The Gamma-tradition

The Gamma-tradition is a Homeric oral tradition that developed in the Greek Dark Ages, when Aeolian Greek settlers colonized the region around Troy. Rather than a historical Trojan War, the mythologization of the new homeland was responsible for the stories around Troy and the Trojan Cycle. Curiously, the Aeolian Gamma-tradition is also connected to the Greek colonies in Italy. Roman mythology and the Aeneid of Virgil appear not to be based on Greek mythology and Homer in general, but more specifically on the Aeolian Gamma-tradition. Furthermore, there are the influences of several often-international story types, such as the destruction story, the tele-story, the monster story, and the savior story. The intertextual links between the Aeolian Gamma-tradition in Homer, the Trojan Cycle, the Argonautica, Virgil, and the Old and New Testament are therefore investigated. Ward Blondé is a doctor of applied biological sciences and works as a data programmer in Ghent. He has created theories related to the Homeric Question in his spare time since 2000. Even though he may often use the style and professionalism of a layperson, his methods have resulted in important findings that matter to scientists in Greek and Roman literature, history, archaeology, and linguistics.