Thalia and the others. Blooming goddesses and weddings in Hesiod’s Theogony is the topic to be addressed by Alessandro Buccheri (Center for Hellenic Studies – Harvard University) in the next session of Phusis kai Phuta‘s webinars on nature and plants in ancient Greece.
Thalia and the others, abstract
Words like thallō (“to flourish, grow”), thaleros (“flowering”), or erithēlēs (“richly growing”) appear to be deeply entrenched in the diction of both the Homeric and the Hesiodic poems. Whereas they designate in principle the blooming of vegetation, they are seldom used with reference to plants. In particular, in Hesiod’s Theogony, this family of words provides the names of two (possibly three) goddesses —one of the Muses, one of the Graces, and possibly a Nereid—, epithets to qualify them (e.g. “blooming Peace”), as well as formulas to describe the wedding of divine couples. What does the idea of vegetal bloom evoke in all these cases? How does it participate in the description of the goddesses it is attached to, their powers, and modes of intervention? And ultimately, how does Hesiodic poetry connect vegetal life up with human activities and experiences such as poetry, peace, or weddings?
How to attend
The seminar will take place on zoom. Everyone is welcome to attend, free registration is required. Please email the organizers at [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]. The organizers will be happy to share the seminar link with you.