Translation and notes by Jack Vaughan In this passage by Nonnos, Ariadne has been deserted on Naxos by the hero Theseus. As she lies on the lonely shore sleeping, she is discovered by the god Dionysus who transfigures the human woman into the goddess that defines Ariadne. 265 Bacchus [=Dionysus] now leaving Ilissos’ honey-sweet watercourse [in Attica], comes in joyous procession with his reveling troop to the vine-clad island of… Read more
Two groups of high school students, one in Greece and the other in the United States, performed a selection of Sophocles’ Antigone, then met via Google+ Hangout to discuss their experiences of learning and staging this ancient tragedy. The selected passage (lines 441–581) focuses on the highly charged moment when Creon first confronts his niece, Antigone, and accuses her of burying her brother, Polyneices, against his decree. Performances Antigone Performance:… Read more
~ A guest post by Laura Ford ~ The ancients seem to have had as many questions about Homer as we moderns do. At the end of the Apology, Plato has Socrates wonder aloud how marvelous it would be if we could anticipate actually meeting and conversing with Homer (along with Orpheus, Musaeus, and Hesiod) in the afterlife: “…if this be true, let me die again and again.” (41a, Sourcebook).… Read more
Zeus (200 CE) British Museum Greek Mythology has influenced both literature and arts. The Minotaur, Μῑνώταυρος, and Ariadne have inspired artists. The Minotaur was killed by Theseus who was helped by Ariadne. This description from a glossary to Philostratus on Heroes tells us more about him. Theseus Athenian hero, son of Aigeus or Poseidon and eventually a king of Athens. The legends surrounding Theseus include numerous labors in Attica, partly influenced by… Read more
Jacques-Louis David, “The Death of Socrates”(1787), Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons Many community members have been reading Gregory Nagy’s “The Last Words of Socrates in the Place Where He Died” on Classical Inquiries. In that post he explores the meaning of sacrificing a rooster to Asklepios. We are happy to share a curated selection of resources designed to help readers explore this topic in greater depth and make new connections. Primary Texts… Read more