Question

Read the following passage and answer the question.

My children, latest generation born from Cadmus, why are you sitting here with wreathed sticks in supplication to me, while the city fills with incense, chants and cries of pain?
…

so I have come in person—I, Oedipus,
whose fame all men acknowledge.
…

I shall assist you willingly in every way.
I would be a hard-hearted man indeed,
if I did not pity suppliants like these.

The phrase “born from Cadmus” is an example of _____.

a motif
a patronymic
foreshadowing
irony

Answer 1

Answer: A patronymic

A patronymic is a component of a personal name that is based on the name of a male ancestor. This usually refers to someone's father or grandfather. If the ancestor that is included in the name is a female, this is called a matronymic. These words are used in order to establish a lineage. In this case, the phrase "born from Cadmus" establishes a common lineage among the people who are descendants of Cadmus.

Answer 2

The phrase “born from Cadmus” is an example of a patronymic. A patronymic is a name added after the given name from the father or grandfather or from the great great ancestors. It is shown that the narrator itself is the greatest ancestor because he is denoting born of Cadmus as my children.