the Epitome

David Duffy · 12 Apr 2005, 16:51 · from 2005-April.txt.gz

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From: David.Duffy at qimr.edu.au (David Duffy)
Date: Tue Apr 12 16:51:19 2005
Subject: (urth) the Epitome
In-Reply-To: <1f761737050411093031023a8 at mail.gmail.com>
References: <000a01c53d99$d2f09540$523ec6d8 at rclackey.stic.net>
	<1f761737050411093031023a8 at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.58.0504130934080.6973 at orpheus.qimr.edu.au>

On Mon, 11 Apr 2005, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes wrote:

> I think not enough is being done to ask what is meant by
> the Hieros in describing Severian as the "epitome." To my
> mind it means that he is the most fully human in some sense.
>
> --Dan'l
>

Well, the Dryden quote was included in the 1913 Merriam Webster
dictionary definition (but I don't know if that is true of the OED or
SOD, which I believe is Wolfe's preference -- definitely the pun on
Apheta only works using the SOD):

A man so various, that he seem'd to be
Not one, but all mankind's epitome:

continuing:

Stiff in opinions, always in the wrong;
Was every thing by starts, and nothing long;
But, in the course of one revolving moon,
Was chemist, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon:
Then all for women, painting, rhyming, drinking,
Besides ten thousand freaks that died in thinking.

Perhaps overinterpretation, but I thought the Greek gloss of epitome
"cut into/onto/upon" and perhaps even its meaning 1. an "abridgement"
might have made it attractive too.

David Duffy,

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