Our previous Core Vocab discussion centered on alēthēs (adjective) ‘true, true things’; alētheia (noun) ‘truth’, and we had considered how this word can also be thought of as “being not mentally disconnected.”[1] So this month we will consider another ‘disconnected’ word: nēpios, plural nēpioi. In the Core Vocab, the definition is given as “‘disconnected’ (the disconnection can be mental, moral, or emotional).”[2] In this first example of the word, the… Read more
Melpomene, Muse of Tragedy, Louvre I have been reading The Death of Tragedy by George Steiner (available on Kobo). At the beginning of his book, Steiner writes: The Iliad is the root of Tragedy The life of a hero is short Murders inhuman and cruel actions occur The disappearance of Troy The Fall The destruction The vulnerability of men Fatality Men are powerless in front of gods It all ends badly… In… Read more
We were pleased to welcome actor, writer, and educator Paul O’Mahony for an Open House discussion on ‘The Power of Performance: Mythology and Outreach Today’. He introduces the topic as follows: I would like to talk about our reception of classical texts and our approaches to performance—finding new and exciting ways to re-imagine them. I will use my own experience both creating and watching various shows (both tragic and comic).… Read more
We are pleased to share the following video about ancient Greek meter, featuring Professor Leonard Muellner. In this video, Muellner describes the basic rules of prosody, with a focus on dactylic hexameter, the meter of Homeric epic, and iambic trimeter, a meter used in ancient Greek tragedy. This presentation is accessible to those just beginning to learn about ancient Greek. Members can post your comments, questions and perhaps take a… Read more
Come, take the Dorian lyre down from its peg, if the splendor of Pisa and of Pherenicus placed your mind under the influence of sweetest thoughts, when that horse ran swiftly beside the Alpheus, not needing to be spurred on in the race, and brought victory to his master, the king of Syracuse who delights in horses.[1] Dear readers, The Hour 25 Book Club will host a discussion on Pindar… Read more