Free Essay

The Use of the Article in Hellenistic Greek

In:

Submitted By Heimerdinger
Words 259
Pages 2
The Function of the Article with Proper Names: The New Testament Book of Acts as a Case Study.

Taking a discourse analysis approach, the use of the article with the names of people and places is studied in order to elucidate the principles behind the pattern of arthrous and anarthrous references in narrative. An exhaustive examination of the data in the New Testament narrative of Acts indicates that the use of the article with proper names varies, often with the same name within a single episode and sometimes within a single sentence. The reasons for variation are not grammatical in the traditional sense, neither case nor other syntactical considerations being able to account for it. Instead, the factors affecting the presence of the article are established as being of a pragmatic nature, closely associated with the role of the person or place in the story at any given point, as well as the knowledge shared by the writer and the recipient. The pattern that emerges is that the default practice is to include the article with both personal and geographical names; its absence is used as a device to highlight the person for some reason, such as the first mention in a story or a contrast with another character. In other words, the main principle behind the omission of the article is identified as that of saliency. This conclusion suggests that the numerous variant readings among the early NT MSS affecting the article with proper names are not so much due to scribal habit as different narratorial perspectives.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Novel

...Art and CultureArt in ancient GreeceThe Charioteer of Delphi, Delphi Archaeological Museum. One of the greatest surviving works of Greek sculpture, dating from about 470 B.C. Source:WikipediaThe art of ancient Greece has exercised an enormous influence on the culture of many countries from ancient times until the present, particularly in the areas of sculpture and architecture. In the West, the art of the Roman Empire was largely derived from Greek models. In the East, Alexander the Great's conquests initiated several centuries of exchange between Greek, Central Asian and Indian cultures, resulting in Greco-Buddhist art, with ramifications as far as Japan. Following the Renaissance in Europe, the humanist aesthetic and the high technical standards of Greek art inspired generations of European artists. Well into the 19th century, the classical tradition derived from Greece dominated the art of the western world.PeriodsThe art of Ancient Greece is usually divided stylistically into four periods: the Geometric, the Archaic, the Classical and the Hellenistic.As noted above, the Geometric age is usually dated from about 1000 BC, although in reality little is known about art in Greece during the preceding 200 years (traditionally known as the Dark Ages), the period of the 7th century BC witnessed the slow development of the Archaic style as exemplified by the black-figure style of vase painting. The onset of the Persian Wars (480 BC to 448 BC) is usually taken as the dividing line...

Words: 4069 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Hieu Test 1 Study Guide

... b. Sovereign c. Transcendent d. Good View of Man e. Created by God f. A rule or ethical system g. A choice or moral freedom h. Dignity and autonomy of human beings 4. Persian Wars – who fought, why, who won, how, significance i. Who Fought? i. Persians vs. Greeks j. Why? ii. Fundamental differences, East vs. West iii. Disputed territory in Asia Minor iv. Greece as a stepping-stone to Europe k. Who Won? v. The Greeks l. How? vi. Superior Military Skill m. So What? vii. Persians locked out of Europe forever viii. Athenian Imperialism ix. Delian League – Greek alliance between city states to prevent future attacks from Persia x. Launches them into Athenian Golden Age 5. Sparta –description, major contributions, contrast with Athens * Formed Delian league to fight against Athens * Experienced Land Military while Athens had an Experienced Navy * Athens was focused on cultural expansion while Sparta loved war 6. Cosmologists – role in origins of Greek philosophy, methods, examples, significance Methods n. Physical Matter o. Mathematical Order – Pythagoras p. Logical Proof – Mataphysics q. Mechanical Structure Impact r. Critical Analysis s. Systemized Knowledge 7. Plato’s Theory of...

Words: 1090 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Hellenistic Medicine

...advancement in medicine and science were thus made, owing to the collaborative work of many Hellenistic intellectuals from Alexander’s former empire. The source of Greek knowledge about medicine came from Egypt, which was fairly well-developed by the Greece was entering its Golden Age. Greek figures such as Pythagoras traveled widely, and picked up discoveries from places and brought them back to Greece. Thales gained first-hand experience of medicine when he was training in Egypt. Similar to Greek medicine, Egyptian medicine also lied in religion and spirituality. The Egyptian god of medicine was Imhotep, whose role was analogous to that of Asclepius. People would pray to him and other gods for healing, and it was believed that gods played a role in matters of health and disease. Despite these religious origins and beginnings, Egyptian medicine was rather rational and scientific. Blood was thought to be an important nutritive and regulatory substance, and the heart was considered to be the center of the circulatory system. Along with the circulatory system, the influence of the respiratory system was also recognized. Being excellent recorders that Ancient Egyptians were, they recorded medical recipes that attributed to their god of healing. Other papyri records discussed the effects of various drugs and catalogued various diseases and their symptoms (“Greek Medicine: The History of Greek...

Words: 2680 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Greek and Roman Comparison

...Greek and Roman Comparison Lisa Lain HIS275CA June 1, 2015 Zachary Lenz Greek and Roman Comparison The Greek and Roman empires were very important to the history of the world. With their empires came religions and philosophies. While their religions were much different, both the Greeks and the Romans turned to Christianity at some point. Their philosophies were also quite different. They each studied the building blocks of the universe and created their own theories. With any empire come societal struggles. Both the Greek and Roman empires dealt with such struggles but the main aspect of the struggles varied. Territorial expansion was very important in both the Greek and the Roman empires. They both sought out to find more land and fought for the land they found through wars and battles. Trade and commerce were a major contribution to both empires as well. While both empires traded different things both within their empires, they also traded outside of it. The Roman and Greek civilizations also dealt with a decline in civilization. The reasoning behind their declines was different, but both empires contributed to their own decline. Religions and Philosophies While the Greek and Roman religions differed greatly, they both turned to Christianity at one point. In the beginning religions, the Greeks and Romans alike believed in many gods. Each of these gods was believed to be a god of certain events. Both the Greek and the Romans worshipped their gods at temples...

Words: 6976 - Pages: 28

Free Essay

Identification of Ancient Gennesar

...here do not suggest a city that apparently stood in this site ages ago. However, Kinneret was no doubt laid to ruin many hundreds of years ago…Josephus, who described the incomparable beauty of the Gennesar valley, does not refer to the city by this name. It is therefore reasonable to assume that this city was much in decline in his day, and was overshadowed by the large neighboring city of Tiberius, which had just been established and drew many inhabitants…’(Guérin 1969: vol. VI. 211-212). Thus Guérin tried to suggest a single site identification to solve the riddle of the disappearance of two settlements that had given the lake in the Galilee their names over the course of many generations; Kinneret and Gennesar. The object of this article is to evaluate the literary sources, and present the archeological data, that provide support for part of Guérin’s intuitive conclusions, i.e., his proposed identification of ancient Gennesar on the hill of Abu Shusha. Literary Sources Mandel Nun and Ze’ev Safrai, who studied the evolving name of the Sea of Galilee, demonstrated that the name of this lake changed from one time period to another, according to which major city was near it (Nun 1977: 65-67;...

Words: 1774 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Ancient Greece

...the Acropolis in Athens, is one of the most representative symbols of the culture and sophistication of the ancient Greeks. Part of a series on the | Modern Greece.Septinsular Republic.War of Independence.First Hellenic Republic.Kingdom of Greece.National Schism.Second Hellenic Republic.4th of August Regime.Axis occupation (collaborationist regime).Civil War.Military Junta.Third Hellenic Republic | History by topic.Art.Constitution.Economy.Military.Names | History of Greece | | Neolithic Greece.Neolithic Greece | Greek Bronze Age.Helladic.Cycladic.Minoan.Mycenaean | Ancient Greece.Homeric Greece.Archaic Greece.Classical Greece.Hellenistic Greece.Roman Greece | Medieval Greece.Byzantine Greece.Frankish and Latin states.Ottoman Greece | | Ancient Greece was a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BCto the end ofantiquity (c. 600 AD). Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in ancient Greece is the period ofClassical Greece, which flourished during the 5th to 4th centuries BC. Classical Greece began with the repelling of a Persian invasion by Athenian leadership. Because of conquests by Alexander the Great of Macedonia, Hellenistic civilization flourished fromCentral Asia to the western end of the Mediterranean Sea. Classical Greek culture, especially philosophy, had a powerful influence on the Roman Empire, which carried a version...

Words: 17888 - Pages: 72

Premium Essay

Research Proposal

...prosperous during the period of the Crusades (12th and 13th centuries), benefiting from Italian trade. Following a period of sharp decline under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Athens re-emerged in the 19th century as the capital of the independent Greek state. Contents    1 Name 1.1 Geographical setting 2 Antiquity 2.1 Origins and early history 2.2 Reform and democracy 2.3 Classical Athens 2.3.1 Early Athenian military history 2.3.2 Artists and philosophers 2.3.3 Peloponnesian War 3 Athenian coup of 411 BC 3.1 Corinthian War and the Second Athenian League 3.2 Athens under Macedon 3.3 Hellenistic Athens 3.4 Roman Athens 4 Middle Ages 4.1 Byzantine Athens 4.2 Latin Athens 4.2.1 Burgundian period 4.2.2 Aragonese period 4.2.3 Florentine period 5 Modern history 5.1 Ottoman Athens 5.2 Independence from the Ottomans 5.3 Modern Athens 5.3.1 Population influx 5.3.2 Athens under the Nazis 5.3.3 Postwar Athens 5.3.4 Athens today 5.3.5 Recent historical population 5.4 Notable Athenians 5.5 Ancient sites in Athens 6 Notes 7 Further reading The contest of Athena and Poseidon. West Pediment of the Parthenon. The name of Athens, connected to the name of its patron goddess Athena, originates from an earlier, Pre-Greek language.[1][verification needed] The etiological myth explaining how Athens acquired this name through the legendary contest between Poseidon and Athena was described by...

Words: 5137 - Pages: 21

Premium Essay

Matthew

...An Exegesis of Matthew An Exegesis of Matthew 5:1-12 Matthew 5:1-12, commonly known as the Beatitudes, has been loved by every generation since first pronounced by Christ two thousand years ago. Matthew writes this record of the life, ministry and teaching of Jesus, and he places this message soon after Jesus' baptism and calling of the disciples. The Beatitudes are the opening section of the Sermon on the Mount, the longest recorded teaching during Christ's lifetime. We will begin by looking at this section as it lays within the book of Matthew and then go to a more in-depth exegetical study. Literary Context The most popular approach to Matthew's structure is the presentation of five major discourses, each ending with a formula statement that is foreign to other Biblical discourses, placed in a framework of narrative[1] (Talbert 15). In fact, "the five discourses are so clearly marked, from a literary point of view, that it is well-nigh impossible to believe that Matthew did not plan them" (Carson 63). Each of these discourses brings forth a topic of central importance for both the gospel rendition of the historical Jesus and the later experience of the church (Batdorf 26). The narrative section leading to the first discourse, from Matthew 3:1 to 4:25, chronicles not simply the biography of a man preparing for ministry, but the establishment of Messianic history and authority. We come to an understanding of Matthew's first and foremost discourse, the Sermon on the Mount...

Words: 4325 - Pages: 18

Free Essay

The Abduction of Europa

...homes and communal buildings during the rein of the Greek/Roman Empire. Nonetheless, mosaics are not just aesthetic works of fine art but merely are an indispensable memoir of substantial myths, stories, and legends of the past, whether it may be depicting a heroic scene of one of the greatest battles of time to a royal celebration of some sort. The intricate details and time put into creating such a piece of work reveal so much about the Greek/Roman culture. They revere and honour all the hardship they went through and then develop these fascinating life changing events into works of art, which, we now read about in books or view in museums. One specific work of art, which, portrays so much is The Abduction of Europa mosaic, now placed in the National Museum of Beirut. Nevertheless, most Greek/Roman mosaics were used and created to strengthen and support the Greek/Roman social structure and their societal reputation in the empire. They were not only created for societal purposes, but also to keep consequential evocations alive throughout history. The mosaics of the Greek/Roman culture have been said to be influenced vastly from Hellenistic art - some of the most common subject matters artists liked to capture and portray were scenes of the sea and Greek myths, such as Gods and Goddesses and the encounters they endured. This explains clearly, the mosaic we encountered in the National Museum of Beirut. It is about the Greek myth of the God Zeus transforming himself into a Bull...

Words: 1412 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Intertestamental Period

...LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Inter-Testament Period Paper A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. DEREK R. BROWN IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE NBST 525 LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY BY Donald Reul LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA November 1, 2012 Contents Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………. 1 Alexander the Great ……………………………………………………………………. 1 Dividing the Empire…………………………………………………………………… 4 Ptolemaic Dynasty ……………………………………………………………………. 4 Seleucid Dynasty …………………………………………………………………….. 6 Antiochus Epiphanies ………………………………………………………………. 8 Maccabean Period …………………………………………………………………… 10 Mattathias ………………………………………………………………….. 10 Jonathan ……………………………………………………………………. 12 Simon ……………………………………………………………………….. 13 John Hyrcanus ……………………………………………………………… 14 Aristoblus ……………………………………………………………………. 15 Alexander Jannaeus …………………………………………………………. 16 Aristobulus II ………………………………………………………………… 17 The Roman Period ……………………………………………………………………. 18 Antipater II …………………………………………………………………… 18 Phasael ………………………………………………………………………. 19 Herod the Great ……………………………………………………………… 19 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………….. 21 Introduction Gaining insights into the “Inter-Testament Period” provides New Testament readers with a heightened perception of the world into which Jesus came. The interval between the final words spoken by Malachi and the New Testament narrative has often been referred to as the “four hundred silent years”. It...

Words: 7681 - Pages: 31

Premium Essay

Constellations

...------------------------------------------------- Constellation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the star grouping. For other uses, see Constellation (disambiguation). | | | | * Top: Baroque drawing of the constellation Orionfrom Johannes Hevelius' celestial catalogue * Bottom: Contemporary map of Orion from the IAUand photography of the night sky | In everyday usage, a constellation is a traditional or recognizable group of stars in the night sky, or the region of the sky containing them. In technical usage these meanings have been separated, with groupings of stars being called asterisms, and the word constellation being reserved for a specific area of the celestial sphere with boundaries laid down by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). These areas mostly had their origins in Western-traditional asterisms from which the constellations take their names. When astronomers say something is “in” a given constellation they mean it is within those official boundaries. There are 88 officially recognized constellations, covering the entire sky[1] which have grown from the 48 classical Greek constellations laid down by Ptolemy in the Almagest. Out of these 88 constellations, 12 compose the zodiac signs. Thus, any given point in a celestial coordinate system can unambiguously be assigned to a constellation. It is usual in astronomy to give the constellation in which a given object is found along with its coordinates in order to convey...

Words: 5188 - Pages: 21

Premium Essay

Why Was Socrates Regarded as a Man of Virtue?

...Why was Socrates regarded as a man of virtue? Why was Socrates regarded as a man of virtue? Socrates: Man of Virtue (470-399 B.C.E.) Socrates proposed the theory of value in which there are two sorts of good: virtue and happiness. Both are unconditional goods. But happiness is a "self-generated" good in that it "derives its value strictly from its inherent properties;" whereas virtue is an "other-generated" good in that it derives its value from happiness, precisely from its conduciveness to happiness. Virtue is an instinct in all humanity which can be aroused through self-examination. This universal truth is accessible to everyone who thinks and question. Socrates assumes that any person with whom he talks has the resource to answer his question correctly, that is, that no specialist knowledge is required. Socrates thought that knowledge is virtue, and virtue leads to happiness. It makes sense to think that moral people know what morality is. If you know right from wrong, then you might be able to choose to do what you know to be right. It also makes some sense to suspect that our beliefs about right and wrong influence our decisions. If we believe its right to help a drowning child, then it would be fairly shocking to decide not to do so—and it would less surprising when we decide to help the child. It is quite a shocking statement to say that virtue always leads to happiness. Criminals commit crimes that hurt others to help themselves. To think that their crimes would...

Words: 7161 - Pages: 29

Premium Essay

#Popepular

...Plato and Play Taking Education Seriously in Ancient Greece Armand D’Angour In this article, the author outlines Plato’s notions of play in ancient Greek culture and shows how the philosopher’s views on play can be best appreciated against the background of shifting meanings and evaluations of play in classical Greece. Play—in various forms such as word play, ritual, and music—proved central to the development of Hellenic culture. In ancient Greece, play (paidia) was intrinsically associated with children (paides). However, both children and play assumed a greater cultural significance as literacy—and, consequently, education (paideia)— developed during the classical age of 500–300 BCE. Uniquely among ancient thinkers, Plato recognized that play influenced the way children developed as adults, and he proposed to regulate play for social ends. But Plato’s attitude toward play was ambivalent. Inclined to consider play an unworthy activity for adults, he seemed to suggest that intellectual play in some form, as demonstrated in the dialectical banter of Socrates, could provide a stimulus to understanding. Key words: education in ancient Greece; play and child development; play and education; play and Plato; Socratic dialectic Among various plausible misquotations that surface from time to time is a piece of popular wisdom attributed to Plato to the effect that “you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” It was quoted by Alaska Governor...

Words: 6335 - Pages: 26

Premium Essay

Etica

...EDUCOM award winner for Best Humanities Software (published in 1996 by Routledge as A Right to Die? The Dax Cowart Case). He also coauthored the CD-ROM The Issue of Abortion in America (Rountledge, 1998) Dr. Cavalier was Director of CMU's Center for the Advancement of Applied Ethics and Political Philosophy from 2005-2007. He currently directs the Center's Digital Media Lab which houses Project PICOLA (Public Informed Citizen Online Assembly), and is also co-Director of Southwestern Pennsylvania Program for Deliberative Democracy. Co-Editor of Ethics in the History of Western Philosophy (St. Martin's/Macmillan, England, 1990), Editor of The Impact of the Internet on Our Moral Lives (SUNY, 2003) and other works in ethics as well as articles in educational computing, Dr. Cavalier is internationally recognized for his work in education and interactive multimedia. He was President of the "International Association for Computing and Philosophy" (2001 - 2004) and Chair of the APA Committee on Philosophy and Computers (2000-2003). Dr. Cavalier has given numerous addresses and keynote speeches here and abroad. In 1996 Cavalier was designated "Syllabus Scholar" by Syllabus Magazine in recognition of his life long work with educational technologies. In 1999 he received an award for "Innovation Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Technology" at the 10th International Conference on College Teaching and Learning. In 2002 he...

Words: 14800 - Pages: 60

Premium Essay

Titas

...In 326 BCE, Chandragupta Maurya was just a teenager when Alexander the Great of Macedonia invaded India. Facing stiff resistance all through what is now Pakistan, and hampered by the high Hindu-Kush Mountains, Alexander’s army lost its will to conquer India at the Battle of Jhelum (or Hydaspes River). Although the Macedonians made it through the Khyber Pass and defeated Raja Puru (King Poros) near modern-day Bhera, Pakistan, the fighting was almost too much for Alexander’s troops. Worst of all, Raja Puru’s army included 30 war elephants, who spooked the Macedonian cavalry’s horses (and probably the men, as well). When the victorious Macedonians heard that their next target - the Nanda Empire - could muster 6,000 war elephants, the soldiers revolted. Alexander the Great would not conquer the far side of the Ganges. Although the world’s greatest tactician could not convince his troops to take on the Nanda Empire, five years after Alexander turned away, a 20-year-old Chandragupta Maurya would accomplish that feat, and go on to unite almost all of what is nowIndia. The young Indian emperor would also take on Alexander’s successors - and win. Chandragupta Maurya’s Birth and Ancestry: Chandragupta Maurya was born sometime around 340 BCE, reportedly in Patna, now in the Bihar state of India. Given the vast span of time since his birth, it is unsurprising that scholars are uncertain of many details. For example, some texts claim that both of Chandragupta’s parents were of the Kshatriya...

Words: 7201 - Pages: 29