CHS Greece A guest post by Janet M. Ozsolak I had the opportunity to travel to Greece with Harvard Alumni Association’s travel-study program which was led by Gregory Nagy. I came back with great memories. The first leg of the travel-study program focused on Nafplio and its environs, namely Argos and Mycenae. Nafplio was the capital of the First Hellenic Republic and of the Kingdom of Greece, from the start… Read more
Image 1: Minoan larnax c 14th–12th century BCE In the discussion forum, we observed that Doric and Mycenaean elements came back quite openly in the geometric art of the Homeric age. The decorative band of alternating “triglyphs” [τρίγλυφος] and “metopes” [μετόπη] on the sides of the Middle Geometric kraters were recognized as a memory of the wooden constructions in ancient Doric temples. In a similar way the Mycenaean elements… Read more
We were pleased to welcome Joel Christensen (University of Texas at San Antonio/Brandeis University) for a discussion about ancient Greek proverbs, which was recorded. Joel Christensen prepared several blog posts for us to focus on. Paroimiai: Proverbs from Ancient Greece to Star Trek A Selection of Proverbs “Two Ears, One Mouth”: Hunting a Proverb from Zeno to Paul’s Mom Marcellus Rests from the Arian Heresy to Complain about Greek Proverbs… Read more
Mixing bowl (volute krater)Museum of Fine Arts of BostonAccession Number 03.804 He is one of those bit players in Homer who are so unforgettable. Caustic, repulsive, and comedic all at the same time, Thersites has always been the source of controversy. Who was he? And was he intended to be dangerously insurrectionist or only entertaining? It is an often overlooked aspect of the Thersites story that he was said by post-Homeric… Read more
A guest post by Sarah Scott I have become interested in the role of the herald. Does this carry a special status and have particular responsibilities? Is a herald the same as a messenger, or do they have separate functions? They are different words in Greek, κῆρυξ, plural κήρυκες, dual κήρυκε [kērux, kērukes, keruke], and ἄγγελος plural ἄγγελοι [angelos, angeloi]. Here are a few examples to start the conversation. But Agamemnon did not… Read more