Homeridae
Sign in to saveThe Homeridae or Homeridai or Homerids () was a term used for those who performed or recited the poems of Homer.
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- Instance of
- professional association
- Named after
- Homer
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- described by source
- Pauly–Wissowa
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The Homeridae or Homeridai or Homerids () was a term used for those who performed or recited the poems of Homer.
It was also the name of a family, clan or professional lineage on the island of Chios. According to one tradition, the family took this name because they were believed to be descended from Homer. Another explanation, however, rejects this idea and claims that the name actually comes from the word for "pledges" (homeron; ὁμήρων). According to this story, the women of Chios once went mad during a festival of Dionysus and fought against the men. The conflict ended only after they exchanged brides and bridegrooms as pledges and the descendants of these couples came to be called the "Homeridae".
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Homeridae” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.