Presocratic poetics: Parmenides, Empedocles and literary form

Thesis

This thesis aims to locate the poems of Parmenides, Empedocles and, to a lesser degree (due to paucity of evidence), Xenophanes in their literary context, and to begin to explain the ways in which they are designed to perform their didactic function. Chapters 1-4 focus on their generic status, as it is indicated by their form, content, and use of intertextuality. I suggest that the work of all three poets can be seen to draw upon the distinctive traditions of hexameter poetry on the one ha...

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Authors: Mackenzie, K

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-kkyowmjgk
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford