The purpose of a 'paean' is to thank someone for a triumph or heroic deed.
The purpose of fruit on a plant is to protect and disperse seeds for reproduction.
The purpose of the stingers that bees have is for self-defense. Bees use their stingers to protect themselves and their hive from potential threats.
Wolves do not have eyebrows. Eyebrows are not common in the animal kingdom and serve no specific purpose for wolves.
Yes, gorillas have fingernails. The purpose of their fingernails is to help them grip and manipulate objects, as well as to groom themselves and others.
Yes, yaks have horns. The purpose of their horns is mainly for defense against predators and for establishing dominance within their herd.
The purpose of a 'paean' is to thank someone for a triumph or heroic deed.
paean - a song of joyful praise
After the horrific war was over, the bards sang a paean to show triumph, but also to remember the people lost in the battle.
A paean is a song of praise, from the Greek word of the same meaning.
PAEAN
The word 'παιάν' is a Greek equivalent of 'paean'. It's spelled 'paian' in Roman letters. It's applied to songs that may be solemn as chants or triumphant with praise.
Since paean is a song of joyful praise or exultation, the opposite is calumny, condemnation or criticism.
The paean in Antigone typically signals a shift in tone and prepares the audience for the climax of the play. It often foreshadows impending tragedy or resolution of the conflict within the story.
a hymn of praise
A paean* is a hymn of praise. Antigone's paean occurs with her procession to her tomb. Antigone indicates that she's ready to go to her death. She looks forward to meeting all of her family in the underworld realms of the afterlife. She regrets not experiencing marriage with her beloved first cousin and fiance, Haemon. She likewise regrets not undergoing the joys of raising children and continuing her parents' bloodline.But the regret isn't enough to stop her death march. Indeed, she doesn't regret her respect for the will of the gods and the god given traditions of Thebes. So she doesn't ask her death to be stopped. Instead, she asks that her wrongdoers meet the same fate.It's with this last, passionately willful statement that the chorus steps in, but not with a paean's song and dance. Instead, the leader chides Antigone for her uncontrolled passion. Indeed, Antigone respects the gods in terms of death, but disrespects them in presuming to influence their decisions on the fate of mortals.*Technically, Antigone's paean isn't a paean. During a paean, there's music to which the chorus dances and sings. But Antigone's paean consists of her dialogue to a chorus that basically stands still and doesn't react.
The word 'παιάν' is a Greek equivalent of 'paean'. It's spelled 'paian' in Roman letters. It's applied to songs that may be solemn as chants or triumphant with praise.
Apparently, an epithet for Apollo was Paean.