Sing, Goddess, Achilles’ rage,Black and murderous, that cost the GreeksIncalculable pain, pitched countless soulsOf heroes into Hades’ dark,And left their bodies to rot as feastsFor dogs and birds, as Zeus’ will was done. Begin with the clash between Agamemnon–The Greek warlord–and godlike Achilles. So opens the Illiad. Homer focuses our attention on the combatants: this isContinue reading “Elite Competition”
Tag Archives: Achilles
The Western Canon
It all started with an apple. Overlooked and uninvited to the wedding, Eris hand-grenaded a golden apple labeled “For the fairest” among the goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite. Each thought it was intended for her and, ever-competitive, they all demanded a judgement for the apple to be awarded.[1] Zeus, in his wisdom, was not aboutContinue reading “The Western Canon”
Better Angels
Uncle Jim pointed to a recent article in Science discussing Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (2011). I gave the book a quick read and found it a simple gloss on the benefits of global integration; hopeful homilies of an academician sheltered from the possibilities of violence. Pinker’s general thesis isContinue reading “Better Angels”
Protective Arts 