epithets for Calypso

 The beautiful nymph
 Softly-braided nymph
 Divine Calypso
 The goddess most divinely made
 Daughter of Atlas
 The cunning goddess
 Loveliest among goddesses

Other Common Epithets in The Odyssey

 Rosy-fingered Dawn
 Dawn, with fingertips of rose
 The wine-dark sea

Epithets from other sources

 Aragorn, son of Arathorn
 Gimli, son of Gloin
 Legolas of the Woodland Realm
 Robin, Brave Sir Robin
 Catherine the Great
 Alexander the Great
Epithets describing students
 Katie the frequently absent
 Spencer of the complicated nasal surgeries
 Miranda the Bold
 Richard the Lionhearted
 Matt, master of goofy laughter
 Righteously indignant Brittany
 Braxton the vaguely confused
 Gage the not-quite-so-confused-as-Braxton
 Jaron of the eternally raised hand
 Erin the easily distracted
 Whispering Arielle
 Kris the inquisitive
 Brooklyn the merry
 Katherine the nimble-footed
 Erica the lip-reader quietly conversed with her friend Marie, she who mouths the
sentences from across the room, while Morgan the muffled giggler looked on.
 Justin the pen-spinning truant sits in front of Christine the uncharacteristically silent.
 Vociferous Kaleigh shouts to Katie the braided warrior.
 Eternally distracted Omar, curse of teachers and bane of pretty girls everywhere.
 Inquisitive Kierra
 Maria the charming
 Hailey the hungry
 Smiling Valerie the Grateful
 Dark-eyed Carolina
 Side-saddle Kelcee, she who can’t face forward in a desk
 Wandering Sean, he of the dull pencil and duller mind
 5th Period: Silent desolation in a vacuum


More to come…
Epithets describing Teachers
 Thompson the bald
 Carter, king of the comb-over
 Darth Holcomb and/or The Incredible Holcomb

References:

Gill, N.S. "Homeric Epithet." ThoughtCo, Feb. 18, 2019, thoughtco.com/homeric-epithet-in-

the-iliad-119093.

Thompson. (2019). Homeric epithets from the odyssey of Thompson.

wolfmanenglishteacher.com