Negotiating Seduction: Archilochus’ Cologne Epode and the Transformation of Epic

Since the original publication of Archilochus’ First Cologne Epode (fr. 196a W), scholars have noted the poem’s structural and thematic similarities to epic seduction scenes 2 . However, such discussions have tended either simply to observe the existence of these parallels, or to use them to argue that the action of the Archilochean poem must conform to that of the earlier models 3 . Yet this approach to the Cologne Epode runs the risk of oversimplifying not only Archilochus, but also the epic material on which he draws. In this article I argue that to understand the Cologne Epode, it is crucial to recognise that Archilochus is drawing on a traditional type-scene which is not fixed or static, but whose details can be adapted to draw out what is unique to the particular relationship or situation at hand. For an archaic audience, a seduction scene is not a fixed set of ‘rules’ but rather a series of conventions which are open to being manipulated or overturned according to the poet’s wishes. As we shall see, the Epode follows epic models in playing with these conventions and opening them up for question or redefinition. Thus the ways in which the Epode differs from other archaic seduction scenes should not simply be attributed to its being subject to a different tradition; rather, Archilochus evokes and reworks epic material to suit his own poetic agenda, just as on the linguistic level he makes extensive use of Homeric formula, yet applies them in unexpected ways 4 . This article will propose an interpretation of the Cologne Epode as a mock-epic seduction scene, and will argue that an analysis of the poem through its interaction with epic guides us towards a richer understanding of Archilochus’ achievement.