Anchoring Genealogy

Mnemosyne, vol. 77, pp. 197–216

Abstract

Abstract The writings of both Hecataeus and Pherecydes focus on genealogies, but scholars have characterized their styles differently: Hecataeus is anti-traditional and idiosyncratic, while Pherecydes is an impartial recorder of myths. This contribution argues for a neglected side of each author: Hecataeus follows Homeric genealogical traditions, while Pherecydes constructed novel genealogies of his own. Both authors, then, used tradition to accommodate, or ‘anchor,’ their innovations in genealogical writing, a strategy which Herodotus, in turn, improves upon in his own use of genealogies.

Authors 1

1. Joseph Zehner corresponding Aachen Dept. of Humanities

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Dept. of Humanities, Leiden University https://dx.doi.org/4496 The Netherlands