Hold it right there. Tell me this, Ion—respond to what I ask without concealment. When you say well the epic verses and induce a feeling of bedazzlement [ekplēxis] for the spectators [theōmenoi] —as you sing of Odysseus leaping onto the threshold and revealing himself to the suitors and pouring out the arrows at his feet, or of Achilles rushing at Hector, or something connected to the pitiful things about Andromache… Read more
The April Book Club selection features Xenophon’s Apology of Socrates. Join in by reading this month’s Book Club selection, a short text by Xenophon about Socrates. The hangout discussion will be on Tuesday, April 25 at 11 a.m. EDT. It might be interesting to compare Xenophon’s view with Plato’s, who also wrote an Apology of Socrates (which you can find in the Sourcebook.) You can read any translation you like.… Read more
Temple of Hephaistos A guest post by Janet M. Ozsolak The Agora in Athens is one of the sites I visited as a part of the study-travel group in June 2016. The group was led by Gregory Nagy. Walking on the Panathenaic Way, seeing the Temple of Hephaistos, the water clock, the prison on the Marble-Workers Street and visiting the museum were some of the highlights for me. Agorā is… Read more
In this Gallery, you will see some familiar people from the past. Writers, heroes, politicians, philosophers, among them: Pittacus, Epicurus, Socrates, Pericles, Alexander the Great, Cesar, Augustus… Are also present Zeus and his wife Hera (or Juno), Medusa, and don’t be scared to look at her… If you want to know more about these famous people, Plutarch wrote many biographies. Among them, he offers a long, and beautiful physical description… Read more
Jacques-Louis David, “The Death of Socrates”(1787), Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons Many community members have been reading Gregory Nagy’s “The Last Words of Socrates in the Place Where He Died” on Classical Inquiries. In that post he explores the meaning of sacrificing a rooster to Asklepios. We are happy to share a curated selection of resources designed to help readers explore this topic in greater depth and make new connections. Primary Texts… Read more