Homer and the Origin of the Greek Alphabet

Klappentext The purpose of this challenging book is to inquire systematically into the historical causes that underlay the radical shift from earlier and less efficient writing systems to the use of alphabetic writing. Zusammenfassung A challenging and fascinating enquiry into the genesis of alphabetic writing. Inhaltsverzeichnis Foreword: why was the Greek alphabet invented? 1. Review of criticism: what we know about the origin of the Greek alphabet; 2. Argument from the history of writing: how writing worked before the Greek alphabet; 3. Argument from the material remains: Greek inscriptions from the beginning to c. 650 BC; 4. Argument from coincidence: dating Greece's earliest poet; 5. Conclusions from probability: how the Iliad and the Odyssey were written down; Appendix I: Gelb's theory of the syllabic nature of West Semitic writing; Appendix II: Homeric references in poets of the seventh century.

Product details

• Authors: Barry B. Powell, Barry B. (University of Wisconsin Powell, Powell Barry B.
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 28.10.1996
• EAN: 9780521589079
• ISBN: 978-0-521-58907-9
• No. of pages: 308
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Linguistics, LITERARY CRITICISM / Ancient & Classical, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General, Literary studies: classical, early & medieval, Ancient (Classical) Greek, Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval