Mycenaean gold When we see the golden artefacts found in the Grave Circles A and B at Mycenae and the so-called “treasure of Priam,” it shows an incredible abundance of gold, silver and bronze in the Mycenaean period. Even in Homeric poetry we have the mention of “Mycenae rich in gold” [polúkhrusos][1], and there are references various metals in Homeric and Hesiodic poetry: silver, gold, iron, along with copper and… Read more
A few thoughts about Orpheus, Musaeus and other poets. It is striking to see the order in which Plato in the Apology of Socrates enumerates four Greek poets, heroes, who were part of his literary or oral poetry or musical references, and with whom Socrates would like to engage in conversation [logos] in Hades. Who wouldn’t? If, when someone arrives in the world of Hādēs, he… finds…demigods [hēmi-theoi] who were… Read more
Semele and Selene, one was born a mortal and the other a goddess. Both have enchanting and melodious names in ancient Greek with the same type of resonance. No wonder we sometimes confuse one for the other. However their stories are very dissimilar and poles apart. Selene – also known as Menē in Pindar1 and in the Hymn to Selene2 – is a goddess and spends her days driving her… Read more
Last time we looked at food and drink for health and well-being. This time we look at less salubrious examples of eating and drinking, many of which have disastrous consequences. Kronos, having usurped his own father, did not want the same thing to happen to him. Rhea too, embraced by Kronos, bore renowned children, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera of-the-golden-sandals, 455 and mighty Hādēs, who inhabits halls beneath the earth, having… Read more
Who really is Achilles? Is he just the son of lovely-haired Thetis who lets him be raised by Cheiron the Centaur, but comes to console and help him when he is devastated and even tried to hide him at the court of the King Lycomedes so that Achilles would not fight at Troy. Is he just an angry and violent young man with a rage that goes beyond reason? Is… Read more