In part 1, we looked at dreams as represented in Homeric epic. In part 2, we continue our exploration with some passages from other texts. Starting with tragedy, we learn from Jean Alaux Lectures Tragiques d’Homère that “According to Jacques Jouanna, there are two types of dreams: the vision-dream which offers the sleeper a symbol to decipher … and the visitation–dream where a god or a messenger or a ghost… Read more
We were excited to welcome back Maria G. Xanthou for an Open House. The full title of the discussion is “The Muse(s)’s “white noise”, sympotic calm, and the taste of sound: the background of sound-scape and the gustatory acoustics of Pindar’s epinician odes.” The event took place on Thursday, February 20 at 11:00 a.m. EST. It was live-streamed and recorded. In preparation, you might like to read this handout (PDF)… Read more
Our next Core Vocab term, taken from terms listed in H24H[1] and tracked in the associated Sourcebook[2] is nomos [νόμος]. Gregory Nagy glosses the word as follows: “nomos, plural nomoi ‘local custom; customary law; law’.” In Eumenides we see Athena changing the old system of vendetta, personified by the Furies or Erinyes, to that of a justice system and trial by jury[3]. The Furies complain (twice): Younger gods, you have ridden down… Read more
We were pleased to welcome back Maša Ćulumović, Fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies, as a guest for a discussion on Pindar’s Poetics of Homecoming. The event took place on Thursday, November 15, at 11:00 a.m. EST, and was recorded. The main focus passages for this discussion are: the whole of Olympian 5 Olympian 1.1–24 Olympian 9.1–20 Pythian 11.1–16 although it might be helpful to read them all in… Read more
Aeacus [Aiakos] while he reigned in Aegina was renowned in all Greece for his justice and piety, and was frequently called upon to settle disputes not only among men, but even among the gods themselves.[1] Whether Aiakos actually settled disputes among the gods themselves is supported by Pindar when referring to the nymph Aegina who “…bore Aeacus [Aiakos], the dearest of all men on earth to the loud-thundering father. Aeacus… Read more