"It is often said that history repeats itself. Perhaps this is only because we fail to learn from the past. Many of the problems we face today were also encountered by the ancients. Poor governance, social injustices and economic hardships are not new phenomena, and yet we repeat the same old mistakes, time and time again. While the study of the ancient texts seems remote and distant, it can help us make sense of the world today. Let us pledge then, to revisit and revitalize the many lessons the classics have to offer us."
"By educating ourselves and our children in the classics we can do our part to equip all with the timeless wisdom so often forgotten today. The Classics are steeped in wonderful stories of human achievement, endeavor and disaster. It is a history of humankind and part of western heritage, a heritage which should not be lost."
These words of wisdom come from the owners of Classical Wisdom Weekly, in an effort to preserve the study of the classics, if not in the modern school system, then at home. Classical Wisdom Weekly challenges us to take action in not only reading these classics ourselves--as many Hellenists will do, to better understand the Theoi and the ancient Hellenes--but also to share these texts with family members, children, in study groups, and with anyone else who will listen.
On Baring the Aegis, I refer to the classics again and again, taking bite-sized chunks out of them to make a point, or to place the work in perspective. I try to educate and make people aware of the classics. As a result, I have signed the petition attached to this campaign with delight, and knowing I will be able to fulfill this pledge easily. still, I will also try to share the classics offline, with friends, and family members. Within Elaion--of which I have recently been made a full member--our new members study process will soon start, and we'll delve into the Oresteia by playwright Aeschylus. I greatly look forward to it.
So, I am asking you to pledge yourself to the campaign as well, to let no one forget the classics upon which our society was built. To educate yourself and those around you, and to learn the lessons the ancient Hellenes already knew, but which we have forgotten along the way. Sign the pledge if you agree, because Classical Wisdom Weekly has a point when they say that 'it is only through studying the past that we can hope to deserve a better future'.
i myself am on the hunt for the greek classics like socrates, plutarch , aristotle etc. the classics will always be timeless whether it be philosophical books or fictional novels like Pride and Prejudice etc
ReplyDeleteI've started reading Ovid's Metamorphoses aloud to my sweetie. He wanted more of a grounding in mythology and he's fallen in love with the poetry of the work.
ReplyDeleteTaking "classics" in the broader sense to include those written after the classical era, this has been what I've been doing for my Goodreads challenge this year. I've been reading books that I've heard about for years and always meant to get around to, and those I've owned forever but never read.
@UltravioletAngel: Most of the classics can be found online, so even if you don't have the money, a simple Google search will give you access to almost all the major ones. That said, some of the translations are better than others, and reading multiple translations (if you can't read the original) will often offer a much better perspective than reading a single one. Enjoy!
ReplyDelete@Introspectivemaenad: I adore Ovid, but always keep in mind that he was a Roman writer, and he greatly embellished the myths he wrote about, if the Hellenes even spoke of them at all. They are beautiful, though.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that some much more modern books are classics, and I absolutely encourage anyone to read those to! It's lovely to hear you're going through them :)
Re Ovid: Absolutely. I'd no more suggest reading Ovid to learn about the Theoi than I'd recommend the Eddas for the same purpose. (I've set him on Kerenyi for Greek mythology.)
ReplyDeleteBut Ovid, and many other Roman writers, are wonderful in their own right.