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
Claude Lorrain, The Daughters of Helios Searching for their Brother Phaeton (1658) Montreal Museum of Fine Arts I often go to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts but I did not notice this painting until last month. The painting represents the sisters of Phaeton lamenting for their brother after his tragic death. Different versions may be found about who they are and who is their mother. The painter Claude Lorrain… Read more
Bourdelle, Penelope Penelope is waiting for Odysseus to come back. She is not a widow, Odysseus’ death is unknown. She is not looking for a new husband. Yet, her house is full of suitors. She is not going back to her father to choose a new husband. Her status seems ominous. She is the Queen of the blameless Odysseus who is missing for ten years after the Trojan War. More… Read more
Our next Book Club selections explore the Cretan Lies of Odysseus. Our readings are: Odyssey books 13, 14, and 19, with particular focus on these passages: Athena 13.250–370 Eumaios 14.185–530 Penelope 19.163–348 Olga Levaniouk: Eve of the Festival, Chapter 1 ‘Beginning of the Dialogue: Setting up the Third Cretan Lie’ Classical Inquiries post by Gregory Nagy: A Cretan Odyssey, Part I We will meet for a live conversation via Google+… Read more
The Center for Hellenic Studies is pleased to share Professor Leonard Muellner’s The meaning of Homeric εὔχομαι through its formulas, the 1976 landmark study based on his dissertation. This online publication is open to all and free of charge. Eukhomai had been glossed traditionally as “pray, long for, wish for; vow, promise; boast, brag, vaunt; profess, declare.” Muellner’s approach is to make a systematic analysis of the constraints in which this word is… Read more