I should add that the French term “la belle mort” figures prominently in The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours, https://chs.harvard.edu/chapter/part-i-hour-5-when-mortals-become-equal-to-immortals-death-of-a-hero-death-of-a-bridegroom/, as for example at the paragraph that you find at 5§108. Read more
A favorite example for me is a statue of Apollo’s head with hair made of gold leaf, pictured at §1 of https://classical-inquiries.chs.harvard.edu/comments-on-comparative-mythology-1-about-apollo/. Read more
For an example of at attempt at reading the whole Iliad in just three days (!), I cite a remark made by Georges Dumézil, an expert in linguistics, who is advising other experts, as well as himself, to re-read the Iliad every year or so. I talk about this piece… Read more
Very true that the temptation in Lightning Thief is visual, whereas the Homeric version emphasizing taste. The Linton painting is fascinating for several reasons. The spectators in front are entranced by the art dealer’s tiny statuette, ignoring the life-sized statuary right above them and the delights of the garden in… Read more
I’d never considered how much more intimate the sense of taste is than sight. To taste, one has to be up close and personal. The tempting object literally becomes part of one’s body. In the case of the Lotus Eaters, this raises the sinister question, “Who is eating whom?” It… Read more
Very true that the temptation in Lightning Thief is visual, whereas the Homeric version emphasizing taste. The Linton painting is fascinating for several reasons. The spectators in front are entranced by the art dealer’s tiny statuette, ignoring the life-sized statuary right above them and the delights of the garden in… Read more
Very true that the temptation in Lightning Thief is visual, whereas the Homeric version emphasizing taste. The Linton painting is fascinating for several reasons. The spectators in front are entranced by the art dealer’s tiny statuette, ignoring the life-sized statuary right above them and the delights of the garden in… Read more
Fascinating. The connection between noos and nostos gives new meaning to the imperative that you shouldn't forget where you came from. Our thoughts and sense of self are so intimately tied to our homeland that to be cut off from one leads to the death of the mind. The plays… Read more
The text emphasizes that the crew's food and drink were consumed "right away," meaning their own resources were exhausted when they sought out the Lotus-Eaters for sustenance. Odysseus sends his men to explore and find new local food. He also makes a point of telling us that the Lotus-Eaters intended… Read more
Absolutely. Taste is a much more visceral sense, isn't it? It has to be done up close and personal, not enjoyed at a remove like sight. That makes it more intimate. The Lotus literally becomes part of the eater, and in the case of the Lotus Eaters raises a sinister… Read more