Chthonic motifs in ancient Greek and Roman mythical narratives

This thesis conducts a diachronic exploration of ideas related to motifs in Ancient Greek thought and their extension into the Roman period and beyond. 'Motifs' are defined as recurrent, salient, structural features, around which cultural ideas and notionsare formed, and are used as powerful shorthand for grander ideas. This thesis uses the motifs as interpretive tools to expand upon and investigate the possible influences of chthonic ideas in ancient thought. This thesis argues that themes includingw isdom, boundaries, limitations, potential and autochthony are structurally related to chthonic motifs and detectable in broader thought in antiquity.