DIGITAL STYLISTIC INSIGHTS INTO HOMER’S ILIAD: A LEXICAL, SEMANTIC, AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive digital stylistic analysis of Homer’s Iliad, integrating lexical, semantic, and contextual approaches through the application of Voyant Tools. Using a corpus comprising 190,271 total words and 13,700 unique forms, the research quantitatively examines lexical density, word frequency, and co-occurrence networks to reveal underlying thematic and stylistic patterns within the epic. A mixed-method design combines corpus linguistics, computational visualization, and interpretive literary analysis. The quantitative phase involved generating frequency lists, word clouds, and trend graphs to identify dominant lexical clusters such as Achilles–wrath, Hector–honor, and Zeus–fate. The qualitative phase employed close reading of concordance lines and contextual passages to interpret these clusters in relation to Homeric poetics and oral-formulaic theory. The results indicate that the text exhibits a lexical density of 0.072 and a readability index of 10.02, reflecting its oral structure, elevated diction, and narrative rhythm. High-frequency terms correspond to recurring motifs of heroism, divine intervention, mortality, and fate. Semantic mapping demonstrates how shifts in the prominence of key terms correlate with narrative tension and character development, particularly in Achilles’ emotional trajectory. The study argues that digital stylistics offers empirical validation of long-standing philological theories by quantifying repetition and thematic variation in ancient texts. Through this digital lens, The Iliad is reinterpreted not merely as a poetic monument but as a data-rich narrative system encoding the moral and cultural syntax of the archaic Greek world.