“I am ancient Wainamoinen,Friend and fellow of the waters,I, the famous wisdom- singer;went to woo a Northland maiden,Maiden from the dismal Darkland,Quickly galloped on my journey,Riding on the plain of ocean.I arrived one morning early,At the breaking of the day-dawn.” In March, we continue to read the epic, The Kalevala, from Rune 6 to the end of Rune 15. The gathering will take place on March 18, 2026 at 1:00 p.m.… Read more
We are delighted to share a series of Office Hours video discussions with Professor Gregory Nagy, Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek Literature and Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University. In these videos, the ordeals of becoming a hero are explored through the greatest works of Ancient Greek literature. In these ‘Ancient Greek Heroes’ Office Hours videos, Gregory Nagy and his colleagues provide additional explanations about the content and… Read more
When Pindar says “Water is best, (ἄριστον μὲν ὕδωρ) and gold, like a blazing fire in the night, stands out supreme of all lordly wealth” in Olympian 1, he is not wrong. Life happens around water. It is hard to find an example that water is not present in our daily lives. Water cleans, nourishes, and heals. Who wouldn’t enjoy a nice bath? How about the ancient Greeks? In this… Read more
In February, the Book Club will be reading, The Kalevala, the epic poem of Finland, translated by John Martin Crawford. The first meeting will cover starting from the proem to the end of Rune V. “Mastered by desire impulsive By a mighty inward urging, I am ready now for singing, Ready to begin the chanting Of our nation’s ancient folk song Handed down from by-gone ages.” You can find the… Read more
Some say that the Phaeacians built ships which moved with the swiftness of a raptor [irēx].[1] Their ships fly over water propelled by well-fitted oars [euēra eretma] that are like wings [ptera] for ships.[2] Some say Odysseus is next in line for breaking speed records with his ships that qualify as fast-sailing [ōkualos nēus].[3] Some say the fastest ships were the Iliadic ships that qualified as “swift” [thoos].[4] These are… Read more