Pyanepsion updates

A while ago, I decided that on the day of the Hene kai Nea, I'd post a monthly update about things that happened on the blog. Tomorrow, however, I have an Atlantis recap planned, last night I had a party, and in a few minutes I will leave for the cinema to watch the new Thor movie and won't be back until late. I decided that Hene kai Nea came a day early this month.

Changes to the blog:

• I have updated my Google festival calendar up 'till the new Hellenic year per ancient Athens--which is June 28, 2014.
• The Hellenic Terminology Page was updated with the latest terms.
• I have started recapping the BBC Series Atlantis and it has its own page, also linked in the left hand side of the blog, under 'Series', labeled 'Atlantis Recaps', with episode summaries and links to the recaps. Check in mondays for 11 more weeks for new ones.
• The 'Labours of Herakles' series now also has its own page where all of them can be easily found.
• It was a slow month, festival wise, so there were only reminders. In this case, for the Proerosia, the Pyanepsia, and the Thesmophoria.
• The last month, the Pagan Blog Project Posts were on: Unpopular Gods, Uniting Hellenic Polytheists, Virtues of women, and Virtues of men.

Statistics:

• In this month, the blog hit 96.000 views, not counting the views on PaganSquare, which means that next month it'll hit 100.000 and that is bloody huge!
• A little less than 12.000 of those hits happened in the last month
• The top five most popular posts were: PBP: Symbols of Hellenismos (273), "Atlantis" recap (1.02): A Girl By Any Other Name (214), "Atlantis" recap (1.01): The Earth Bull (152), The myth of Atlantis (148), and PBP: Virtues of women (135)

Anything else?

Pandora's Kharis, a charity circle for and by Hellenistic Polytheists, was launched this month and the way it's looking now, we'll have about 110,- dollars to send to Médicins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders). It's not exactly a fortune yet, but there is always next month! I am very thankful for everyone who donated; the actual amount is higher, obviously, but PayPal does take its cut. Would you like to help? Join us on Facebook!

Have a wonderful end of the old month/start of the new, and join me tomorrow for Atlantis!
 

• Sunday, November 3, 2013
  Elaion Pandora's Kharis

On the God graveyard

There is nothing that can light a fire under the Pagan community faster than someone non-Pagan saying or doing something that puts our beloved Gods in a negative light. In general, it's a huge overreaction on our part, coupled with a some stupidity and/or ignorance on the part of the offending party and I can brush off the affair without comment. For the last few days a stunt pulled by the AHA Wisconsin has been going viral. The group has created a graveyard filled with (paper) tombstones with names, images, year of birth, year of death, and a short description of many popular Pagan and Non-Pagan Gods. This time, I am starting to think that some of the indignation is warranted.

I've been trying to decide what I think about this. In general, I don't get offended by the misconceptions of others; it is the right of this group of non-believers to put that opinion out there. In the way that this park might be used for a nice Mabon celebration or a Pagan study group gathering, it is now being used to promote the views of another student group. That said, these are--at least in part--my Gods. I worship or used to worship these Gods on a regular basis. The religiously proud part of me is screaming it's head off inside my chest, hoping to take a shovel to these irreverent displays. Not that I will--or could--but still; I feel protective of the deities displayed here, even though They are very capable of taking care of something like this Themselves, should They feel so inclined.

I've been trying to retrace the thought process behind this campaign for the better part of 48 hours. The accompanying signs of the AHA read: "JOIN US. Question everything." and "GOD GRAVEYARD. Here lie the graves of thousands of dead gods. Once worshiped by entire civilizations, now only myths. How much longer will the gods of today last?"

There is a fair point in there if you skip over modern reconstructive, revivalist, and Neo-Pagan movements entirely: while a good portion of the Gods remembered in that graveyard can't actually die, their civilizations did. While we still worship the Gods and They are most certainly not dead, Their worship has changed to the point of a fringe religion. A religion none the less, but nowhere near the religion it was.

In a way, the display tries to raise questions about the validity of faith if Traditions within it are allowed to die out and question if--if religion is tied to civilizations--we will reach a point where faith is no longer an inherent part of our civilization. Sad to say, I am guessing if this was the true thought train that led to this display, because unlike blog posts about other events like a 'heathen' (non-Christian, not Asatru specifically) stoning-by-waterballoons for a good cause, this one was not accompanied by text explaining why the group undertook this type of action. I'm wondering if this is because the group thought no one would be offended? From that heathen stoning blog post, written by Amanda Supak, AHA Co-Volunteer Officer:

"It's always hard to tell how people will receive your message before you do an event.  I was concerned that people would be mad that we were "taking the bible out of context" or that our "blasphemy awareness was too blasphemous." Of course it was all in good fun, but I can't help but be worried that I will offend people when we make events like this."

Honestly, I am more annoyed by the dating on nearly all of those headstones and the inclusion of deities from still-thriving religions like Voudoun. Those are fringe as well, but modern. There was no need to include these.

The Atheist, Humanists & Agnostics is a student group linked to the UW-Madison. Their mission, in their words, is to:

"...promote the discussion of faith and religion on the UW-Madison campus. Through our services and programs AHA seeks to educate students on issues important to the secular community, and encourage the personal development of one’s religious identity. The activities of AHA include, but are not limited to:

1) Establishing a Secular Support Group for the secular student community and those seeking to learn about secular issues.
2) Facilitate the personal development of individuals’ religious beliefs through the Faith Questioning service.
3) Sponsoring educational events, inviting engaging speakers, and fostering constructive student dialogue on topics relating to religion through the Freethought Speaker Series and Freethought Festival.
4) Collaborating with fellow religious student organizations on campus to foster a greater degree of mutual understanding between atheists and people of faith, through the Freethought Forum.
5) To raise public awareness about the misconceptions surrounding nonbelievers, and to educate the campus community about our values, through Ask An Atheist Tabling.
6) Participating in volunteering and service projects in order to do our part to make the UW campus and the world a better place."

 I've gone back through their blog and in general, they look to be a small but thoughtful group of young people. I doubt any malintent was intended by the display. That said, I do want to question if points four and five were best served by basically dismissing the faiths of millions of people around the globe out of hand through declaring their Gods dead. Personally, I don't feel very welcome to discuss my faith with any of the members of AHA, even though I think the situation would be served by doing so. The comments on the blog post--before the Pagans spammed it, of course--only made matters worse.

All in all, it mostly amuses me that an atheist group spent hours photoshopping gravemarkers for Gods they do not believe in and then probably paid to have these printed and put up. I still have my little pride-monster skulking about in my chest, but overall, I am not annoyed; I understand not believing. Is it entirely respectful? Again, no, but I simply can't be bothered by these types of evangelistic displays. Freedom of (non-)religion is a beautiful thing and should be enforced; it's the very thing that allowes us to practice our faith while many, many, many, others would rather we do not. We can't say 'we want our freedom of religion, but those people can't have it because it offends me'; that's not how it works--because we are 'those people' for many groups.

I want to end my thoughts on this affair with a shout-out to whomever left the offering below at the marker of Freya; trust me, if I lived anywhere near the campus, I would have done the same thing. Faith in humanity: restored. Thank you.

Update: This blog post is revisited here, and includes reactions to the display by the AHA.

• Saturday, November 2, 2013
  current affairs Hellenic Reconstruction interfaith Paganism personal

PBP: Virtues of men

Last week's Pagan Blog Project post was about the virtues of women and throughout the week, I realized that I wanted to do a 'virtues of...' post for men as well. It's a little more obvious, obviously, but for the guys reading this blog, it might be nice to know what to live up to, if you were so inclined.

In short, I would say that it was a man's job to be positively remembered; to add something so good to society, or do something so heroic that their name would be remembered forever. I don't often quote modern sources, as time seems to change perceptions far too much for my liking, but the following quote from C. M. Bowra's 'The Greek Experience' is so telling that it must be shared. This is a description of the Hellenic heroic ideal, which was also prevalent in the minds of non-mythical men:

"The great man is he who, being endowed with superior qualities of body and mind, uses them to the utmost and wins the applause of his fellows because he spares no effort and shirks no risk in his desire to make the most of his gifts and to surpass other men in his exercise of them. His honour is the centre of his being, and any affront to it calls for immediate amends. He courts danger gladly because it gives him the best opportunity of showing of what stuff he is made. Such a conviction and its system of behaviour are built on a man’s conception of himself and of what he owes to it, and if it has any further sanctions, they are to be found in what other men like himself think of him. By prowess and renown he gains an enlarged sense of personality and well-being; through them he has a second existence on the lips of men, which assures him that he has not failed in what matters most." [p. 20-21]

As men wrote the great classics, it's easy to see what qualities they held in high regard for their characters and their fellow men: a man is in excellent physical condition. He is both strong and athletic, and if the Gods bless him, he is also physically beautiful. He is wise and able to understand his own limitations. He has a good grasp of the situation he is in and if it's a problematic one, he knows how to get out of it again. In order to do this, he must also be intelligent. A true man is couragious and willing to risk his life for his loved ones, and that includes his brothers-in-arms. He is a good host and practices xenia. In order to do this, he must be aware of all unwritten social laws and play his part in them.

He can be found at political assemblies where he will speak up, and at the symposium where he will speak until he should no longer. A man does not get drunk on wine, although he remains at the symposium until it ends. At home, he makes love to his wife and performs the household rituals to the Gods in his role as kurios. He is expected to be leader of the house if his age and standing grant him that right, and it is his job to raise good sons when they become old enough to be taught. It is his job to introduce the child to the Gods in various stages of his life, and to integrate him into society so he can assume his proper place in it when time comes. A man is expected to join in the army, and to be a good soldier: strong, powerful, and reliable. Men are expected to develop themselves in the arts, be it orration, acting, music, or poetry. He is expected to be a good husband to his wife, meaning he must provide for her and the rest of the household in their necessities.

Aristophanes, in 'Clouds', writes a beautiful monologue of how a man should be, having one of the characters, Better (or Superior, depending on the translation) Argument, tell it to the son of Strepsiades, Pheidippides, who is having trouble behaving like a good man should. Better Argument tells him:

"And so, young man, that’s why you should choose me, the Better Argument. Be resolute. You’ll find out how to hate the market place, to shun the public baths, to feel ashamed of shameful things, to fire up your heart when someone mocks you, to give up your chair when older men come near, not to insult your parents, nor act in any other way which brings disgrace or which could mutilate your image as an honourable man. You’ll learn not to run off to dancing girls, in case, while gaping at them, you get hit with an apple thrown by some little slut, and your fine reputation’s done for, and not to contradict your father, or remind him of his age by calling him Iapetus—not when he spent his years in raising you from infancy.

You’ll spend your time in the gymnasium—your body will be sleek, in fine condition. You won’t be hanging round the market place, chattering filth, as boys do nowadays. You won’t keep on being hauled away to court over some damned sticky fierce dispute about some triviality. No, no. Instead you’ll go to the Academy, to race under the sacred olive trees, with a decent friend the same age as you, wearing a white reed garland, with no cares. You’ll smell yew trees, quivering poplar leaves, as plane trees whisper softly to the elms, rejoicing in the spring. I tell you this—if you carry out these things I mention, if you concentrate your mind on them, you’ll always have a gleaming chest, bright skin, broad shoulders, tiny tongue, strong buttocks, and a little prick. But if you take up what’s in fashion nowadays, you’ll have, for starters, feeble shoulders, a pale skin, a narrow chest, huge tongue, a tiny bum, and a large skill in framing long decrees." [990]

While many gripe on the unjust lives of women in ancient Hellas, I'm not so sure men had an easier time of it. It was--and in many ways is--hard to be a man: there was a lot expected of you, and you were not allowed to drop the ball. Heck, for the longest time, you weren't even allowed to bath in warm water.

Being a man in ancient Hellas came with a strong moral and physical code to live up to, and while of course not everyone did so, it were the men who did that were remembered--the highest goal in a society where the dead live on in society as long as their names are spoken out loud. There are a lot of ancient Hellenic virtues for men that a modern practitioner of Hellenismos can adopt if he so desires. Undoubtedly, it would make him a better person--not just a better man. Personally, I would still prefer to be a woman in ancient Hellas as opposed to a man, but I might be biased by my own gender and predisposition towards the female virtues laid out by the ancient Hellenes.

I must address one more thing before I end this blog post: the gender binary is a tricky thing and in general it was strictly enforced in ancient Hellas. Today, more and more people become aware that gender is made up of a mixture of nature, nurture, and common sense, and that the binary is not so binary after all. For any woman reading this, and any man reading the piece about the virtues of women; if it resonates with you, make it your ideal. The point is to become a better person, and I firmly believe--call it that feminist streak I mentioned in the first part of this two-part series--that a person is not defined by the equipment they were born with. We create our own person and while our biological gender (still not a binary) is a part of that, it most certainly has no business being the defining part.

• Friday, November 1, 2013
  ancient Hellenic culture Aristophanes Hellenismos 101 Pagan Blog Project

How the Gods influence our lives through kharis

Star Foster's latest blog post has been stuck in my head again. In a miraculous show of foresight, she already predicted that that post was going to get a lot of tongues wagging, and I will most certainly admit that it has. I'm sad to read that most of it is negative, but you know, that's what the blogosphere will do, it seems. I've never understood the how's and why's of that but lets leave that for another day. I'm not here to speak for Star but let me assure you that I am on her side should the need for sides arise. What I would like to do is explain what I took from the post and why it's positive.

The blog post has a simple message: the Gods you invite into your home will impact your life. Period. So if you are looking to shift your life, focus on the Gods that oversee the desired outcome of that change. 'Stable' Gods bring a stable life, 'chaotic' Gods bring a chaotic life, especially in the case of devotional practices to a singular deity. I'm putting it very black-and-white here but will nuance this later, bear with me.

Where Star left herself open to critisims, I fear, is when she crosses Traditions; the view put forth by her and that I--in essence--agree with works in Hellenismos, I feel, but not in Neo-Wicca or even some other Recon Traditions. Many in the greater Pagan community have patron Gods, were chosen by deities, or interact with deity in an entirely different way as Hellenismos fosters; the worship of an entire pantheon, with special sacrifices to Gods with whom you are looking to built kharis. For them, Star's post could read as an all-out attack: Star seems to be blaming the victim of a chaotic life, after all, because they were chosen by a 'chaotic' God. In essence, they are being blamed for something outside of the control of the worshipper, who is suffering through the side-effects of that worship or even the direct results.

I'm not here to speak for Star, so let me give you my view: to me, Star's view on 'square Gods' applies only to Hellenismos, and Traditional Hellenismos at that. Some people in other Traditions may identify, but in general, I would apply this view only to Traditional Hellenismos. There is no victim blaming here; Traditional Hellenismos encourages you to worship an entire pantheon, in general there are no patrons, and deities don't pick you. It might happen, obviously, but it's not the leading view. I'm not saying this to de-value the experiences of anyone, and I'm generalizing, but within Traditional Hellenism, this is the leading view--it is my view, at least.

Another bit of critisism may have emerged from the lack of specificity in that post concerning Gods; there are major differences between Zeus Labrandeus ('Raging') and Zeus Ktêsios ('Of The House'), for example, and within this example it will impact your life if you pray to either epithet daily. My household worship solely focuses on Gods who bring stability, prosperity, and protection to the household; Gods like Hestia, Asklēpiós, Zeus in His epithets of Ktêsios, Herkeios ('Of the Courtyard'), Ephestios ('Of The Hearth'), Athena in her epithets of Ageleia ('Protectress') and Eryma ('Defender'), etc. By building kharis with these deities, I bring these good things into my life and home.

Within this view, it makes a lot of sense not to pray to Eris and Ares in His war-epithets on a daily basis, because eventually, They will bring chaos and war into your home. This doesn't mean you should not pray to Them when a festival comes up or to an epithet of Them that brings forth positives for your life (Ares Aphneios, for example, is an excellent epithet of the God Ares to invite into your home on a daily basis: He is the Giver Of Plenty, after all). Again, this is all in the 'standard' view of Traditional Hellenismos, and does not nessesarily translate well to personal devotional practices. That is beyond the scope of this theory, I feel.

I also don't think bad things in your life nessesarily happen because of the Gods. Sometimes, things just happen and they suck. Hellenismos is very clear about that; the Gods don't oversee every aspect of our lives, They are merely willing to interfere on behalf of those who pray to Them regularly should things really go wrong. Yet, some things you can control and they might relate to your devotional practices. If you drink yourself into a stupor every night as a devotional act to Dionysos and you end up with a shot liver... well, that relates directly to the God you chose to follow/who chose you to follow Him. Again, black-and-white, because I'm ignoring a boatload of other (medical) reasons why your liver might have given out, but all the binge drinking most likely did not help matters any. This is also not to say that you mind in any way that your liver is shot or that there is a value judgement in this; we all worship in our own way, and if this is the way hypothetical you chose to worship than by all means!

What Star describes is the practice of kharis, and the sense it makes in Traditional Hellenismos to built that kharis with Gods who bring you the things in life you seek. For Star and me, that is stability. It might be something completely different for you. I think taking a critical look at the Gods you worship on a daily basis makes sense in a Traditional Hellenistic view; I don't really believe in doing things without thinking it through, and kharis influences your life considerably.

I found a lot of value in Star's post because it relates to my life. If it doesn't to yours than that is just fine to me as well; we all have our own way of making sense of life and experiencing the Gods. I simply wanted to share this with you because I feel these is an important lesson about the effect of kharis in Star's post that I think more in the Traditional Hellenistic community should hear--and preferably in a positive light.

• Thursday, October 31, 2013
  Ares Asklēpiós Athena bloggers I admire Eris Hellenismos 101 Hestia interfaith kharis Neo-Wicca Paganism personal Zeus

On friends and friendship

There are not a lot of people on this planet I call friends. I can count them on two hands, actually, and I am incredibly blessed that there are so many. That might sound contradictory but it isn't. For all my blogging and 'baring', I am a very closed off person, emotionally speaking. Not when it comes to giving affection, but when it comes to receiving it. Let alone ask for it.

I know a lot of people, both in real life as on-line, and I am amicable with a lot of them; I rarely dislike someone and as a person, I am wired to help out anyone in need, no matter how distance of an aquaintance they are. Friends, however, have a special something; in general, I know friend-potential the moment hands are shook or the first words exchanged; it's an emotional familiarity that manifests itself right away in my heart. A soft spot, perhaps, or a sign that this is someone worthy enough to keep in my life (so don't screw it up).

I don't make friends easily because for someone to truly be a friend, I need to be able to open up to them about my life in the same way that I encourage them to. When I need help, they need to be the kind of people who give it. Surprisingly, this is the quality that tends to be missing in my amicable relationships, even when there is friend-potential. You see, I don't ask for help easily and I am even worse at accepting it. Emotionally, I am a very introvert person.

If you will indulge me a few more lines before I get to the point of this post, I would like to share a little bit more about myself, because I want to make clear what the words 'friend' and 'friendship' mean to me. I am the type of person who will drop everything in my life for a friend in need, who will go out of her way to make a friend feel better, even when I might not be doing so hot myself. My girlfriend has once called this my 'white-knight complex'; it boils down to feeling good when helping others.

On the flip side of my white-knight complex is that I am the type of person who handles her problems alone--which sometimes leads to disasterous results. I am the type of person who will assist in a deadly accident and then refuses to cry until home alone because she would rather be strong for others. I am the type of person who my girlfriend has learned to prod very carefully when in a fix; the type of person who responds better to silence than hugs when upset.

Before I get to the point of this post, I want to say that this has nothing to do with trust or my self-image; I trust people just fine, and I know and feel I am worth taking care of--but I don't want to impose and, as said, I feel best about myself when helping others. So if I feel comfortable and close enough to you to drop my myriad of walls, it's quite an event. There have been more people in my life whom I have felt able to open up to than friends on my list, unfortunately, mostly because very few people are willing to invest the same amount of time and availability in me as I have in them. That hurts sometimes, because when I open up, I open up completely.

Before I progressed into Hellenismos, I tended to give too much of myself with little to no emotional return. I didn't overstep my own bondaries, but it was exhausting. Hellenismos, however, has helped be funnel my 'complex' into a workable way to go through life; because no one can do everything by themselves, and I have no obligation to invest when those I give to will not give in return. It was Hesiod who said "be friendly to your friends, and go visit those who visit you" (Works and Days) This has become my motto when it comes to friendship: if I make the effort, eventually, you have to make the effort too. Human kharis.

I have found that my way of looking at friends and friendship is quite fitting for Hellenismos. If you look at the Delphic Maxims and the Tenets of Solon, it's clear that 'friendship' was a loaded word for these writers as well:

Solon wrote: "be not hasty in making friends; and do not cast off those whom you have made", and within the Delphic Maxims, you can find many examples along the same lines: help your friends (Φιλοις βοηθει), love friendship (Φιλιαν αγαπα), be kind to friends (Θιλοις ευνοει), do a favor for a friend (Φιλω χαριζου), give back what you have received (Λαβων αποδος), guard friendship (Φιλιαν φυλαττε)... Friendship is a rare and special commodity, one that comes with its own oaths, responsibilities and rewards. Once you make a friend, intend to keep them, and expect to work hard for them. That's the measure of a friend: how much you invest. In a time when your friend was also the person who went into battle with you, the person whom you had to trust to have your back when the fight was on, this was even more critical.

This post goes out to my friends--most of whom are half way around the world--some of you I have met in person, others I have merely spoken to or typed with. There are one or two amongst you with whom I have never discussed my affection for you; I don't think you know I count you as a friend. That's alright; perhaps it will happen one day. I want to thank my friends for seeing right through me and not letting me get away with hiding. I want to thank them for trusting me and letting me trust them in return. You, all ten of you, are my safe havens, the people I turn to when my head is driving me nuts, and when I can't do it alone anymore. I hope you know who you are, and what you mean to me. Because I love you, very much, and I don't tell some of you often enough.

• Wednesday, October 30, 2013
  ancient Hellenic culture Delphic Maxims personal Solon temperance

Archeology round-up: theatre of Sparta, new Mycenaean settlement, and fun with an erotic epigram

Sometimes it's slow going in acheological news land, but when it rains it tends to pour. Today I am writing a round-up of archeological discoveries made in the recent past. Today on the schedule are: the restoration work at the ancient theatre of Sparta, the discovery of a Mycenaean settlement in NW Peloponnese, and a study on an erotic epigram on an ostrakon from Rhodes.


Restoration work to begin at ancient theatre of Sparta

The Archaeology News Network heads with the news that the ancient Theater of Sparta--which is now almost completely burried with only Roman and later features still visible--is getting a make-over. The Spartan theatre is unique in that it had a mobile stage, as the theatre used to host several events. The stage was kept in a special 'case' under a hangar built at the west lane. It used to be a prosperous theater, done up in local white marble. It was one of the most important theaters around in Classical times, and thus the Central Archaeological Council has recently given the green light to start restoring the structure, starting with a careful evaluation of the monument. From the article:

"The study focuses mainly on the damage that the stone elements of the theatre have suffered (those made of marble and limestone) from erosion, the loss of material and the fractures caused by the growing of plants, the engravings and graffiti, while relevant damage has also occurred at the masonry of the monument. The road is now open for the correct documentation of the situation, of the theatre parts, and also for the cleaning off of all deposits, such as vegetation and microorganisms, or those brought by human hands such as graffiti."

Mycenaean settlement found in NW Peloponnese

Dr Lena Papazoglou-Manioudaki, Honorary Curator in charge of the Prehistoric Collection National Archaeological Museum, recently discussed the excavation on Mygdalia hill, a hill in Achaea in the Patras region, Hellas' third largest urban area and the regional capital of Western Greece, in northern Peloponnese, 215 km (134 miles) west of Athens. She did this in preparation for a speech she will be giving at the Mycenaean Seminar. In her words:

"The Mycenaean settlement on Mygdalia hill covered an area of 6,500 sq.m at the top of the hill, on three successive terraces. [...] Three areas/rooms of a large rectangular building were unearthed on Τerrace 1. [...] On Terrace 2 was excavated a densely built settlement, situated on different levels, following the slope of the hill. [...] The existence of a defensive/retaining wall, preserved for a length of at least 50 m and apparently protecting the settlement from the more accessible south side, was confirmed on Terrace 3. [...] Terrace 1 houses the public sector, the ruler’s megaron and later on it is the designated place for the erection of an archaic temple, while the main settlement is located on terraces 2 and 3. The cemetery of built cists was located on the west slope of the hill. "

According to the Archaeological News Network, 'the [first] meeting of the Mycenaean Seminar will be at 19:00 on Thursday, 31st October 2013, in the British School at Athens, Upper House (52 Souedias st.) Τhe lecture will be held in Greek. The Organising Committee of the Mycenaean Seminar are Nagia Polychronakou-Sgouritsa, Iphiyenia Tournavitou, Emilia Banou, Harikleia Brekoulaki'.


An erotic epigram on an ostrakon from Rhodes
Our last bit of news comes in the form of a study done on an epigram from the second century BC, found on an ostrrakon--a pottery shard--in Rhodes. Anastasia Dreliosi-Irakleidou and Nikos Litinas (University of Crete) studied the epigram and published their finds in the current issue (10-12) of Eulimene periodical. The ostrakon was found during excavations on a plot in the central cemetery of Rhodes. From the study it has become clear that:

"Two hypotheses can be advanced: (a) The epigram consisted of (at least) four elegiac distichs. The hexameter of the third elegiac couplet and the pentameter of the fourth elegiac couplet have been omitted, either deliberately or by mistake. (b) The epigram consisted of three elegiac distichs and the scribe wrote the pentameter of the last distich before the hexameter.

The content of the epigram(s) is that Glykera, perhaps a Samian hetaira, managed to be freed from her eros by vowing to dedicate a painting of a pannychis that had taken place on some occasion. Now a deity is asked that a thiasos already offered should also function as a lysis from eros for Papylides. However, the kind of the thiasos and the way it is dedicated are not clear. Also, there are some questions concerning the corresponding elements between the two stories of Glykera and Papylides. Since there are missing verses or the verses are reversed, as said above, it is uncertain whether the text constitutes one or two different epigrams."
 

The identity of the poet is unknown.


Image credit: Theater of Sparta: Greek Reporter via the Archaeology News Network, Mycenaean settlement: Archaiologia Online via the Archaeology News Network, epigram on ostrakon: A. Dreliosi-Irakleidou, N. Litinas via the Archaeology News Network.

• Tuesday, October 29, 2013
  archeology current affairs Mycenae Sparta

"Atlantis" Recap (1.05): White Lies

How the heck did the week pass by so fast? It's already Monday again, and that means another Atlantis recap! Good news first: Atlantis has been renewed for a second season, so we'll get to enjoy these adventures for another fifteen episodes next year! Hurray!


Generally Atlantis starts with a 'previously on' segment showing you what we'll be tackling today, but not so this week so you are getting the general recap: Jason came to Atlantis from our time, found Pythagoras and Hercules, managed to save himself and the city a few times over the last few weeks, and love is in the air. Hercules is head over heals for Medusa, whom they rescued from the Maenads, and Jason is acting all cute around Ariadne, daughter of King Minos and stepdaughter of Queen Pasiphaê--who is living up to her evil stepmom persona quite well, mostly by trying to hex Jason to death. So far no luck, though. Oh, and there is an Oracle who predicted Jason is in a lot of danger while simultaniously being the best thing to ever happen to Atlantis.

In the relative 'now' of Atlantis, a dark skinned man is climbing the walls of Minos' palace. He manages to get in and goes by fairly unnoticed until he reaches out to a passing Ariadne, clamps a hand over her mouth, puts her in a chokehold and tells her he is not going to hurt her. Ariadne--to say the least--is mildly sceptical. It seems the man has a message for her and releases her. Then, guards spot her and the man and Ariadne tells him to run--which he does, straight into Queen Pasiphaê serfs and rooms. Lets just say, the window sounds like the best option and he takes it. This earns him a couple of very sore legs, an arrow in the back and a whack with the blunt of a sword. I feel sorry for him.

Queen Pasiphaê is not amused. She and Heptarian go to Ariadne for more information on the now-unconcious man. Ariadne lies through her teeth and says that the man demanded her jewelery and would have hurt her if she hadn't. The queen looks uncertain but she can't do anything about it. Ariadne gets an excort to her chambers and Queen Pasiphaê hatches another evil plot to get the man (or Ariadne) to talk.

Meanwhile in an inn, Jason, Hercules, Pythagoras and Medusa are out to bet the last of their money on a beetle Hercules trained to race. The boys (all but Hercules) are sceptical, but Medusa trusts Hercules' skills in beetle training. The beetle actually manages to win and instead of flying into Hercules' arms in relief and joy, Medusa flies into those of Pythagoras. Needless to say, Hercules is not amused.

Also not amused is the intruder, who is chained up in some dungeon and who is now awake. Queen Pasiphaê is about to put the (magical) thumbscrews on him. He says he did came here to rob Ariadne but she won't believe it. She offers him jewels or pain--his choice--for the truth. The man sticks to the story. The pain begins right away at the hands of the guards. Meanwhile, Ariadne asks her loyal servant girl Korinna (Hannah Arterton) for a favor.
 

Hercules scoops up some dung from the street for his beetle Astrabakos, named pretentiously after a minor Spartan hero. Jason does not exactly feel like the beetle deserves such high praise, but Hercules says--rightly so--that Astrabakos is the most valuable possession they have. This depresses Jason, obviously.  

Korinna finds Jason in the marketsquare and asks to speak to him. She tells him that the man she loves will meet her at a bridge outside of the city tonight; he can't come into the city because he was charged with a crime he did not commit. She asks Jason to accompany her into the mountains and he--as any hero who sees a damsel in distress would--agrees.

Ariadne, in the palace, gets painted with bull's horns on her forehead so she can make an offering to the Gods; 'for all she cares for' she tells a prying Pasiphaê and there are so many layers to those few words. Pasiphaê tries to trip Ariane up by saying she knows the true intentions of the man were not to rob Ariadne but the princess doesn't fall for it. Pasiphaê is convinced she will know soon enough.

The next day, Jason, Korinna, Hercules, Pythagoras and Astrabakos (in a pot) go out into the woods. Korinna teases Hercules about his love for Medusa, but does so kindly. Hercules is still not amused.

Back in the palace, two other someones are not amused at all either: both the intruder and Queen Pasiphaê are having a particularly crummy time. The intruder because he is being tortured, Queen Pasiphaê because she is not getting any results. Time to end the stalemate: Pasiphaê wipes the brow of the intruder, gathering blood and sweat, and mutters a spell while holding the cloth over an open flame. The intruder--whom I'm not sure they are ever going to name so I'm just going to tell you--whose name is Stolos (Daniel Adegboyega) writhes in pain. Eventually he gives in: he delivered a massage to Ariadne... from her brother. That spooks Pasiphaê enough to stop her torture. It seems the prince was supposed to be dead. He isn't however, and is waiting for Ariadne. He gives Pasiphaê the location.

Pasiphaê, now on the war path, races to the temple where the Oracle is praying over her bowl of blood; a bowl of blood the queen angrily tips over. It seems the Oracle didn't actually say the words 'he's dead' to the queen, but hinted at it enough to make the queen believe so. The Oracle warns Pasiphaê that her hunger for power will lead to bloodshed and suffering. Pasiphaê just snarls and laughs. The Oracle than says that she is not the one who will bring Pasiphaê down, and Pasiphaê replies in kind: deceive her again and the Oracle won't have a future to divine. 

Heptarian gets charged with the ungrateful task of murdering Ariadne's brother Therus (Darwin Shaw) and burning his body. He, however, is hesitant: the boy is of royal blood, after all. The queen makes him by saying Ariadne will never marry him if she learns the truth about her brother. Funnily enough I also don't think she will marry him when she finds out he actually killed the brother she already thought dead. Might just be me, though.

Back in the forest, the group happens upon a group of men who were killed by robbers. Heptarian, meanwhile, has assembled a large group of soldiers to hunt down Therus, and Ariadne looks on with worry and fear for her brother. Heptarian lies to his second in command about the mission and says that there will be no prisoners. Pasiphaê materializes next to Ariadne and tells her that she has learned the truth: that the man was sent by Ariadne's brother. Ariadne, obviously, doesn't believe Therus is a traitor. Pasiphaê tries to console Ariadne by saying her brother will soon be dead. Somehow, I don't think that'll work to cheer Ariadne up.

Back in the forest, the group reaches a ruined temple. Korinna goes on ahead and promptly gets a knife to the throat by Therus. Pythagoras is worried and goes after her. Korinna is fine, though, and ready to go home. As night is falling, Pythagoras this is impossible. Awkward.

Back in Atlanta, Minos seeks out his troubled daughter. she brings up Therus and Minos recounts his pain over his son's betrayal. It seems there was a plot and those who stood with Therus confessed. Ariadne sill doesn't buy it. Minos has a bonding moment with his daughter--which is really very sweet--but Pasiphaê who overhears is not too happy.

Back at Therus' camp, it's become painfully obvious Korinna and Therus are not lovers. They sit apart, barely speaking, and the group is worried. They should be, but for a whole different reason: the soldiers have caught up with them. They don't have the element of surprise, however; Jason saw them coming and warns the others. They flee--including Hercules who went back for his beetle and almost got himself killed and Therus who had the perfect opportunity to shoot Heptarian's right hand man but didn't take it. Instead, he helps Korinna onto his horse while everyone else figures out why the soldiers are here: they are after Therus. Therus comes clean and with a heavy heart the group follows him: they are now traitors as well, after all.

Pasiphaê hears the king's son got away and is livid... until se realizes that Ariadne will take them to him. Jason, meanwhile, offers to go ad collect Ariadne--much to Hercules and Pythagoras' dismay. Jason has a plan. She will smuggle Ariadne out of the palace, and Jason will escort her further. The girl is as stealthy as an elephant, though, and Hepterian is on her like white on rice within seconds. Ariadne is excited to see her brother and shows she is perfectly capable of derailing Heptarian's plans: she manages to sneak out. Now it's up to Jason to do the rest.

Jason intimately manhandles the princess to get her to safety and sparks fly. Jason tells her to trust him next time she needs his help and she says it's hard for her to know who to trust. He takes her home and gives her clothes to borrow. She changes in a bedroom while Jason cleans up like a madman and is otherwise adorable. Unfortunately, the bowl of horse dung (without beetle) is in the bedroom ad Ariadne is not very amuse, although impressed. Ariadne looks younger in her peasant clothes, but equally beautiful, and Jason stumbles over every other word. It's positively adorable, and Ariadne thinks so too.

Minos worries about his daughter and blames himself for everything that has happened to his children. He weavers he is right for the throne, but Pasiphaê will hear nothing of it. While Minos worries about his kingdom, Hercules worries about his beetle, who won't live too long but is still the fastest beetle out there.

Jason is having trouble getting out of the city but the guard who Therus did not shoot finds them and helps them get out, saying he serves the king; emphasis on king. Ariadne understands and smiles. back in the camp, Pythagoras unfortunately drops the jar with Astrabakos and they have a scare as Pythagoras steps on something that crunches. It's only a spider, however. The beetle is fine. The two cradle Astrabakos in their hands as Therus comes back from fetching water and the scene looks so romantic, Therus decided to fully ignore it. Smart man.

Jason and Ariadne make it to the cabin where Therus doesn't run to them with joy but spikes a drink with something instead. Maybe he is a traitor after all. Ariadne is overjoyed to see her brother again and hugs him tight. He then thanks Jason who is dismissed by the man. The two siblings share a drink ad I'm sure you can guess who gets the spiked one. Ariadne questions Therus about what happened. It seems Pasiphaê made plans to kill Therus after he becae of age and so Therus was forced to flee. Pasiphaê then spun the tale of his betrayal and desire to kill his father and there was no way Therus could come back to explain himself; Pasiphaê would have had his head before he was two steps into the city. Therus warns Ariadne that as she is coming to age soon and that Pasiphaê will want her dead too. He tells her to run away with him but she refuses. That is the point the drugs kick in.

Jason finds Hercules and Pythagoras who were gathering wood and when they return, Ariadne and Therus are gone. Pythagoras identifies the poison added to Ariadne's drink as Belladonna and Hercules questions why Therus would so such a thing. Jason spots Therus and Ariadne on horseback and goes after them. The horse spooks by a bird and the two fall off. Jason catches up and sword fights Therus, saying Ariadne should have a choice in the matter and that he won't let Therus take her because she means too much to him. Ariadne wakes up just in time to stop Therus from killing Jason. 

Ariadne again refuses to leave, saying it is her duty to keep Pasiphaê from ruling, and that if she has to be away from the people she cares for, she would rather be dead. Therus finally relents. Jason steps away to allow them privacy and brother and sister hug it out before Therus goes off, leaving a distraught Ariadne. Jason comes to her side and they make it back to Atlantis and the palace safely. They almost kiss and Ariadne fibs that she didn't hear Jason's declaration of affection in the forest when Jason asks if she heard.

Barely three steps into the palace, Pasiphaê stumbles upon her and confronts her about being gone. Ariadne again pulls out the white lies and says she was in the temple consulting with the Oracle. The queen asks her what the Oracle told her. Ariadne says that the Oracle told her to be careful as there are those who plot against her. Pasiphaê growls that she does not believe Ariadne went to visit the Oracle but Ariadne blows her off. I really, really, like the strength Ariadne is showing. 

Minos interrupts the scene and tells her he was worried sick about her and that he loves her more than anything in this world. Pasiphaê looks like she swallowed a bug. Speaking of which, Hercules is sweet talking his beetle in the inn as they prepare for another race. He recounts their adventures the last few days and then puts him in the box. This time he looses, though, spectacularly. Pythagoras muses that perhaps this was not Astrabakos at all but an entirely different beetle. Meanwhile, Hercules takes off his shirt and hands it over to the winner. Medusa (hi Medusa! I missed you!) looks slightly shell shocked. Also, there is elastic in both the waistband of Hercules' pants and his shirts and it's distracting me to no end. Hercules renounces any clain to the beetle that just lost the race, saying he is slow and useless. Pythagoras knows exactly what to name this little fellow if that is the case: Hercules. It seems like the others agree.

Next time on Atlantis: Hercules talks to a witch about love and fights a burly man, and Jason and Pythagoras end up having to fight another monster in the woods. Saturday on BBC One, recap on Monday.

• Monday, October 28, 2013
  Atlantis recaps