Solon surrounded

Abstract

In this thesis, I examine three fragments (West Fragments 5, 36, and 37) in which Solon describes himself using puzzling, evocative metaphors. I use the rhetorical theory of narrative as a framework for analyzing the authorship, audience, and text in these fragments. I find that these poems make careful use of ambiguity to operate on multiple levels with multiple different rhetorical targets and culminate in images which have multivalent meaning. This methodology allows me to identify the ways in which Solon uses these images to shape and reflect on his legacy.