Początkowe stadia życia ludzkiego według Homera

Abstract

The article tried to find a response to the question how Homer identified the first stages of human life. The analysis helped to make the following conclusions: Many Greek terms used to describe human life (αἰών, βίος, ζωή, ϑυμός, μένος, ψυχή) show awareness of ancient Greeks for the rich phenomenon of human life and the difficulties in describing it precisely; Homer’s works testify to the rising of the terminology connected with human life. Among them we can find the terms referring to the fact of conception (γείνομαι, κυέω, τίκτω, ὑποκύομαι) and birth (γείνομαι, ἐξάγω πρὸ φόως, τίκτω). Homer understands the notion of “embryo” in a quite different way comparing it to the later literature. He refers this term not to a child in the mother’s womb, but to a child already born. According to Homer’s opinion childbirth does not constitute any significant turning point in human life. The new life is a result of God’s cooperation with parents.