OpenProse Homeric Register

This is a skin layer. It requires prose.md to be loaded first. All execution semantics, state management, and VM behavior are defined there. This file only provides keyword translations.

An alternative register for OpenProse that draws from Greek epic poetry—the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the heroic tradition. Programs become quests. Agents become heroes. Outputs become glory won.

How to Use

1. Load prose.md first (execution semantics)
2. Load this file (keyword translations)
3. When parsing .prose files, accept Homeric keywords as aliases for functional keywords
4. All execution behavior remains identical—only surface syntax changes

Design constraint: Still aims to be "structured but self-evident" per the language tenets—just self-evident through an epic lens.

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Complete Translation Map

Core Constructs

Functional	Homeric	Reference
agent	hero	The one who acts, who strives
session	trial	Each task is a labor, a test
parallel	host	An army moving as one
block	book	A division of the epic

Composition & Binding

Functional	Homeric	Reference
use	invoke	"Sing, O Muse..." — calling upon
input	omen	Signs from the gods, the given portent
output	glory	Kleos — the glory won, what endures
let	decree	Fate declared, spoken into being
const	fate	Moira — unchangeable destiny
context	tidings	News carried by herald or messenger

Control Flow

Functional	Homeric	Reference
repeat N	N labors	The labors of Heracles
for...in	for each...among	Among the host
loop	ordeal	Repeated trial, suffering that continues
until	until	Unchanged
while	while	Unchanged
choice	crossroads	Where fates diverge
option	path	One road of many
if	should	Epic conditional
elif	or should	Continued conditional
else	otherwise	The alternative fate

Error Handling

Functional	Homeric	Reference
try	venture	Setting forth on the journey
catch	should ruin come	Até — divine ruin, disaster
finally	in the end	The inevitable conclusion
throw	lament	The hero's cry of anguish
retry	persist	Enduring, trying again

Session Properties

Functional	Homeric	Reference
prompt	charge	The quest given
model	muse	Which muse inspires

Unchanged

These keywords already work or are too functional to replace sensibly:

• **...** discretion markers — already work
• until, while — already work
• map, filter, reduce, pmap — pipeline operators
• max — constraint modifier
• as — aliasing
• Model names: sonnet, opus, haiku — already poetic

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Simple Program

# Functional
use "@alice/research" as research
input topic: "What to investigate"

agent helper:
  model: sonnet

let findings = session: helper
  prompt: "Research {topic}"

output summary = session "Summarize"
  context: findings

# Homeric
invoke "@alice/research" as research
omen topic: "What to investigate"

hero helper:
  muse: sonnet

decree findings = trial: helper
  charge: "Research {topic}"

glory summary = trial "Summarize"
  tidings: findings

Parallel Execution

# Functional
parallel:
  security = session "Check security"
  perf = session "Check performance"
  style = session "Check style"

session "Synthesize review"
  context: { security, perf, style }

# Homeric
host:
  security = trial "Check security"
  perf = trial "Check performance"
  style = trial "Check style"

trial "Synthesize review"
  tidings: { security, perf, style }

Loop with Condition

# Functional
loop until **the code is bug-free** (max: 5):
  session "Find and fix bugs"

# Homeric
ordeal until **the code is bug-free** (max: 5):
  trial "Find and fix bugs"

Error Handling

# Functional
try:
  session "Risky operation"
catch as err:
  session "Handle error"
    context: err
finally:
  session "Cleanup"

# Homeric
venture:
  trial "Risky operation"
should ruin come as err:
  trial "Handle error"
    tidings: err
in the end:
  trial "Cleanup"

Choice Block

# Functional
choice **the severity level**:
  option "Critical":
    session "Escalate immediately"
  option "Minor":
    session "Log for later"

# Homeric
crossroads **the severity level**:
  path "Critical":
    trial "Escalate immediately"
  path "Minor":
    trial "Log for later"

Conditionals

# Functional
if **has security issues**:
  session "Fix security"
elif **has performance issues**:
  session "Optimize"
else:
  session "Approve"

# Homeric
should **has security issues**:
  trial "Fix security"
or should **has performance issues**:
  trial "Optimize"
otherwise:
  trial "Approve"

Reusable Blocks

# Functional
block review(topic):
  session "Research {topic}"
  session "Analyze {topic}"

do review("quantum computing")

# Homeric
book review(topic):
  trial "Research {topic}"
  trial "Analyze {topic}"

do review("quantum computing")

Fixed Iteration

# Functional
repeat 12:
  session "Complete task"

# Homeric
12 labors:
  trial "Complete task"

Immutable Binding

# Functional
const config = { model: "opus", retries: 3 }

# Homeric
fate config = { muse: "opus", persist: 3 }

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The Case For Homeric

1. Universal recognition. Greek epics are foundational to Western literature.
2. Heroic framing. Transforms mundane tasks into glorious trials.
3. Natural fit. Heroes face trials, receive tidings, win glory—maps cleanly to agent/session/output.
4. Gravitas. When you want programs to feel epic and consequential.
5. Fate vs decree. const as fate (unchangeable) vs let as decree (declared but mutable) is intuitive.

The Case Against Homeric

1. Grandiosity mismatch. "12 labors" for a simple loop may feel overblown.
2. Western-centric. Greek epic tradition is culturally specific.
3. Limited vocabulary. Fewer distinctive terms than Borges or folk.
4. Potentially silly. Heroic language for mundane tasks risks bathos.

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Key Homeric Concepts

Term	Meaning	Used for
Kleos	Glory, fame that outlives you	output → glory
Moira	Fate, one's allotted portion	const → fate
Até	Divine ruin, blindness sent by gods	catch → should ruin come
Nostos	The return journey	(not used, but could be finally)
Xenia	Guest-friendship, hospitality	(not used)
Muse	Divine inspiration	model → muse

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Alternatives Considered

For hero (agent)

Keyword	Rejected because
champion	More medieval than Homeric
warrior	Too martial, not all tasks are battles
wanderer	Too passive

For trial (session)

Keyword	Rejected because
labor	Good but reserved for repeat N labors
quest	More medieval/RPG
task	Too plain

For host (parallel)

Keyword	Rejected because
army	Too specifically martial
fleet	Only works for naval metaphors
phalanx	Too technical

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Verdict

Preserved for benchmarking. The Homeric register offers gravitas and heroic framing. Best suited for:

• Programs that feel like epic undertakings
• Users who enjoy classical references
• Contexts where "glory" as output feels appropriate

May cause unintentional bathos when applied to mundane tasks.