TeTra | Nina Vanhoutte "The horse-loving teacher: Niketas of Herakleia's didactic poem On Syntax"

TeTra Research Seminar | 7 June 2023

Nina Vanhoutte ​ (UGent)
•The horse-loving man who teaches: Niketas of Herakleia's didactic poem On Syntax•

In this paper, I will explore one of the didactic poems of 11th-century author and teacher Niketas of ‎Herakleia, namely his poem On Syntax. In this poem, he deals with the topic of ‘compound verbs’ as ‎he calls them, and how the meaning of these verbs changes depending on the case they are ‎combined with. Based on my own critical edition and translation, I want to explore the characteristics ‎of this literary genre that are present in this poem, and how those relate to the socio-cultural ‎situation of the 11th century. Particular attention will be paid to the metaphors and intertextual ‎allusions Niketas uses to engage with his students. As such, I strive to demonstrate how Niketas ‎organized and enlivened his teaching of grammar through his didactic poems, and how they reflect ‎his relationship with his student(s).‎​

ugent.academia.edu/NinaVanhoutte