Special Topics: Great Heroes in Greek Mythology
1. Prometheus:
*”crime” and punishment
2. Perseus (parents~ Zeus and Danae)
*the Gorgons, Medusa
*Andromeda
3. Jason: the Argonauts (Teacher: Cheiron)
*the golden fleece
*Medea
4. Hercules, Heracles (parents~Zeus and Alcmena) (Teacher: Cheiron)(Descendant of Perseus)
*The Milky Way
*Mortal wives: Megara, Deianire Immortal wife: Hebe
*Herculean tasks: lion, hydra, hind母鹿, boar, cleaning stables, centaur, iron birds, bull, horse, the Amazons, a two-headed dog and a three-headed man (for red oxen), golden apples, Cerberus, fighting with Death
5. Theseus
*Minotauros
*Adriadne
Monday, November 1, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Zeus (Jupiter) and His Children
Special Topic: Zeus (Jupiter) and his children
A. Child born from Zeus’ head
Athena (Minerva): the Goddess of war and wisdom,
B. Children by marriage with Hera
Vulcan
Mars
Ilithyia
Hebe, the original wine bearer, married Hercules (Heracles)
C. Children by extramarital affairs
1. by Leda, Queen of Sparta
Castor and Pollux = the Dioscuri, the Gemini
Helen
Clytemnestra
2. by Europa, Princess of Phoenicia, sister to Cadmus (founder of Thebes)
Minos and Rhadamanthus = Judges of the Underworld
3. by Danae, Princess of Argos
Perseus, the great hero who killed Medusa and saved Andromeda
4. by Callisto, nymph in Arcadia, companion to Diana,
Arcas = Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
5. by Io, Princess of Argo, Priestess at Hera’s Temple, becoming Goddess Isis in Egypt
-famous offspring Hercules (Heracles) after many generations
6. by Alcmena
Heracles: The hero saved Prometheus.
The Greek allusions: Herculean tasks, the Milky Way
7. by Antiope
The twin Amphion and Zethus = saving mother and restoring the City of Thebes
8. by Semele, daughter to Cadmus and Harmonia (daughter to Venus and Mars),
Bacchus (Dionysus): the God of Wine, going to the Hades to save his mother who was transformed into the star Thyone
A. Child born from Zeus’ head
Athena (Minerva): the Goddess of war and wisdom,
B. Children by marriage with Hera
Vulcan
Mars
Ilithyia
Hebe, the original wine bearer, married Hercules (Heracles)
C. Children by extramarital affairs
1. by Leda, Queen of Sparta
Castor and Pollux = the Dioscuri, the Gemini
Helen
Clytemnestra
2. by Europa, Princess of Phoenicia, sister to Cadmus (founder of Thebes)
Minos and Rhadamanthus = Judges of the Underworld
3. by Danae, Princess of Argos
Perseus, the great hero who killed Medusa and saved Andromeda
4. by Callisto, nymph in Arcadia, companion to Diana,
Arcas = Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
5. by Io, Princess of Argo, Priestess at Hera’s Temple, becoming Goddess Isis in Egypt
-famous offspring Hercules (Heracles) after many generations
6. by Alcmena
Heracles: The hero saved Prometheus.
The Greek allusions: Herculean tasks, the Milky Way
7. by Antiope
The twin Amphion and Zethus = saving mother and restoring the City of Thebes
8. by Semele, daughter to Cadmus and Harmonia (daughter to Venus and Mars),
Bacchus (Dionysus): the God of Wine, going to the Hades to save his mother who was transformed into the star Thyone
Zeus (Jupiter) and His Lovers
Special Topic: Zeus (Jupiter) and his lovers
OFFICIAL WIFE:
Hera (Juno), mother of Vulcan, Mars, Ilithyia, and Hebe
-Father: Cronus; Mother: Rhea;
-Foster father Oceanus, foster mother: Tethys
-Argus and the peacock
LOVERS:
1. Leda, Queen of King Sparta Eurythemis, mother of the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux = the Gemini) , Helen and Clytemnestra
2. Europa, Princess of Phoenicia, sister to Cadmus (founder of Thebes), mother to Minos and Rhadamanthus (Judges of the Underworld)
-The Island of Crete
3. Danae, Princess of Argos, mother to the great hero Perseus
4. Callisto, nymph in Arcadia, companion to Diana, mother to Arcas
-Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
5. Io, Princess of Argo, Priestess at Hera’s Temple
-Zeus disguised as fog
-watched by Argus
-The Wanderer
-became Goddess Isis in Egypt
-famous offspring Hercules
6. Antiope, mother to the twin Amphion and Zethus
-Zeus disguised as satyr
-The twin restored the City of Thebes
7. Semele, daughter to Cadmus and Harmonia (daughter to Venus and Mars), mother to Bacchus (Dionysus)
-burned to death
-baby was sewn to Zeus thigh, the twice born
8. Alcmena, mother of Heracles?
-The Milky Way
9. Ganymede, a Trojan boy, replacing Hebe to become the bearer of the wine for the Olympian Gods and Goddess, becoming the Aquarian
10. Leto, a nymph at the Olympian, transformed into a deer by Hera, rescued by a dolphin sent by Poseidon )Neptune) to the Island of Delo, bearing Apollo and Diana
OFFICIAL WIFE:
Hera (Juno), mother of Vulcan, Mars, Ilithyia, and Hebe
-Father: Cronus; Mother: Rhea;
-Foster father Oceanus, foster mother: Tethys
-Argus and the peacock
LOVERS:
1. Leda, Queen of King Sparta Eurythemis, mother of the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux = the Gemini) , Helen and Clytemnestra
2. Europa, Princess of Phoenicia, sister to Cadmus (founder of Thebes), mother to Minos and Rhadamanthus (Judges of the Underworld)
-The Island of Crete
3. Danae, Princess of Argos, mother to the great hero Perseus
4. Callisto, nymph in Arcadia, companion to Diana, mother to Arcas
-Ursa Major and Ursa Minor
5. Io, Princess of Argo, Priestess at Hera’s Temple
-Zeus disguised as fog
-watched by Argus
-The Wanderer
-became Goddess Isis in Egypt
-famous offspring Hercules
6. Antiope, mother to the twin Amphion and Zethus
-Zeus disguised as satyr
-The twin restored the City of Thebes
7. Semele, daughter to Cadmus and Harmonia (daughter to Venus and Mars), mother to Bacchus (Dionysus)
-burned to death
-baby was sewn to Zeus thigh, the twice born
8. Alcmena, mother of Heracles?
-The Milky Way
9. Ganymede, a Trojan boy, replacing Hebe to become the bearer of the wine for the Olympian Gods and Goddess, becoming the Aquarian
10. Leto, a nymph at the Olympian, transformed into a deer by Hera, rescued by a dolphin sent by Poseidon )Neptune) to the Island of Delo, bearing Apollo and Diana
The Deep Structure of Roman/Greek Mythology
希臘羅馬神話故事的深層結構:社會,文化,心理
The Deep Structure of Roman/Greek Mythology in Social, Cultural, and Psychological Spheres
A lecture outline by Vinia
1. 象徵大自然力量的神力呼應人類社會權力結構
The Olympian gods and goddesses embody natural forces and their power structure runs parallel to that of human society.
a. Patriarchy: father and son
b. Centralized “I” and marginalized “Other”
c. Gender and sex
d. The fatal and the uncontrollable: temptations
e. God and man
f. Life and death
g. Crime and punishment
2. 象徵大自然力量的神力應人類文明的結構與分工
The power embodied in each god/goddess and his/her role in the Olympian community can find its counterpart in human social structure.
a. A city and its patron god/goddess
b. A profession and its guardian god/goddess
c. Social role and responsibilities
d. Cooperation and competition
e. Community and alienation
f. Generation after generation
3. 眾神與人類英雄的偉大功績呼應人類種族的生存奮鬥
The great deeds of god/goddesses and human heroes reveal the hardship and ordeal of human survival.
a. Tasks that require physical prowess
b. Adventures that need intellectual wits
c. Development that falls out of control
d. Love that transcends life and death
4. 眾神與人類英雄荒腔走調的行徑表現出人類心靈的暗影
The off/tracking behaviors of god/goddesses and human heroes can be seen as the expressions of the unconsciousness or the dark shadow of human psyche.
a. Sexual violence
b. Insanity
c. Cultural and social taboos
d. Guilt
e. Transgression and excess
f. Uncanny transformations
5. 不知名的怪物奇獸與其不可思議的奇幻力量象徵人類文明所可能遭遇到的困境與挑戰
Those fantastic creatures and animals carry with them supernatural powers, which can be interpreted as the symbols of great challenges and crises posed to humanity, especially in the future.
a. From the inside
b. From the outside
c. From nowhere
d. From the future
The Deep Structure of Roman/Greek Mythology in Social, Cultural, and Psychological Spheres
A lecture outline by Vinia
1. 象徵大自然力量的神力呼應人類社會權力結構
The Olympian gods and goddesses embody natural forces and their power structure runs parallel to that of human society.
a. Patriarchy: father and son
b. Centralized “I” and marginalized “Other”
c. Gender and sex
d. The fatal and the uncontrollable: temptations
e. God and man
f. Life and death
g. Crime and punishment
2. 象徵大自然力量的神力應人類文明的結構與分工
The power embodied in each god/goddess and his/her role in the Olympian community can find its counterpart in human social structure.
a. A city and its patron god/goddess
b. A profession and its guardian god/goddess
c. Social role and responsibilities
d. Cooperation and competition
e. Community and alienation
f. Generation after generation
3. 眾神與人類英雄的偉大功績呼應人類種族的生存奮鬥
The great deeds of god/goddesses and human heroes reveal the hardship and ordeal of human survival.
a. Tasks that require physical prowess
b. Adventures that need intellectual wits
c. Development that falls out of control
d. Love that transcends life and death
4. 眾神與人類英雄荒腔走調的行徑表現出人類心靈的暗影
The off/tracking behaviors of god/goddesses and human heroes can be seen as the expressions of the unconsciousness or the dark shadow of human psyche.
a. Sexual violence
b. Insanity
c. Cultural and social taboos
d. Guilt
e. Transgression and excess
f. Uncanny transformations
5. 不知名的怪物奇獸與其不可思議的奇幻力量象徵人類文明所可能遭遇到的困境與挑戰
Those fantastic creatures and animals carry with them supernatural powers, which can be interpreted as the symbols of great challenges and crises posed to humanity, especially in the future.
a. From the inside
b. From the outside
c. From nowhere
d. From the future
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Homer's The Odyssey, Synopsis
Homer's The Odyssey: The Wanderings of Odysseus
~by Vinia
In the beginning of the story, Odysseus’s son, now coming of age, left Ithaca to visit the old friends of his father’s, trying to find out the whereabouts of Odysseus. He met old Nestor in Pylos, and then visited Helen, now a middle-aged housewife, and Melelaus in Sparta. At the same time, on the sea. Odysseus was still alive and wandering.
Sailing away from Calypso’s island alone in a wooden boat, Odysseus met storm and was washed ashore. He lay unconsciously and was saved by the young Princess Naussica, who came to the beach with her maids. Princess Naussica brought Odysseus back to the palace, where the King gave a feast to welcome this stranger. In return to the King’s hospitality, Odysseus entertained the court with the stories of his ten-year wanderings but he did not reveal his true identity.
When Odysseus left Troy the wind carried him to the coast of Thrace, where a priest of Apollo offered him twelve jars filled with strong wine. Then, they came to an island, where lived a quiet and friendly people.
Specificities about the Story:
1. The Lotus Eaters gave fruit to Odysseus’s sailors and they started to dream happy dreams and refused to leave the island.
2. The Cyclones were a race of giants with only one eye each set in the middle of their foreheads. The giant asked Odysseus: “What is your name?” Odysseus answered: “My name is Nobody .”
3. What harm has Odysseus and his crew done to this giant? Answer: They blinded his eye.
4. Who is the father of this giant?
Answer: The Sea-God Posidon.
5. Odysseus and his men landed on an island called Aeaea, where Circe, the enchantress, lived there. With her magic wand, she turned Odysseus men into swines (pigs).
6. The God Hermes (Mercury) came to Odysseus and taught him how to deal with this enchantress. She became kind to Odysseus and, after his living with her for a whole year, showed him how he might escape dangers on the way home. She instructed Odysseus the way to the Hades to consult the soul of a dead prophet about the way home.
In the Hades, Odysseus met the souls of many old acquaintances, including his mother, his dead crew, Achilles, Agamemnon, and so on. Achilles expressed that he now would rather be a living beggar than a dead king. Agamemnon had a tragic homecoming, and he warned Odysseus to watch out about his own homecoming.
7. Agamemnon was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. The Trojan Princess Cassandra that Agamemnon had brought home as a slave was also murdered.
8. The Sirens were a group of beautiful but dangerous women, who charmed men to their island with their sweet singing and caused their shipwreck and death.
9. To avoid the danger these women might bring, Odysseus told his men to put small pieces of wax into their ears and he also told they to fasten him (Odysseus) tightly to the mast with ropes.
10. Odysseus and his crew came to a place where the sea narrowed between two high black rocks. Under the left rock was a terrible whirlpool, called Charybdis, and under the right rock, there was a cave, where lived a terrible creature with six heads called Scylla.
11. All the sailors, except Odysseus, killed and ate the cattle of the Sun God on the sacred island of Thrinacia, and them they received their punishment, i.e., death. Only Odysseus survived and was saved by a nymph called Calypso, with whom Odysseus had stayed for seven years.
12. The nymph was deeply in love with Odysseus and offered him immortality (to live forever) on the condition that he would stay with her forever. However, Odysseus chose to live and die with his wife Penelope.
13. The gods took pity on Odysseus and sent the god Hermes (Mercury) to visit the nymph.
To entertain him, the nymph spread a table with ambrosia (the food of the gods) and mixed a bowl of nectar(the wine of the gods).
Calypso had to obey the wish of the gods and let Odysseus go. They kissed for the last time and said goodbye. It was said that they had a son. However, Odysseus chose to go back to Ithaca.
On the sea, Odysseus encountered a strong storm and was washed to the shore. This was the story how he came to be saved by Princess Naussica. The King then kindly sent Odysseus home with his own ship, and before long, Odysseus reached his hometown, Ithaca.
14. The Goddess Athena came to instruct Odysseus to disguise himself to be a beggar. She also told him that his son, Telemachus, was presently visiting Helen and Menelaus in Sparta to ask for information about his father.
15. The Goddess also asked Odysseus to first visit the faithful Eumaeus, the swineherd, on his farmhouse. At the same time, she would go to Sparta and asked the young Prince to come back to Ithaca and to guide him to meet his father at the farmhouse.
16. How old was Telemachus when his father returned from Troy? Answer: Twenty years old
17. Odysseus’s wife promised her suitors that she would choose a husband when she had finished weaving a great linen cloth.
18. After Telemachus met his father, they had a plan. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus went into the palace courtyard. His old dog, named Argos, recognized him and gave him a feeble welcome before it lay down to the ground and died.
19. The Queen of Ithaca asked the beggar how Odysseus was wearing, and the beggar answered: “He was wearing a purple cloak fastened with a brooch shaped like a hunting dog.” On hearing this, the Queen wept again and said that she herself had given Odysseus the brooch and the cloak.
20. The Queen asked the nurse, Eurycleia, to wash the feet of this old beggar, and she immediately recognized that this man, though dressed in rags, was Odysseus himself. How did she know? Odysseus had a long scar of a wound on his leg.
21. Holding his old bow, Odysseus took up an arrow, fitted it to the string, and shot it through all the twelve axe-heads.
22. Odysseus considered his attack on, or slaughter of, these suitors to be an act of revenge rather than an act of cruel murdering for he thought these suitors have “wasted my possessions and insulted my wife.”
23. After all the enemies were killed and the hall was cleansed, the Queen still was not sure whether this man was Odysseus. Therefore, she tried to find some way to test Odysseus.
Odysseus had married a woman as clever as himself.
24. What was the secret of Odysseus’s bed?
Answer: Odysseus made it with his own hands, with a a standing tree for the bedpost. Therefore, no one could move the bed.
~by Vinia
In the beginning of the story, Odysseus’s son, now coming of age, left Ithaca to visit the old friends of his father’s, trying to find out the whereabouts of Odysseus. He met old Nestor in Pylos, and then visited Helen, now a middle-aged housewife, and Melelaus in Sparta. At the same time, on the sea. Odysseus was still alive and wandering.
Sailing away from Calypso’s island alone in a wooden boat, Odysseus met storm and was washed ashore. He lay unconsciously and was saved by the young Princess Naussica, who came to the beach with her maids. Princess Naussica brought Odysseus back to the palace, where the King gave a feast to welcome this stranger. In return to the King’s hospitality, Odysseus entertained the court with the stories of his ten-year wanderings but he did not reveal his true identity.
When Odysseus left Troy the wind carried him to the coast of Thrace, where a priest of Apollo offered him twelve jars filled with strong wine. Then, they came to an island, where lived a quiet and friendly people.
Specificities about the Story:
1. The Lotus Eaters gave fruit to Odysseus’s sailors and they started to dream happy dreams and refused to leave the island.
2. The Cyclones were a race of giants with only one eye each set in the middle of their foreheads. The giant asked Odysseus: “What is your name?” Odysseus answered: “My name is Nobody .”
3. What harm has Odysseus and his crew done to this giant? Answer: They blinded his eye.
4. Who is the father of this giant?
Answer: The Sea-God Posidon.
5. Odysseus and his men landed on an island called Aeaea, where Circe, the enchantress, lived there. With her magic wand, she turned Odysseus men into swines (pigs).
6. The God Hermes (Mercury) came to Odysseus and taught him how to deal with this enchantress. She became kind to Odysseus and, after his living with her for a whole year, showed him how he might escape dangers on the way home. She instructed Odysseus the way to the Hades to consult the soul of a dead prophet about the way home.
In the Hades, Odysseus met the souls of many old acquaintances, including his mother, his dead crew, Achilles, Agamemnon, and so on. Achilles expressed that he now would rather be a living beggar than a dead king. Agamemnon had a tragic homecoming, and he warned Odysseus to watch out about his own homecoming.
7. Agamemnon was murdered by his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. The Trojan Princess Cassandra that Agamemnon had brought home as a slave was also murdered.
8. The Sirens were a group of beautiful but dangerous women, who charmed men to their island with their sweet singing and caused their shipwreck and death.
9. To avoid the danger these women might bring, Odysseus told his men to put small pieces of wax into their ears and he also told they to fasten him (Odysseus) tightly to the mast with ropes.
10. Odysseus and his crew came to a place where the sea narrowed between two high black rocks. Under the left rock was a terrible whirlpool, called Charybdis, and under the right rock, there was a cave, where lived a terrible creature with six heads called Scylla.
11. All the sailors, except Odysseus, killed and ate the cattle of the Sun God on the sacred island of Thrinacia, and them they received their punishment, i.e., death. Only Odysseus survived and was saved by a nymph called Calypso, with whom Odysseus had stayed for seven years.
12. The nymph was deeply in love with Odysseus and offered him immortality (to live forever) on the condition that he would stay with her forever. However, Odysseus chose to live and die with his wife Penelope.
13. The gods took pity on Odysseus and sent the god Hermes (Mercury) to visit the nymph.
To entertain him, the nymph spread a table with ambrosia (the food of the gods) and mixed a bowl of nectar(the wine of the gods).
Calypso had to obey the wish of the gods and let Odysseus go. They kissed for the last time and said goodbye. It was said that they had a son. However, Odysseus chose to go back to Ithaca.
On the sea, Odysseus encountered a strong storm and was washed to the shore. This was the story how he came to be saved by Princess Naussica. The King then kindly sent Odysseus home with his own ship, and before long, Odysseus reached his hometown, Ithaca.
14. The Goddess Athena came to instruct Odysseus to disguise himself to be a beggar. She also told him that his son, Telemachus, was presently visiting Helen and Menelaus in Sparta to ask for information about his father.
15. The Goddess also asked Odysseus to first visit the faithful Eumaeus, the swineherd, on his farmhouse. At the same time, she would go to Sparta and asked the young Prince to come back to Ithaca and to guide him to meet his father at the farmhouse.
16. How old was Telemachus when his father returned from Troy? Answer: Twenty years old
17. Odysseus’s wife promised her suitors that she would choose a husband when she had finished weaving a great linen cloth.
18. After Telemachus met his father, they had a plan. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus went into the palace courtyard. His old dog, named Argos, recognized him and gave him a feeble welcome before it lay down to the ground and died.
19. The Queen of Ithaca asked the beggar how Odysseus was wearing, and the beggar answered: “He was wearing a purple cloak fastened with a brooch shaped like a hunting dog.” On hearing this, the Queen wept again and said that she herself had given Odysseus the brooch and the cloak.
20. The Queen asked the nurse, Eurycleia, to wash the feet of this old beggar, and she immediately recognized that this man, though dressed in rags, was Odysseus himself. How did she know? Odysseus had a long scar of a wound on his leg.
21. Holding his old bow, Odysseus took up an arrow, fitted it to the string, and shot it through all the twelve axe-heads.
22. Odysseus considered his attack on, or slaughter of, these suitors to be an act of revenge rather than an act of cruel murdering for he thought these suitors have “wasted my possessions and insulted my wife.”
23. After all the enemies were killed and the hall was cleansed, the Queen still was not sure whether this man was Odysseus. Therefore, she tried to find some way to test Odysseus.
Odysseus had married a woman as clever as himself.
24. What was the secret of Odysseus’s bed?
Answer: Odysseus made it with his own hands, with a a standing tree for the bedpost. Therefore, no one could move the bed.
Homer's "The Iliad," Synopsis
Homer's The Iliad
~Synopsis by Vinia
I. Main characters:
--Homer, a blind bard, who wandered around ancient Greece to sing the epic poem with a musical instrument
--Zeus, the most powerful God among the Olympian gods and goddesses
--Thetis, a sea nymph, Achilles' mother
--Peleus, king of Phthia
--Eris, goddess of Strife , throwing a golden apple inscribed “For the Fairest” at the Wedding
--Hera, royal power
--Athena, military success
--Aprodite, offering the most beautiful woman in the world, i.e., Helen, to Paris as a bride
--Paris, prince of Troy
--Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta
--Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, brother to Menelaus
--a fleet of 1000 ships and 100,000 warriors
--Calchas, the priest of the army
--Artemis’ deer
--Odysseus, King of Ithaca
--Clytemnestra, Agmemnon’s wife
--Achilles, leader of the Myrmidons, prince of Phthia
--Iphigenia, daughter to Agamemnon, sacrified
II. The Iliad begins~
Nine years passed by and Troy (Illium) remained unconquered. In the tenth year of the war, Achilles received as his prize a young woman name Briseis, and Agamemnon got another woman name Chryseis, the daughter of Chryses, a priet of Apollo. It is at this point that the Iliad begins.
Book 1: The Rage of Achilles
The Iliad begins with a plague in the Greek camp.
Agamemnon was forced to restore Chryseis, but he took Briseis from Achilles in her place.
Achilles prayed to his mother to intercede with Zeus to bring destruction on the Greeks until they admitted his worth.
Book 2: The Great Gathering of Armies
Book 3: Helen Reviews the Champions
Book 4: The Truce Erupts in War
The plague abated, and the Greek army advanced against Troy.
Paris challenged Menelaus to single combat to decide the quarrel.
When Menelaus had disabled Paris and was about to give him the death wound, Aprodite caught him away to the safety of his home. The truce was broken and the war continued.
Book 5: Diomedes Fights the Gods
Book 6: Hector Returns to Troy
Inspired by the valor of the hero Diomedes, the Greeks pressed the Trojans so hard that Hector returned to the city to bid the Trojan women supplicate Athena, Troy’s most implacable enemy. As he reached the gate, his wife Andromache came running to meet him with their little son Astyanax.
Andromache begged Hector not to leave the safety of the city; but though Hector could not do as she asked him, he felt great pity for her, for he was filled with a presentiment of Troy’s ultimate destruction, his own death, and her captivity.
Book 7: Ajax Duels with Hector
Book 8: The Tide of Battle Turns
Book 9: The Embassy to Achilles
Book 10: Marauding Through the Night
Book 11: Agamemnon’s Day of Glory
Book 12: The Trojans Storm the Rampart
Book 13: Battling for the Ships
Book 14: Hera Outflanks Zeus
Book 15: The Achaean Armies at Bay
Book 16: Patroclus Fights and Dies
In answer to Thetis’ entreaty, Zeus now began to give victory to the Trojans.
Under Hector’s leadership they drove the Greeks before them and encamped on the plain near the ships.
At an assembly Agmemnon admitted his wrongdoing in taking Briseis from Achilles and offered to return her at once with enormous gifts.
An embassy was sent to Achilles, but the hero contemptuously rejected their proposal.
That night Odysseus and Diomedes succeeded in slaying Rhesus, the Thracian leader, who had just arrived to strengthen the Trojan side.
The next day Agmemnon, Odysseus, and Diomedes were disabled and retired from the field, and Hector opened the way for his troops into the Greek camps.
Though delayed by Posidon and Hera, with the help of Zeus the Trojans reached the Greek fleet and began to set fire to the ships.
In the crisis Patroclus, Achilles retainer and closest friend, begged permission to take the Myrmidons and enter the battle.
Achilles agreed but ordered Patroclus to return as soon as he had driven the enemy away from the ships.
Clad in Achilles’ armor, Patroclus pursued the enemy to the city gate, where Hector turned and clew him and took Achilles’ armor from him and put it on.
The Greeks succeeded in recovering the body.
Book 17: Menelaus’ Finest Hour
Book 18: The Shield of Achilles
Book 19: The Champion Arms for Battle
Book 20: Olympian Gods in Arms
Book 21: Achilles Fights The River
Book 22: The Death of Hector
When the news was brought to Achilles, he was overcome with grief.
New armor was made for him by Hephaestus, the smith god.
At an assembly he renounced his anger, and Agmemnon apologized publicly for his conduct.
Achilles now reentered the battle and in his fury slew the Trojans or drove them back into the city.
Only Hector dared to remain outside, and even he felt his courage leave him when he saw Achilles approaching.
He fled three times around the walls of Troy. Then, doomed by fate and grossly deceived by Athena, he stood and fought.
Achilles trust him through the neck with his spear and stripped the armor from him and dragged him in the dust to the Greek camp.
Book 23: Funeral Games for Patroclus
Book 24: Achilles and Priam
On the next day the funeral of Patroclus was held, but Achilles continued to mistreat the body of Hector until Zeus commanded him to permit its ransom.
At the same time Zeus sent a message to Priam to go to the Greek camp and bring back the body of his son.
Guided through the night by Hermes, the messenger god, the old man was received with kindness by Achilles, who gave him the body and granted a truce for the funeral.
Hermes then conducted Priam back to Troy.
The Iliad ends with the mourning of the Trojans for Hector and a brief account of his funeral.
~Synopsis by Vinia
I. Main characters:
--Homer, a blind bard, who wandered around ancient Greece to sing the epic poem with a musical instrument
--Zeus, the most powerful God among the Olympian gods and goddesses
--Thetis, a sea nymph, Achilles' mother
--Peleus, king of Phthia
--Eris, goddess of Strife , throwing a golden apple inscribed “For the Fairest” at the Wedding
--Hera, royal power
--Athena, military success
--Aprodite, offering the most beautiful woman in the world, i.e., Helen, to Paris as a bride
--Paris, prince of Troy
--Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta
--Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, brother to Menelaus
--a fleet of 1000 ships and 100,000 warriors
--Calchas, the priest of the army
--Artemis’ deer
--Odysseus, King of Ithaca
--Clytemnestra, Agmemnon’s wife
--Achilles, leader of the Myrmidons, prince of Phthia
--Iphigenia, daughter to Agamemnon, sacrified
II. The Iliad begins~
Nine years passed by and Troy (Illium) remained unconquered. In the tenth year of the war, Achilles received as his prize a young woman name Briseis, and Agamemnon got another woman name Chryseis, the daughter of Chryses, a priet of Apollo. It is at this point that the Iliad begins.
Book 1: The Rage of Achilles
The Iliad begins with a plague in the Greek camp.
Agamemnon was forced to restore Chryseis, but he took Briseis from Achilles in her place.
Achilles prayed to his mother to intercede with Zeus to bring destruction on the Greeks until they admitted his worth.
Book 2: The Great Gathering of Armies
Book 3: Helen Reviews the Champions
Book 4: The Truce Erupts in War
The plague abated, and the Greek army advanced against Troy.
Paris challenged Menelaus to single combat to decide the quarrel.
When Menelaus had disabled Paris and was about to give him the death wound, Aprodite caught him away to the safety of his home. The truce was broken and the war continued.
Book 5: Diomedes Fights the Gods
Book 6: Hector Returns to Troy
Inspired by the valor of the hero Diomedes, the Greeks pressed the Trojans so hard that Hector returned to the city to bid the Trojan women supplicate Athena, Troy’s most implacable enemy. As he reached the gate, his wife Andromache came running to meet him with their little son Astyanax.
Andromache begged Hector not to leave the safety of the city; but though Hector could not do as she asked him, he felt great pity for her, for he was filled with a presentiment of Troy’s ultimate destruction, his own death, and her captivity.
Book 7: Ajax Duels with Hector
Book 8: The Tide of Battle Turns
Book 9: The Embassy to Achilles
Book 10: Marauding Through the Night
Book 11: Agamemnon’s Day of Glory
Book 12: The Trojans Storm the Rampart
Book 13: Battling for the Ships
Book 14: Hera Outflanks Zeus
Book 15: The Achaean Armies at Bay
Book 16: Patroclus Fights and Dies
In answer to Thetis’ entreaty, Zeus now began to give victory to the Trojans.
Under Hector’s leadership they drove the Greeks before them and encamped on the plain near the ships.
At an assembly Agmemnon admitted his wrongdoing in taking Briseis from Achilles and offered to return her at once with enormous gifts.
An embassy was sent to Achilles, but the hero contemptuously rejected their proposal.
That night Odysseus and Diomedes succeeded in slaying Rhesus, the Thracian leader, who had just arrived to strengthen the Trojan side.
The next day Agmemnon, Odysseus, and Diomedes were disabled and retired from the field, and Hector opened the way for his troops into the Greek camps.
Though delayed by Posidon and Hera, with the help of Zeus the Trojans reached the Greek fleet and began to set fire to the ships.
In the crisis Patroclus, Achilles retainer and closest friend, begged permission to take the Myrmidons and enter the battle.
Achilles agreed but ordered Patroclus to return as soon as he had driven the enemy away from the ships.
Clad in Achilles’ armor, Patroclus pursued the enemy to the city gate, where Hector turned and clew him and took Achilles’ armor from him and put it on.
The Greeks succeeded in recovering the body.
Book 17: Menelaus’ Finest Hour
Book 18: The Shield of Achilles
Book 19: The Champion Arms for Battle
Book 20: Olympian Gods in Arms
Book 21: Achilles Fights The River
Book 22: The Death of Hector
When the news was brought to Achilles, he was overcome with grief.
New armor was made for him by Hephaestus, the smith god.
At an assembly he renounced his anger, and Agmemnon apologized publicly for his conduct.
Achilles now reentered the battle and in his fury slew the Trojans or drove them back into the city.
Only Hector dared to remain outside, and even he felt his courage leave him when he saw Achilles approaching.
He fled three times around the walls of Troy. Then, doomed by fate and grossly deceived by Athena, he stood and fought.
Achilles trust him through the neck with his spear and stripped the armor from him and dragged him in the dust to the Greek camp.
Book 23: Funeral Games for Patroclus
Book 24: Achilles and Priam
On the next day the funeral of Patroclus was held, but Achilles continued to mistreat the body of Hector until Zeus commanded him to permit its ransom.
At the same time Zeus sent a message to Priam to go to the Greek camp and bring back the body of his son.
Guided through the night by Hermes, the messenger god, the old man was received with kindness by Achilles, who gave him the body and granted a truce for the funeral.
Hermes then conducted Priam back to Troy.
The Iliad ends with the mourning of the Trojans for Hector and a brief account of his funeral.
Homer's THE ILIAD:"特洛依"原著的故事
Homer's THE ILIAD:"特洛依"原著的故事
~by Vinia
(Photos之後再上傳)
Photo
特洛伊戰爭表面上的原因:特洛伊王子Paris誘拐了斯巴達王后Helen
荷馬Homer的兩部史詩"The Iliad"(特洛伊圍城記)和"The Odyssey"(奧迪賽歸鄉記)是西洋文學裡始終閃耀的恆星,光芒傳遞數千年,仍然是人類想像力與英雄崇拜的強大光源.
Photo
在愛神Aphrodite(Venus)的魔力下,Helen愛上特洛伊王子Paris,不顧一切登船,為愛而投奔特洛伊.
只不過是特洛伊王子Paris誘拐斯巴達王后Helen而引發的愛琴海東西方的大戰!只不過是各路英雄齊集去征伐富甲一方的特洛伊城的戰爭故事!只不過是英雄屠城之後,Odysseus的歸鄉復國的冒險故事!但是,就是有讓人又愛又恨又無可奈何的地方,恰如人生.
Photo
屬於希臘陣營的King Nestor在開航前獻祭.
Photo
久候不見起風,希臘聯軍統帥Agamemnon(邁錫尼王)把自己的女兒送上祭壇,乞求船隊及早向特洛伊開航.此舉令王后Clytemnestra悲痛憤恨,萌生為女復仇之念.
我最擁護的角色是特洛伊當家的大王子Hector,一個有能力,有謀略,有擔當的軍事將領,驍勇善戰的武士,親民的領導者,愛家的男人.有他坐鎮,特洛伊城固若金湯.但是,他殺了一個敵人,而此舉改變了他自己與全城人的命運:他在戰場上手刃Achilles的親密伙伴Patraclus.
Photo
Agamemnon自己虜獲的女孩被贖回去了,就轉而強奪Achilles的戰利品,Achilles覺得受到奇恥大辱與莫大的委屈,若不是女戰神Athena(也是智慧之神)適時抓住Achilles的頭髮,個性衝動,此刻內心又嚴重受傷的Achilles差點就和統帥Agamemnon打起來了!雙方僵持中,Achilles便消極抵制戰局,不出擊,導致密友Patrocles代戰而亡.
當時Achilles正在憤怒罷戰,傷心氣餒,而希臘聯軍節節敗退,就要被逼退至沙灘,Patroclus為激勵士氣,扭轉戰局,就冒充Achilles,私自披掛他那一整套註冊商標的特製戰甲與武器,衝鋒上陣,結果反被Hector所殺.
Photo
左圖中Achilles正和戰友Ajax趁著戰鬥空檔,沉靜下來下一盤棋.其實,Achilles也受過良好的精英教育,他的老師是有名的半人馬教授Chiron,曾教導過古希臘數位冒險犯難,功勳彪炳的大英雄!他擅長的教學內容是:射箭,醫藥,彈弦琴吟唱等等.
Photo
希臘軍與特洛伊人激戰,矢志奪回Patroclus的屍體.
為了替密友報仇,Achilles單挑Hector.Hector明知與刀槍不入,又具神武蠻勁的Achilles戰鬥,必死無疑,但為了榮譽,仍然必須出城應戰.明知自己死後,特洛伊城勢將失陷,也無可奈何.不願作懦夫,只能勇敢地出城迎戰死亡之神!
憤恨難消的Achilles竟然在兩方人馬的注視下,拖行Hector的屍體,做更進一步的身體凌虐!之後並把屍體拖到自己陣營,曝露在帳篷外,霸為己有!此舉剝奪了Hector被好好埋葬的權利,讓他的靈魂永遠在絕望與烈火中受苦!
Hector與妻兒訣別的場面令人心碎,但仍不及後來他的屍首被Achilles用戰車拖行繞城來得令人悲痛!不及他年邁的老父王Priam孤單一人,深入敵營去向弒子的Achilles求贖兒子屍首時的錐心泣血!也遠不及特洛伊城陷落後,他的幼兒被敵人從萬仞高牆丟出,親人眼睜睜看他墬地而死的悲慘!
更可憐的是存活下來的婦女.Hector的妻子Andromache以及他的妹妹Cassandra(原來擔任Apollo的女祭司),和特洛伊城其他的婦女一樣,被敵人擄掠回鄉,淪為奴隸,任憑凌虐.Cassandra被希臘聯軍統帥Agamemnon所得,卻在抵達邁錫尼的王宮時,遇上Agamemnon的皇后與情夫聯手喋血復仇,與Agamemnon先後被射殺身亡.
Photo
在邁錫尼出土的黃金塟喪面具,依所刻的特徵推測,好像是邁錫尼王Agamemnon.
Photo
Andromache的悲慘命運也令人唏噓.虜獲她的人正是殺夫者Achilles的兒子Neoptolemus.他在父親Achilles被射中腳踝去世後,到特洛伊加入戰場,是躲在木馬進入城裡的武士之一.
他把Hector和Andromache的嬰兒丟下城牆,殺了特洛伊國王Priam,抓了他的女兒Polyxena,由於Achillies生前愛過這位公主,Neoptolemus便把她當成犧牲品,在Achilles的墓前割其喉,灑其血,獻祭給他的父親大人.他還獲得了Hector的遺孀作為戰利品,但卻拋棄她.直到他這位名份上的主人死去之後,其他男人才又"接收"或"收容"Andromache.
特洛伊陣營迎戰希臘聯軍,歷時十年,終於被木馬之計所騙而陷落.希臘聯軍本為掠奪財寶而來,無意統治與經營,把整城虜掠一空,屠殺殆盡,以防後人報復,之後就焚城離去.特洛伊城因為地理位置的關係(扼黑海通往地中海的出入口)一再被世人重建,也一再被掠奪,層層疊疊的歷史遺蹟在20世紀出土之後,人們終於瞭解特洛伊的悲劇是真實的歷史血淚.後來,海岸線改變,特洛伊不再繁榮,才擺脫歷經的重演.
這一些苦痛,令人扼腕!只有一點可稍微帶來希望:屬於特洛伊陣營的Aeneas(母親是愛神Aphrodite,相當於羅馬人的Venus),帶著老父Anchises與兒子Ascanius逃出被劫掠殆盡,全城著火的特洛伊,往茫茫大海去逃生.歷經七年的艱苦漂泊與冒險,才得以安定下來.這整個故事可在羅馬詩人Virgil所著的史詩"The Aeneid"裡讀到.
Photo
建立羅馬城的雙生子是Romulus與Remus.
後來建立羅馬城的雙生子,傳說是被母狼養大的那對兄弟,就是Aeneas的後人.所以,羅馬人認為自己是愛神維納斯的後裔子孫.但是,在西方文化源流的認定上,荷馬的兩部希臘史詩"The Iliad"和"The Odyssey"還是最有權威的經典之作,廣為人知!相較之下,羅馬Virgil的"The Aeneid"就比較專門了!
Alexander the Great年幼時受教於大學者Aritotle亞里斯多德,在學養上是屬於希臘文明的精英份子.精研戰術,橫越歐亞非,沒有打過一場敗戰!
據說馬其頓的亞歷山大大帝在跨越歐亞的征途上,隨身帶著"The Iliad"展讀,願以Achilles為典範,因為他的母親告訴他:Achilles是母親一族的先祖,而他的親生父親是最偉大的天神宙斯Zeus!
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左圖中Achilles手刃亞馬遜女戰士(The Amazons)的女王,但是,Alexander the Great在征途上卻特別會見當時的亞馬遜女王,兩人在野外特地搭起的帳篷中度過一夜!(傳說如此,見亞歷山大傳記)
隨著英美語言文化的散播,當今讀過或知道"木馬屠城記"的人必定很多,特別是近年來不少電影都以特洛伊戰爭為題材,例如:"Helen of Troy"以及Brad Pett主演的"Troy."情節或多或少都經過改編,角色也有所轉型.例如:Achilles從脾氣爆烈,一心追求傳世聲名的武夫轉變成知道憐香惜玉的柔情漢子!
Photo
近影是以雅典衛城的少女像列柱,遠處是現代的雅典城.今日的希臘,僅管經濟出了問題,但仍然擁有世界上最大的船隊,執行著全球15%的海上航運!
~by Vinia
(Photos之後再上傳)
Photo
特洛伊戰爭表面上的原因:特洛伊王子Paris誘拐了斯巴達王后Helen
荷馬Homer的兩部史詩"The Iliad"(特洛伊圍城記)和"The Odyssey"(奧迪賽歸鄉記)是西洋文學裡始終閃耀的恆星,光芒傳遞數千年,仍然是人類想像力與英雄崇拜的強大光源.
Photo
在愛神Aphrodite(Venus)的魔力下,Helen愛上特洛伊王子Paris,不顧一切登船,為愛而投奔特洛伊.
只不過是特洛伊王子Paris誘拐斯巴達王后Helen而引發的愛琴海東西方的大戰!只不過是各路英雄齊集去征伐富甲一方的特洛伊城的戰爭故事!只不過是英雄屠城之後,Odysseus的歸鄉復國的冒險故事!但是,就是有讓人又愛又恨又無可奈何的地方,恰如人生.
Photo
屬於希臘陣營的King Nestor在開航前獻祭.
Photo
久候不見起風,希臘聯軍統帥Agamemnon(邁錫尼王)把自己的女兒送上祭壇,乞求船隊及早向特洛伊開航.此舉令王后Clytemnestra悲痛憤恨,萌生為女復仇之念.
我最擁護的角色是特洛伊當家的大王子Hector,一個有能力,有謀略,有擔當的軍事將領,驍勇善戰的武士,親民的領導者,愛家的男人.有他坐鎮,特洛伊城固若金湯.但是,他殺了一個敵人,而此舉改變了他自己與全城人的命運:他在戰場上手刃Achilles的親密伙伴Patraclus.
Photo
Agamemnon自己虜獲的女孩被贖回去了,就轉而強奪Achilles的戰利品,Achilles覺得受到奇恥大辱與莫大的委屈,若不是女戰神Athena(也是智慧之神)適時抓住Achilles的頭髮,個性衝動,此刻內心又嚴重受傷的Achilles差點就和統帥Agamemnon打起來了!雙方僵持中,Achilles便消極抵制戰局,不出擊,導致密友Patrocles代戰而亡.
當時Achilles正在憤怒罷戰,傷心氣餒,而希臘聯軍節節敗退,就要被逼退至沙灘,Patroclus為激勵士氣,扭轉戰局,就冒充Achilles,私自披掛他那一整套註冊商標的特製戰甲與武器,衝鋒上陣,結果反被Hector所殺.
Photo
左圖中Achilles正和戰友Ajax趁著戰鬥空檔,沉靜下來下一盤棋.其實,Achilles也受過良好的精英教育,他的老師是有名的半人馬教授Chiron,曾教導過古希臘數位冒險犯難,功勳彪炳的大英雄!他擅長的教學內容是:射箭,醫藥,彈弦琴吟唱等等.
Photo
希臘軍與特洛伊人激戰,矢志奪回Patroclus的屍體.
為了替密友報仇,Achilles單挑Hector.Hector明知與刀槍不入,又具神武蠻勁的Achilles戰鬥,必死無疑,但為了榮譽,仍然必須出城應戰.明知自己死後,特洛伊城勢將失陷,也無可奈何.不願作懦夫,只能勇敢地出城迎戰死亡之神!
憤恨難消的Achilles竟然在兩方人馬的注視下,拖行Hector的屍體,做更進一步的身體凌虐!之後並把屍體拖到自己陣營,曝露在帳篷外,霸為己有!此舉剝奪了Hector被好好埋葬的權利,讓他的靈魂永遠在絕望與烈火中受苦!
Hector與妻兒訣別的場面令人心碎,但仍不及後來他的屍首被Achilles用戰車拖行繞城來得令人悲痛!不及他年邁的老父王Priam孤單一人,深入敵營去向弒子的Achilles求贖兒子屍首時的錐心泣血!也遠不及特洛伊城陷落後,他的幼兒被敵人從萬仞高牆丟出,親人眼睜睜看他墬地而死的悲慘!
更可憐的是存活下來的婦女.Hector的妻子Andromache以及他的妹妹Cassandra(原來擔任Apollo的女祭司),和特洛伊城其他的婦女一樣,被敵人擄掠回鄉,淪為奴隸,任憑凌虐.Cassandra被希臘聯軍統帥Agamemnon所得,卻在抵達邁錫尼的王宮時,遇上Agamemnon的皇后與情夫聯手喋血復仇,與Agamemnon先後被射殺身亡.
Photo
在邁錫尼出土的黃金塟喪面具,依所刻的特徵推測,好像是邁錫尼王Agamemnon.
Photo
Andromache的悲慘命運也令人唏噓.虜獲她的人正是殺夫者Achilles的兒子Neoptolemus.他在父親Achilles被射中腳踝去世後,到特洛伊加入戰場,是躲在木馬進入城裡的武士之一.
他把Hector和Andromache的嬰兒丟下城牆,殺了特洛伊國王Priam,抓了他的女兒Polyxena,由於Achillies生前愛過這位公主,Neoptolemus便把她當成犧牲品,在Achilles的墓前割其喉,灑其血,獻祭給他的父親大人.他還獲得了Hector的遺孀作為戰利品,但卻拋棄她.直到他這位名份上的主人死去之後,其他男人才又"接收"或"收容"Andromache.
特洛伊陣營迎戰希臘聯軍,歷時十年,終於被木馬之計所騙而陷落.希臘聯軍本為掠奪財寶而來,無意統治與經營,把整城虜掠一空,屠殺殆盡,以防後人報復,之後就焚城離去.特洛伊城因為地理位置的關係(扼黑海通往地中海的出入口)一再被世人重建,也一再被掠奪,層層疊疊的歷史遺蹟在20世紀出土之後,人們終於瞭解特洛伊的悲劇是真實的歷史血淚.後來,海岸線改變,特洛伊不再繁榮,才擺脫歷經的重演.
這一些苦痛,令人扼腕!只有一點可稍微帶來希望:屬於特洛伊陣營的Aeneas(母親是愛神Aphrodite,相當於羅馬人的Venus),帶著老父Anchises與兒子Ascanius逃出被劫掠殆盡,全城著火的特洛伊,往茫茫大海去逃生.歷經七年的艱苦漂泊與冒險,才得以安定下來.這整個故事可在羅馬詩人Virgil所著的史詩"The Aeneid"裡讀到.
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建立羅馬城的雙生子是Romulus與Remus.
後來建立羅馬城的雙生子,傳說是被母狼養大的那對兄弟,就是Aeneas的後人.所以,羅馬人認為自己是愛神維納斯的後裔子孫.但是,在西方文化源流的認定上,荷馬的兩部希臘史詩"The Iliad"和"The Odyssey"還是最有權威的經典之作,廣為人知!相較之下,羅馬Virgil的"The Aeneid"就比較專門了!
Alexander the Great年幼時受教於大學者Aritotle亞里斯多德,在學養上是屬於希臘文明的精英份子.精研戰術,橫越歐亞非,沒有打過一場敗戰!
據說馬其頓的亞歷山大大帝在跨越歐亞的征途上,隨身帶著"The Iliad"展讀,願以Achilles為典範,因為他的母親告訴他:Achilles是母親一族的先祖,而他的親生父親是最偉大的天神宙斯Zeus!
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左圖中Achilles手刃亞馬遜女戰士(The Amazons)的女王,但是,Alexander the Great在征途上卻特別會見當時的亞馬遜女王,兩人在野外特地搭起的帳篷中度過一夜!(傳說如此,見亞歷山大傳記)
隨著英美語言文化的散播,當今讀過或知道"木馬屠城記"的人必定很多,特別是近年來不少電影都以特洛伊戰爭為題材,例如:"Helen of Troy"以及Brad Pett主演的"Troy."情節或多或少都經過改編,角色也有所轉型.例如:Achilles從脾氣爆烈,一心追求傳世聲名的武夫轉變成知道憐香惜玉的柔情漢子!
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近影是以雅典衛城的少女像列柱,遠處是現代的雅典城.今日的希臘,僅管經濟出了問題,但仍然擁有世界上最大的船隊,執行著全球15%的海上航運!
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