Imagining the North: The Hyperboreans and exotic thaumata in epinikian poetry

Abstract

The thesis considers the Hyperborean imagery as an instance of the device of the exotic thauma (wonder-inducing scene or object), which is specific to the genre of the victory ode (epinikion). The study tests the hypothesis that exotic thaumata lend a special kind of freedom to the poet by postulating a geographical domain that, by being removed spatially and temporally, allows the poet a protected form of praise for problematic recipients, such as the laudandi reges (royal honorees), by using and modifying Apolline elements. This hypothesis is tested on three particular victory odes, considered in their historical context. The focus of the discussion will be on the Hyperboreans, the mythical northern ethnos on the fringes of the world, whose presence in the victory odes offers an unusual resource of extravagant praise of dynastic figures. The thesis examines the innovative potential of the Hyperborean thauma: their ‘disruptive’ presence in the epinikia prompts alterations to the established mythical narratives. The thesis includes a presentation of early source material for the Hyperboreans, an analysis of Pindar’s Pythian 10 and Olympian 3, as well as a discussion of Bacchylides’ ode 3.