Eustathios’ Homeric Commentaries Translating Homer and Spoliating Ancient Traditions

A combination of translation and spoliation defines the Homeric commentaries of Eustathios of Thessalonike. Eustathios’ rhetorical translation of Homer seeks to assist contemporary rhetors in attaining polymathy, oratorical excellence, and linguistic competence. The first part of this article argues that the display of erudition is a key component of the rhetorical aesthetics appreciated and advocated by Eustathios; the combination of eloquence and erudition is central to both his definition of Homer’s exemplarity and his reflections on authorship elsewhere. The second part explores how Eustathios’ commentaries help rhetors navigate the differences between Homer’s poetic language and the Atticizing Greek of Byzantine prose. The article’s third part draws a parallel between Eustathios’ use of ancient grammatical, rhetorical, and exegetical traditions in his translation of Homer and the use of ancient material as spolia in medieval architecture.