Kata Markon

["L. J. Swain" <l9swain AT wmich.edu>]

JFAlward AT aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 1/28/01 10:05:59 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> l9swain AT wmich.edu writes:
>
> In reference to the article, "The Beheading of John the Baptist," in which I
> analyze Dennis MacDonald's claims of a parallel between Homer and Mark, 
> Larry
> Swain noted that I wrote that "Victim's head falls among dishes," and that
> this is not strictly true.  He is correct.  I've rewritten that entry in the
> table; it now reads, "Victim's head is in contact with tableware."
>
> All of the other great many differences Swain notes between the Homeric
> traditional tale and Mark are quite obvious; there are literally hundreds of
> other significant differences between other Homeric and Markan stories that
> MacDonald discusses, but these differences are of no real consequence, as 
> far
> as I'm concerned. What matters is that a great many of the same ingredients,
> or elements, appear--in this case, eleven--not that they're used in the same
> way, or in the same order, or even that the messages in the parallels are
> similar.

Thanks to Dr. MacDonald for his response to which I'll get to in a moment.
But just to note that the "ingredients" are the same and in the same order
is rather like saying Steak and Kidney pie is an influence on Sour Cream
cake: both use flour, eggs, milk, an agent to make the dough rise, a pie
plate, an oven set at 350 degrees.  But they are very different dishes
indeed.

The proof is in the pudding, so to speak, and at least these allusions are
so general, and generalized, as to be unconvincing.  As you note, there
are hundreds of details difference, including and especially plot
differences, that it is hard to believe direct influence.  In fact, if we
took this seriously we would actually have more allusions in Mark to Homer
than Virgil does in some episodes of the Aeneid that are so obviously
dependent on Homer.

Regards,
Larry Swain