In an instant she dropped back, and he, unhappy man, stretching out his arms to hold her and be held, clutched at nothing but the receding air. Dying a second time, now, there was no complaint to her husband (what, then, could she complain of, except that she had been loved?). She spoke a last ‘farewell’ that, now, scarcely reached his ears, and turned again towards that same place
This is such a disheartening line... poor Orpheus.
I beg you, by these fearful places, by this immense abyss, and the silence of your vast realms, reverse Eurydice’s swift death.
I didn't know Persephone had the power to reverse death, that's really interesting.
When Thracian Orpheus, the poet of Rhodope, had mourned for her, greatly, in the upper world, he dared to go down to Styx, through the gate of Taenarus, also, to see if he might not move the dead.
It surprises me that he would go all the way to the underworld to contact his wife again; this seems like an unnatural disturbance of death. This makes me wonder if Eurydice's death was not an accident?
the spirits of weeping infants
For some reason I don't associate infants with the afterlife. I guess it's because they haven't formed any identifiable traits of personality.
Grief and vengeful Care have made their beds, and pallid Sickness lives there, and sad Old Age, and Fear, and persuasive Hunger, and vile Need, forms terrible to look on, and Death and Pain:
This vaguely reminds me of the seven deadly sins as seen in the Christian bible. Although I'm not actually familiarized with the bible, the descriptors/themes sound the same.
funeral pyre
I wasn't sure what this was; apparently a funeral pyre was a structure built for the cremation of deceased bodies.
I next saw great Orion, carrying his indestructible bronze club, driving the phantoms of wild creatures he once killed in the lonely hills over the fields of asphodel.
It's interesting that the great heroes have specific jobs dictated to them by Zeus, and the villains are endlessly tortured. The jobs given to heroes seem very mundane and monotonous; for a hero, the afterlife seems to be underwhelming for the feats they've accomplished. I know Orion is the god of hunting, but it seems like a very lonely way to spend time after death.
And death will come to you far from the sea, the gentlest of deaths, taking you when you are bowed with comfortable old age, and your people prosperous about you. This that I speak to you is the truth.
I'm sure a gentle death was sought over and preferred; many characters' deaths are violent or uncomfortable.
I drew my sharp sword from its sheath, and with it dug a pit two foot square, then poured a libation all around to the dead, first of milk and honey, then of sweet wine, thirdly of water, sprinkled with white barley meal.
I wonder what the significance of this is? Milk and honey seems to be a common theme in our readings.
and the city and country of the Cimmerians, wrapped in cloud and mist. The bright sun never shines down on them with his rays neither by climbing the starry heavens nor turning back again towards earth, but instead dreadful Night looms over a wretched people.
This is a very interesting description; 'instead dreadful Night looms over a wretched people'. This insinuates the ghosts are, in nature, wretched. This enforces what was said in the lecture; following death, people go to different spaces following their death based on their relative goodness in their living state.
So we lit a fire and made an offering, and helped ourselves to the cheese, and sat in the cave eating, waiting for him to return, shepherding his flocks. He arrived bearing a huge weight of dry wood to burn at suppertime, and he flung it down inside the cave with a crash. Gripped by terror we shrank back into a deep corner
This bares a strong resemblance to historical colonialism. It makes me sad to think that they broke his peace and solitude, stealing based on culture that was not reciprocated in understanding.
There a giant spent the night, one that grazed his herds far off, alone, and keeping clear of others, lived in lawless solitude. He was born a monster and a wonder, not like any ordinary human, but like some wooded peak of the high mountains, that stands there isolated to our gaze.’
This is such a sad yet beautiful description of social isolation/solitude.
Wheat, barley, and vines with their richly clustered grapes, grow there without ploughing or sowing, and rain from Zeus makes them flourish.
It's interesting that this lifestyle is looked down upon; I don't see anything immediately problematic with acquiring food without farmland. Despite how much time it likely takes to attain it, I feel as though it would be much more sustainable and respectful.
‘Lady
Small detail but using 'lady' to refer to your wife seems very unintimate?
Husband, this courage of yours dooms you. You show no pity for your little son or your wretched wife, whom you’ll soon make a widow.
It's interesting to see Andromache's perspective on courage and war. Although it was considered to be honorable to fight, in the scenario of death it is disastrous.
white-armed Andromache
I wonder what the meaning of 'white-armed' is? Maybe some association of beauty of purity/innocence?
I began to know what you might be: that was the first ruin of my affections. I saw and I perished! I burnt, not with familiar fires, but as a pine torch might burn before the great gods. And you were handsome, and my fate lured me on
It's interesting how Medea was aware of Jason's negative traits but continued to follow and love him regardless. It speaks to the power of Cupid and Aphrodite, as Medea does not seem to express much love despite her enjoying his company for a long time.
There’s some kind of delight in reproaching your ingratitude for my kindness: I’ll enjoy the only pleasure I’ll have from you.
This line is really strong. It really depicts the anger Medea has for Jason, and the resentment she holds for falling in love with him.
the Sisters who spin mortality’s threads
This must be referring to the three sisters with one eye from the reading; the 'Graeae'. If so, it really provides insight into the power that the three sisters hold.
First I am the son of a man who incurred the guilt of blood, before he married my mother Alcmena, [1260] by slaying her aged father. Now when the foundation is badly laid at birth, it is necessary for the race to be cursed with woe;
This is an interesting concept: his blood being spoiled at birth means his foundation is already integrated with negative tendencies/associations
I weep for you in your changed fortunes.
I know Hera influenced the murderous rage of Heracles, but it seems strange to say the murder of his family is 'changed fortunes'; it seems to understate the significance of what he's done
Why this piteous prelude in addressing me?
it seems that though Theseus is a known hero, he does not have much modesty; calling Amphitryon 'piteous'.
Athenian festival of the Oschophoria
Apparently this was a festival in honour of Dionysus
Sciron was neither a violent man nor a robber, but a chastiser of robbers, and a kinsman and friend of good and just men
It's interesting that Sciron is given more personality; in most heroic instances, their actions are entirely justified on the grounds that the person they kill is defined as 'evil'.
But he, as it would seem, had long since been secretly fired by the glorious valor of Heracles, and made the greatest account of that hero, and was a most eager listener to those who told what manner of man he was, and above all to those who had seen him and been present at some deed or speech of his.
Theseus' desire to prove himself and live up to those he is inspired by really shows his courageous character
Ascanius was succeeded by his son Silvius, who by some chance had been born in the forest
That's a strange place to be born. I wonder if it has any significance?
From the first he had felt anything but pleasure at the rise of the new city,
I wonder why he would dislike the creation of the Trojan state?
From this point there is a twofold tradition. According to the one, Latinus was defeated in battle, and made peace with Aeneas, and subsequently a family alliance. According to the other, whilst the two armies were standing ready to engage and waiting for the signal, Latinus advanced in front of his lines and invited the leader of the strangers to a conference. He inquired of him what manner of men they were, whence they came, what had happened to make them leave their homes, what were they in quest of when they landed in Latinus’ territory. When he heard that the men were Trojans, that their leader was Aeneas, the son of Anchises and Venus, that their city had been burnt, and that the homeless exiles were now looking for a place to settle in and build a city, he was so struck with the noble bearing of the men and their leader, and their readiness to accept alike either peace or war, that he gave his right hand as a solemn pledge of friendship for the future
I wonder which one tradition derived from Indigenous historical view and which one derived from foreign views?
Minerva’s desecrated shrine, will destroy Agamemnon’s Mycenae
It's interesting that although Minerva's shrine has been desecrated it still has power; this alludes to the idea that the gods have overwhelming power.
posterity says of his actions: his love of country will prevail, and great appetite for glory
This shows how important nationalism and glory/honor was important to Roman culture
I’ve fixed no limits or duration to their possessions: I’ve given them empire without end.
I find it interesting how this is a characteristic so closely associated to humanity itself it is important to recognize in creation. The concept of limitless greed or capacity to progress.
And when the babe was born he pierced the child’s ankles with brooches
I was curious as to the significance of the brooches; apparently they were used to prevent Laius from crawling(?)
Dionysus came to Argos, and there again, because they did not honor him, he drove the women mad, and they on the mountains devoured the flesh of the infants whom they carried at their breasts
This portrays the violent aspects associated with Dionysus and his trickster personality. I tend to associate more bothersome and annoying rather than violent traits with tricksters, so this was interesting to read
a dragon
I didn't realize dragons were apart of Greek and Roman mythology as well!
Now this… “beast” was quite tame with me, my Lord . Never shook his legs or anything, trying to escape, like, but gave his hands to me without the slightest hesitation. He didn’t become pale or lose the deep blush of his cheeks. He just let himself be taken easily, laughed even and wondered where we’d be taking him.
This really shows Dionysus' charismatic personality
So, to these Theban women, I’ve delivered a little bit of madness. Made them leave their house and rush off all in a rage to the mountains where they now live. I’ve made them wear the dress of my rites and ceremonies and tore the logic out of their minds. The whole female population of Thebes. Then, I’ve sent them off to the mountains to live with Kadmos’ daughters, my mother’s sisters, among the wild beasts, in a wild forest, beneath the wild firs and rocks, without roof nor shelter over their heads.
This description of Dionysus' trickery seems to entail more chaos and madness than I had expected; for some reason, I thought tricksters shared similarities with jesters (the majority of their trickery is relatively harmless, and can be enjoyed at the expense of others). This, however, seems much more harsh and brutal than my previous expectations.
I can see my mother’s tomb back there, near the royal palace. Struck dead by Zeus’ flame… and there! The smoke still raises from the ruins of her house, a potent sign that Hera’s savage anger towards my mother will never be quenched.
It's sad to think that Zeus frequently lures his partners with no regard for their wellbeing (or those associated to his partner) when he lies with them. It surprises me Zeus doesn't put forth any method of protection to those he has relations with.
Then with gold all Delos [was laden, beholding the child of Zeus and Leto, for joy because the god chose her above the islands and shore to make his dwelling in her: and she loved him yet more in her heart.] blossomed as does a mountain-top with woodland flowers.
This description of Delos is beautiful.
necklace strung with golden threads, nine cubits long.
I wonder if the nine cubits is significant to something? It seems oddly specific.
But Leto alone stays by the side of Zeus who delights in thunder; and then she unstrings his bow, and closes his quiver, and takes his archery from his strong shoulders in her hands and hangs them on a golden peg against a pillar of his father’s house. Then she leads him to a seat and makes him sit: [10] and the Father gives him nectar in a golden cup welcoming his dear son, while the other gods make him sit down there, and queenly Leto rejoices because she bare a mighty son and an archer.
What a noticeable difference between the treatment of Apollo and the treatment of Ares. It is really evident that Ares is hated by the majority of Gods/Olympians.
There the thrust landed, tearing the flesh, and Diomedes wrenched it free again. Then brazen Ares bellowed as loud as ten thousand warriors shout in battle, when they meet in the war-god’s shadow. The Greeks and Trojans trembled with fear at insatiable Ares’ cry.
I think this is the one part of the poem where Ares is portrayed as a god of war (in relation to his scream), however he doesn't seem to have legitimately strong war tactics or strength in battle in comparison to Athena
She struck the angry Ares on the neck, and knocked him down, with a clash of armour, and he lay stretched out over an acre of ground, his hair in the dust, Pallas Athene laughed in triumph: ‘You have still not learnt to know my strength: it’s greater than yours, you fool, if you try and match it with mine.
It surprises me that Ares is so weak in comparison to Athena considering he's supposed to be the god of war; in this poem he doesn't have much strength, and doesn't seem to actually enjoy war very much.
‘Don’t come here to whine, you backslider. Strife, conflict, and war are all you care for, so much so that I loathe you more than all the other Olympians. You share your mother Hera’s intolerable, headstrong spirit; she too will scarcely obey my word.
Jeez. That's a harsh thing to say to your child that's literally bleeding from being stabbed right in front of you...
As for mine, he’s bent and bowed with arthritis, and scarcely ever pays homage to my charms. I’m forever massaging his twisted and frozen fingers, and soiling these delicate hands of mine with his odious fomentations, sordid bandages, and fetid poultices. Instead of playing the role of a normal wife, I’m burdened with playing his doctor.
I think it would be difficult for anyone to not feel any sort of resentment in this situation. I feel sympathetic for her; I think it's unfair to call her a 'wicked sister' if she spends so much time taking care of her sickly husband.
The story had spread far and wide, and her elder sisters learning of all that had occurred, abandoned their own homes, and sorrowing and lamenting, vied with each other in bringing solace to their parents.
The one difference between Cinderella's stepsisters and Psyche's sisters is they have no malicious intent towards her beauty. After her supposed 'death', they genuinely seem to be mournful, despite the obvious possibility of jealousy.
Psyche, for all her conspicuous beauty, reaped no profit from her charms. Gazed at by all, praised by all, no one, neither prince nor commoner, wishing to marry her, sought her hand. They admired her divine beauty of course, but as we admire a perfectly finished statue.
This is a really interesting concept. I find in most stories the most beautiful accumulates the most adoration and attempts to acquire his/her love, but this implies that being too beautiful will result in loneliness.
driven to divide my imperial honours with a lowly human! Is my name, established in heaven, to be traduced by earthly pollution? Am I to suffer the vagaries of vicarious reverence, a share in the worship of my divinity? Is a girl, destined to die, to tread the earth in my likeness?
I know she's the god of beauty and love but this seems awfully vain and egotistical. Then again, I think most of the gods we've read about seem to share a lowly opinion of humanity, and don't like to be compared to it.
Meantime the red blood floated in a pool about his navel, his breast took on the purple that came of his thighs, and the paps thereof that had been as the snow waxed now incarnadine.
This is.... less beautiful than the initial description of him dying.
the rivers weep the sorrows of Aphrodite, the wells of the mountains shed tears for Adonis; the flowerets flush red for grief, and Cythera’s isle over every foothill and every glen of it sings
It's interesting that even the land is mourning Adonis' death. It suggests a deeper connection between Aphrodite and her birthplace.
his thigh pierced with the tusk, the white with the white, and Cypris is sore vexed at the gentle passing of his breath; for the red blood drips down his snow-white flesh, and the eyes beneath his brow wax dim; the rose departs from his lip, and the kiss that Cypris shall never have so again, that kiss dies upon it and is gone
This is a really beautiful description for something so violent and horrifying. It's interesting how Adonis is portrayed as beautiful, even in death.
if Zeus had not noticed with his mind, taking thought in his heart
It seems that Zeus only shows genuine emotion and sympathy when something is at stake for him.
Ignorant humans! Heedless, unable to recognize in advance the difference between future good fortune [aisa] and future bad. In your heedlessness, you have made a big mistake, a mistake without remedy.
This seems like a really harsh response... if my child was literally sitting in a pit of fire I probably wouldn't act rationally or let my child burn. Maybe this is an example of how the gods cannot properly relate to or comprehend mortal behaviour?
looking like an old woman who had lived through many years and who is deprived of giving birth and of the gifts of Aphrodite
This makes me wonder if women who were naturally infertile at a young age were shunned because they had not been 'blessed' by Aphrodite?
Prometheus Yes, I’ve made it so that humans cannot foresee their own death. 250 Chorus What sort of medicine did you use for this? Prometheus I have filled their hearts with blind hopes.
Blind hopes as a 'medicine' for the fear of death is such a beautiful bittersweet idea.
And now drive this gruesome steel wedge straight through his chest.
That's such dark and violent imagery. I feel like it's a little bit overkill, considering they already shackled his arms so tight he can't move; maybe it's symbolism of Hephaistos' sympathy for his family/relative?
You, Prometheus! You, with your high morals! You, son of wise Themis!
I can't tell if Hephaistos' is accusatory or angry in this verse, however it would be interesting if he were. It would show an equal dislike of the mortals by not only Zeus, but other Olympian gods as well.
noos
I wasn't sure what this meant but apparently it is the rational part of oneself and can be compared directly to the mind.
how Prometheus had told him never to accept a gift [dōron] from Zeus the Olympian, but to send it right back, lest an evil thing happen to mortals.
It's disheartening that Zeus had such little regard and such dislike of mortals that Prometheus had to warn him to never accept a gift from Zeus, because he knew it would have a negative effect on mortals.
Pallas Athena placed on her skin every manner of ornament [kosmos].
I wonder what ornament means in this context? Apparently Athena clothed her and taught her to be deft with her hands. If it's referring to her clothes, that's actually a really beautiful way of portraying the act of Athena clothing Pandora.
But the good son of Iapetos cheated him, and stole the far-seen splendor of untiring fire in a hollow fennel-stalk; but it stung High-thundering Zeus to his heart’s core, and incensed his spirit, when he saw the radiance of fire conspicuous among men.
Prometheus seems like such a kind and benevolent Olympian/god; I feel sympathetic towards him because he was just attempting to help the living conditions of the mortals.
From her is the race of tender women. For from her is a pernicious race.
This is such a dark and depressing concept to me; that women were seen as a troublesome and harmful race separate and inferior to men. Not to mention the idea that if a woman dresses herself in a pretty manner she is conniving and deceitful.
Thus spoke in his wrath Zeus knowing imperishable counsels: from that time forward, ever mindful of the fraud, he did not give the strength of untiring fire to wretched mortal men, who dwell upon the earth.
I know Zeus is selfish and quite often not the best leader, but it seems incredibly unforgiving to take fire away from the mortals for Prometheus' mistakes.
And of Amphitrite and the loud-roaring Earth-Shaker was born great, wide-ruling Triton, and he owns the depths of the sea, living with his dear mother and the lord his father in their golden house, an awful god. [933] Also Cytherea bare to Ares the shield-piercer Panic and Fear, terrible gods who drive in disorder the close ranks of men in numbing war,
I like how the gods not only represented the pleasant things in life, but also the unpleasant things such as Panic and Fear. I wonder if the gods associated with more negative connotations were worshipped with as much reverence as other gods, or if they were worshipped at all?
Zeus who holds the aegis
I wasn't sure what this was but apparently it was a shield Zeus carried which technically was an animal skin that the gods would wear for extra protection. He often lent the aegis to Athena.
Lastly, he made Hera his blooming wife: and she was joined in love with the king of gods and men, and brought forth Hebe and Ares and Eileithyia.
I've heard that Zeus had numerous wives before but I wasn't expecting the number to be so high.
. There, seeing the monster sore wounded, he grappled with him. But Typhon twined about him and gripped him in his coils, and wresting the sickle from him severed the sinews of his hands and feet, and lifting him on his shoulders carried him through the sea to Cilicia (Links to an external site.) and deposited him on arrival in the Corycian cave. Likewise he put away the sinews there also, hidden in a bearskin, and he set to guard them the she-dragon Delphyne, who was a half-bestial maiden. But Hermes and Aegipan stole the sinews and fitted them unobserved to Zeus
This really shows the otherworldly power that the gods possess; parts of their body can be cut apart and they still have the ability to be revived.
And the Fates, fighting with brazer clubs, killed Agrius and Thoas.
I find it surprising that the Fates participated in the carnage. I thought of them more as law makers rather than warriors.
In size and strength he surpassed all the offspring of Earth. As far as the thighs he was of human shape and of such prodigious bulk that he out-topped all the mountains, and his head often brushed the stars. One of his hands reached out to the west and the other to the east, and from them projected a hundred dragons’ heads. From the thighs downward he had huge coils of vipers, which when drawn out, reached to his very head and emitted a loud hissing. His body was all winged12 (Links to an external site.):unkempt hair streamed on the wind from his head and cheeks; and fire flashed from his eyes.
This is such interesting imagery; I wonder how snakes were thought of in Greek and Roman culture. Whenever there is a villain or beast it frequently is associated (or shares body parts) with some sort of reptile.
The world’s maker did not allow these, either, to possess the air indiscriminately; as it is they are scarcely prevented from tearing the world apart, each with its blasts steering a separate course:
This shows that he had a mindfulness towards the survival of mortals. He was aware of danger and his own power over the land, and wanted to create a safe, stable environment.
Though there was land and sea and air, it was unstable land, unswimmable water, air needing light. Nothing retained its shape, one thing obstructed another, because in the one body, cold fought with heat, moist with dry, soft with hard, and weight with weightless things.
This really gives perspective to how bleak and chaotic the land was without gods. It gives a greater purpose and need for them to coexist with Earth in order to provide a more stable world.
And the Nymphs nurtured the child on a mixture of honey and milk and gave him upbringing at the udder of the goat which was named Amaltheia
The connectivity between nature and birth throughout this poem is really interesting. Greek and Roman culture/mythology seems to have an strong reverence and appreciation for nature and Earth.
The god, they say, wishing to preserve an immortal memorial of his close association with the bees, changed the colour of them, making it like copper with the gleam of gold, and since the region lay at a very great altitude, where fierce winds blew about it and heavy snows fell, he made the bees insensible to such things and unaffected by them, since they must range over the most wintry stretches.
This is really sweet. I think it gives him a personalty trait which associates him closer with humanity; like mortals, he can show affection for insects he likes.
not by overcoming his father with violence, but in the manner prescribed by custom
I find this to be a pretty interesting take; frequently real life is relatively boring, and I think this perfectly describes how Zeus would acquire kingship realistically. Sometimes history is rewritten to be much more fantastical and dramatic than how it actually occurred, which makes me wonder: how much of history is rewritten to suit a personal bias or preference?
Then forth stepped an awesome, beauteous goddess; and beneath her delicate feet the grass throve around: 195 gods and men name her Aphrodite, the foam-sprung goddess,
This is such a gorgeous description of Aphrodite; it's easy to imagine her as the god of love and beauty.
155 they were the fiercest, and were hated by their father from the very first: as soon as any of these was born, he would hide them all, and not send them up to the light, in a cave of the earth, and Sky exulted over the work of mischief, while huge Earth groaned from within
It seems counter intuitive to me to deliberately bring beings into existence with an immediate dislike for their features. It's a very strange perspective to try and comprehend.
Then houses were first made for shelter: before that homes had been made in caves, and dense thickets, or under branches fastened with bark.
I find it fascinating that houses were not considered to be a man made construction, but a creation made by Jupiter.
poetry slam with other epic poets, in front of an audience, for a prize.
It's interesting to picture slam poetry in the setting of Ancient Greece; for some reason I associate slam poetry closely with modernity.
a sickle with jagged teeth
I found the addition of 'with jagged teeth' to the first description of the sickle interesting; it suggests much more malicious, violent intent than initially proposed.