batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l1108-l1144
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l1108-l1144
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
passage_locator:
label: ENDNOTES / PREPARERS NOTE / PREFACE / INTRODUCTION; lines 1108-1144
start: '1108'
end: '1144'
translation: Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage summarizes introductory material on the Battle of the Frogs
and Mice and the Contest of Homer and Hesiod. It describes a quarrel and battle
between frogs and mice that Zeus ends by sending crabs, discusses authorship traditions
and dating, then summarizes the contents and scholarly value of the Contest of
Homer and Hesiod, including reported descent, a poetic contest at Chalcis, Hesiod's
death, and Homer's wanderings and fortunes.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The Battle of the Frogs and Mice tells of a quarrel between two tribes, frogs
and mice, who fight until Zeus sends crabs to break up the battle.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The Battle of the Frogs and Mice is described as a parody of warlike epic,
with a list of quaint arms assumed by warriors.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The text of the Battle of the Frogs and Mice is described as chaotic and containing
many interpolations, some Byzantine.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The Battle of the Frogs and Mice is popularly ascribed to Homer, but Suidas
says its real author was Pigres, a Carian and brother of Artemisia.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: The Contest of Homer and Hesiod is said to date in its present form from Hadrian's
lifetime or shortly after his death and to be based partly on an earlier version
by Alcidamas.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: The extant Contest combines material on the life and descent of Homer with
the original document.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: The Contest's scope includes the descent and relative dates of Homer and Hesiod,
their poetical contest at Chalcis, Hesiod's death, and Homer's wanderings and
fortunes down to his death.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: The tract is characterized as romance and valued for ancient speculations
about Homer, information on Cyclic poems, and epic fragments in the stichomythia
of the Contest.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: frogs
description: One of the two tribes involved in the quarrel and battle in the Battle
of the Frogs and Mice.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: mice
description: One of the two tribes involved in the quarrel and battle in the Battle
of the Frogs and Mice.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Zeus
description: The deity who sends crabs to break up the battle between frogs and
mice.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: crabs
description: Creatures sent by Zeus to break up the battle between frogs and mice.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Homer
description: A poet to whom the Battle of the Frogs and Mice is popularly ascribed
and one of the subjects of the Contest of Homer and Hesiod.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Suidas
description: Authority cited for saying Pigres was the real author of the Battle
of the Frogs and Mice.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Pigres
description: A Carian, brother of Artemisia, said by Suidas to be the real author
of the Battle of the Frogs and Mice.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Artemisia
description: Identified as the sister of Pigres and wife of Mausolus in the authorship
discussion.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Mausolus
description: Identified as the husband of Artemisia in the authorship discussion.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Hesiod
description: A poet whose descent, relative dates, contest at Chalcis, and death
are part of the scope of the Contest of Homer and Hesiod.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Hadrian
description: A chronological reference point for the present form of the Contest
of Homer and Hesiod.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Alcidamas
description: A sophist associated with an earlier version on which the Contest of
Homer and Hesiod may partly be based.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:13
name_or_label: Plutarch
description: Cited as using an earlier or shorter version of the Contest of Homer
and Hesiod.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: warring tribe
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
basis: The frogs and mice are described as two tribes whose quarrel leads them to
fight.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: divine battle-stopper
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Zeus sends crabs to break up the battle.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: sent battle-breakers
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Crabs are sent by Zeus to break up the battle.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: popularly ascribed author
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The poem is popularly ascribed to Homer.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: poetical contestant
assigned_to:
- fig:5
- fig:10
basis: The Contest includes the poetical contest of Homer and Hesiod at Chalcis.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:6
label: subject of biographical romance
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The Contest includes Homer's descent, wanderings, fortunes, reputed works,
and death and is called a romance.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: role:7
label: cited source
assigned_to:
- fig:6
- fig:13
basis: Suidas and Plutarch are cited in the scholarly discussion of authorship or
textual versions.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:8
label: attributed author
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Suidas says Pigres was the real author of the Battle of the Frogs and Mice.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:9
label: subject whose death is narrated
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: The Contest's scope includes the death of Hesiod.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:10
label: earlier-version author
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: The Contest is said to be based in part on an earlier version by Alcidamas.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: quaint arms
literal_form: arms assumed by the warriors in the Battle of the Frogs and Mice
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: crabs sent to stop battle
literal_form: crabs sent by Zeus
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Battle of the Frogs and Mice
summary: A quarrel arises between the tribes of frogs and mice; they fight until
Zeus sends crabs to break up the battle.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Poetical contest at Chalcis
summary: The Contest of Homer and Hesiod includes a poetical contest between Homer
and Hesiod at Chalcis.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:10
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:3
label: Homer's wanderings and fortunes
summary: The Contest includes Homer's wanderings and fortunes, notices of the circumstances
under which his reputed works were composed, and events down to his death.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: animal war interrupted by divine intervention
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage reports a quarrel and battle between frogs and mice that continues
until Zeus sends crabs to break it up.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage is an introductory summary of a parody poem, not the full
narrative; details of the battle are not provided.
- id: motif:2
label: poetic contest between rival poets
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The Contest of Homer and Hesiod includes the poetical contest of Homer and
Hesiod at Chalcis.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage only lists this as part of the tract's scope and does not
narrate the contest.
- id: motif:3
label: heroic or biographical wanderings of a poet
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
- return
basis: The Contest includes Homer's wanderings and fortunes down to the time of
his death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: low
cautions: The available taxonomy refs fit only loosely; the passage does not describe
a full departure-return pattern.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 1108-1112
quote_or_summary: The Battle of the Frogs and Mice tells of a quarrel between frogs
and mice and their battle, which Zeus ends by sending crabs.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 1112-1114
quote_or_summary: The poem is described as a parody of warlike epic, with a list
of quaint arms used by warriors as one notable feature.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 1114-1116
quote_or_summary: The poem's text is described as chaotic and containing many interpolations,
including some Byzantine ones.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 1117-1122
quote_or_summary: Although popularly ascribed to Homer, the poem is said by Suidas
to have been written by Pigres, a Carian and brother of Artemisia, wife of Mausolus;
Suidas may be right in dating the poem around 480 B.C.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 1126-1130
quote_or_summary: The Contest of Homer and Hesiod is dated in its present form to
the time of Hadrian or shortly after and may be based partly on an earlier version
by Alcidamas; Plutarch used an earlier or shorter version.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 1130-1134
quote_or_summary: The extant Contest is said to combine the original document with
additional material on Homer's life and descent, drawing on sources similar to
the Herodotean Life of Homer.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 1134-1139
quote_or_summary: The tract's scope includes the descent and relative dates of Homer
and Hesiod, their poetical contest at Chalcis, Hesiod's death, and Homer's wanderings
and fortunes down to his death.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 1140-1144
quote_or_summary: The tract is called a romance and valued for insight into ancient
speculation about Homer, information on Cyclic poems, and epic fragments in the
Contest's stichomythia.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: The passage is mostly scholarly introduction rather than narrative; motifs
are limited to summarized narrative contents explicitly mentioned.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not support a specific comparative claim beyond genre descriptions such as parody and romance.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg__l1108-l1144
passage_sha256=bb1d23baef8c236cd2f1f7bff08ed26905081da9279da650be85b249f1c3f9c2