24 research outputs found
Archiv fĂŒr die Geschichte, Geographie, Topographie und Statistik des Königreichs Westphalen
Erschienen: Cassel, Nr. 1.1808 - 2.180
Cucumbers in Praxillaâs âAdonisâ fragment (fr. 747)
Praxilla of Sicyon (floruit ca.âŻ450âŻBCE) records Adonisâ response to a question posed to him in the Underworld. He is asked by his companions below what he misses most from his former life on earth. His answer is preserved by Zenobius (early 2ndâŻc.âŻCE), and includes the sun, moon, and stars as well as apples, pears, and cucumbers. Zenobius condemns Adonisâ response, saying, âanyone who lists cucumbers and the rest alongside sun and moon can only be regarded as feeble-mindedâ. Using comparative material from both Greco-Roman and ancient Jewish sources, this paper considers what we know about the cultural context of cucumbers in the ancient Mediterranean and argues for a shift in blame from Adonis to Praxilla herself for composing such ânonsenseâ