A priestess, a woman with magical powers, a mother, a lover, a woman abandoned by her husband, and a murderer. There are many faces of Medea. Being a priestess of Hecate, Medea has knowledge of magic and witchcraft. Medea boiling the ram before Pelias She will use this knowledge against her enemies. |395 By that mistress whom I revere before all others and have chosen to share my task, Hekate… Read more
We are pleased to share this video interview with Joel Christensen, of Brandeis University, in which he talks about his experiences in teaching ancient Greek and Classics. You can watch the video in the frame below, or on our YouTube channel. Related topics Interview | Teaching and learning Greek, with Suzanne Lye Interview | Teaching and learning Latin, with Bettina Joy de Guzman Beyond Translation: Decoding Ancient Greek Dictionary Entries,… Read more
To tie in with this month’s Book Club readings which include the Epinician Odes of Bacchylides, this Gallery features some ancient Greek artworks featuring the kinds of athletic contests celebrated in the poems. These contests seem to have been a favorite subject in the visual as well as the verbal arts from the earliest periods. Chariot race According to Britannica “From four to six chariots competed in a single race, normally… Read more
Silence is no ornament for a successful man. With remembrance of fine deeds a man will also sing the gracious recompense made by the honey-voiced Cean nightingale. Bacchylides Epinician Ode 3, translated by Diane Arnson Svarlien This month we are reading poems of Bacchylides. According to the General Introduction to Jebb’s edition, Bacchylides was born in Ioulis (Khora) on the Cycladian island of Ceos (Kea), probably around 512–505 BCE, and… Read more
In part 1 of this series on trees and wood, I found examples of their being used for practical purposes in Homer and Hesiod, and a more detailed analysis by Theophrastus and others in part 2. I also found that Homer and Hesiod also include references to myths, rituals, and sacred spaces associated with trees and wood, including nymphs, so for part 3, this current post, I looked for further… Read more