Homer’s fi xed epithets golden and silver

This article provides a comprehensive linguistic analysis of the Homeric epithets golden and silver in comparative terms. They are considered in the following aspects: frequency of use, semantic structure, contextual environment, word-formation features and capabilities, stylistic originality and aesthetic signifi cance, as well as translation options into Russian. The quantitative (higher usage statistics) and qualitative (more complex semantic structure, richer word-formation capabilities and lexical compatibility) predominance of golden over silver, its greater social and aesthetic value is established. As a result of the research, the degree of traditionality of these epithets and the tendency to a variety of their use are clarifi ed. There is also a general desire of translators to preserve the tradition and constancy of these epithets with the assumption of only some variation. The problem of the infl uence of the Homeric use of these epithets on the further literary tradition is raised due to the fact that the basis for ideas about the Golden age was already laid in the Homeric era.