On the Myth of Milman Parry
Steve T Reece <[email protected]>
| Newsgroups | gmane.education.classics |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <CAMZ06ApBtUKA8Y4VxGbWyfRigqZhPFV3=K6Gq0+ve2hLMeuVVQ@mail.gmail.com> |
Dear Classics Colleagues, A few years ago – well, I see now that it was way back in 1993 - there occurred a sustained and wide-ranging discussion on this list about the untimely and tragic deaths of scholars who had worked in the field of Homeric Studies: Milman Parry, Adam Parry, Anne Amory Parry, Michael Ventris, and Colin MacLeod. There was particular interest in Milman Parry’s life, death, and status at Harvard University. In that discussion, and since then, I’ve observed that there has been a lot of “fluidity” in the details of both the “oral tradition” and the written accounts about Milman Parry. A fairly rich myth has developed about the man, his life, and his early death. I’ve collected details from the police report, coroner’s report, death certificate, and contemporary newspaper accounts, with some background details drawn from national censuses, city records, passport applications, ship manifests, etc. and from other contemporary accounts by people who knew the Parry’s, and I’ve discovered that while these details paint an interesting human portrait of Parry in his final days, they lack the sensational features of the “mythic” accounts. I’m happy to share this in the attached document and request additions, subtractions, and corrections from those inclined to read it. Best regards, Steve Reece Professor of Classics St. Olaf College [email protected] -- Steve Reece, Professor of Classical Languages Saint Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota (U.S.A.) 55057 Tomson Hall 347 (Office: 786-3378; Home: 663-7035) [email protected] https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwp.stolaf.edu%2Fclassics%2Fpeople%2Fsteve-reece%2F&data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7Cd18b5e86ca3f436c7c5808d679a7cf2a%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C1%7C636830159508517433&sdata=GeeQyck%2Ff92ee6hUU3dAHLsC7vNHPv1LHS5GgUKlFyw%3D&reserved=0 https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwp.stolaf.edu%2Fclassics%2F&data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7Cd18b5e86ca3f436c7c5808d679a7cf2a%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C1%7C636830159508517433&sdata=foa9Z0caGGTS3L%2FBLsOSNbnJOrldtSyTlWcCgke7Yzo%3D&reserved=0 [image: St. Olaf College]