Achilles

Gallery: Who is Achilles?

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

Divine Gifts

Francesco Hayez: Odyssseus at the court of Alcinous Pierre Judet de La Combe in his book Homère (2017) evokes the gifts of the gods which are ambiguous and double-edged. One example he mentions is Demodokos: 62 The herald came near, bringing with him a singer, very trusted, 63 whom the Muse loved exceedingly. She gave him both a good thing and a bad thing. 64 For she took away from… Read more

Book Club | June 2020: Quintus Smyrnaeus Fall of Troy 1–4

… peerless amid all the Amazons unto Troy-town Penthesileia came. To right, to left, from all sides hurrying thronged the Trojans, greatly marvelling, when they saw the tireless War-god’s child, the mailed maid, like to the blessed gods; for in her face glowed beauty glorious and terrible. Her smile was ravishing: beneath her brows, her love-enkindling eyes shone like to stars, and with the crimson rose of shamefastness bright were… Read more