Homer

Video

Dialogues | Justice, Palm Trees, and the Transition to Prose

In this episode, Gregory Nagy and Keith Stone respond to comments and questions from the community about the relationships between: poetry and prose, Homeric and Hesiodic traditions, justice and vegetal images In particular they discuss an Attic red-figure column-krater (c. 450 BCE) that features Apollo, Artemis, and a sacred palm tree. Image: (from left to right) Artemis holding an oinochoe; Apollo holding a laurel branch and a phiale, about to… Read more

Topic for Discussion,  Travel

Aphaia’s Temple in Aegina

  To visit Greece is an experience filled with emotions. Long ago, I traveled to the beautiful island of Aegina. The isle is in the Saronic Gulf, not far from Athens. The vision of the temple of Aphaia is amazing. I dedicate this post to Myrmidon, who is our talented Friday Café host, because the island of Aegina is where Myrmidons liked to train. According to Hesiod (Hesiod F 205… Read more

Topic for Discussion

Exploring Bread

The point tore through the ambrosial robe which the Graces had woven for her [=Aphrodite], and pierced the skin between her wrist and the palm of her [=Aphrodite’s] hand, so that the immortal blood,[340] or ikhōr, that flows in the veins of the blessed gods, came pouring from the wound; for the gods do not eat bread nor drink wine, hence they have no blood such as ours, and are immortal.… Read more

Topic for Discussion

Helen

  Finding Helen in texts is frustrating. Many contradictory facts may be encountered. Who was Helen? What about her life, her power, her birth, her beauty? Was she hated or was she loved? If we were to write a short biography, it might read like this: Helen was the daughter of Leda and Tyndareus/Zeus, and Clytemnestra, Castor and Polydeuces’ sister. Penelope was her cousin. She married Menelaos king of Sparta,… Read more

Texts,  Topic for Discussion

Errant Brothers

A guest post by Sarah Scott I was reading Gregory Nagy’s translation of the Sappho ‘Brothers’ poem, and it made me think of Works and Days, and then I got to wondering about brothers—or sisters for that matter. I do not mean those who form a pair, as in the ‘twin’ myths discussed with us by Douglas Frame for example, where the two are complementary. Rather, I mean those siblings… Read more