Louise Marie-Jeanne Hersent: Daphnis et Chloe 19th century For the young and innocent Daphnis and Chloe, the first stirrings of love and desire are uncomfortable experiences: Hearing the name of Eros for the first time soothed the pain in their souls [psūkhē]. At night, they returned to the folds and began comparing their own experiences with what they had heard from Philetas. “Those in love [erân] are in pain [algeîn].… Read more
I was hunting on the island of Lesbos when I saw the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in the grove of the Nymphs. It was a story about Eros. The grove was a beautiful place, abounding in trees and flowers. Streams of water gushed down, flowing from the same spring that nourished the trees and flowers. But I found more pleasure in the painting, instilled as it was… Read more
I was familiar with some of the longer Homeric Hymns, which are available in the Text Library in translations by Gregory Nagy[1], but I had not previously paid much attention to the shorter Homeric Hymns. Gregory Nagy, in “The Earliest Phases in the Reception of the Homeric Hymns,”[2] has explained that the setting for the Homeric Hymns were festivals; and that they started with a prooemium. He also points out… Read more
Should anyone here not know the art of love, read this, and learn by reading how to love. By art the boat’s set gliding, with oar and sail, by art the chariot’s swift: love’s ruled by art. Inspired by Valentine’s Day, our selection this month is The Art of Love, or Ars Amatoria, by the Roman poet Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso). As always, you can read any translation you like.… Read more
We were pleased to welcome Armand D’Angour, Associate Professor of Classics at Oxford and Fellow and Tutor at Jesus College, Oxford, for a discussion about Socrates and Aspasia of Miletus, which is the subject of his forthcoming book. The event took place on Thursday, February 14 2019 at 11 a.m. EST, and was recorded. Focus passages for this discussion are available in this PDF handout: Socrates in Love Passages and… Read more