The Trojan Norse

Fac ut Vivas

[art credit: Paul Fleck] 

Where Oh Where Has the Trojan Norse Been?

"If you see a bright red glow to the south-east," I told my cousins the night before I left Norway for Greece, "that's just my mind going into overload."

Red glow aside, my mind has been constantly blown over and over since coming here (two weeks already!).

When not studying epigraphy, the Trojan Norse and a few school mates have been touring Athens as much as possible, surviving earthquakes, visiting sites like Sounion, and just generally being in awe all the time.

There's so much to say about the tip so far, and I wll try to post more stories and thoughts as I go along. For now, if you haven't checked out the flickr link on the side of the page, you definitely should. Or you can enclicken here if you like.

I've been much better at updating my pictures than this site, but I promise that I'll get better at it - just as the wonderful and lovley Sassafrass says - Swearsy.

Trojan Norse Book of the Month: June 2008

Ursula K. LeGuin's Lavinia was given to me by a close friend before I took off for my trip, and I was completely fascinated by the synopsis on the jacket before I read it: In the Aeneid,  it says,  Vergil's hero fights to claim the king's daughter, Lavinia, with whom he is destined to found an empire. Lavinia herself never speaks a word in the poem. Now Ursula K. LeGuin gives her a voice in a novel that takes us to the half-wild world of ancient Italy, when Rome was a muddy village near seven hills.

This book is based on the final six books of Vergil's Aeneid, after he has fled Troy, visited Sicily twice, and had his famous affair with Dido, Queen of Carthage.

This novel is absolutely incredible. At times it's as dreamy as Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, and other times as violent as the epic poem that inspired it. The book seamlessly weaves the horrid realities of battle and death with the most intimate and quiet of human moments. Equally impressive is how LeGuin jumps temporally throughout the book as well. The Lavinia of this book is a character exisiting in three worlds: her own, Vergil's, and in ours, creating a tapestry that I've never experienced in literature before.

It is said that LeGuin prepared for this book by reading, among other things, the entire Aeneid in Latin. She also extensiviley researched the geography and religion of the book's setting, making sure that her work was as accurate as possible. And her love for the source is apparent throughout the novel as well as in her Afterword. In it, she writes about her love of Vergil's poetry, her love of the Latin language, and her fear that the so-called dead language is now on the verge of actually dying.

Having just finished The War at Troy by Lindsay Clarke, it was a lot of fun to read about the Trojan War from a different point of view, and especially one with different heroes. The heroes of Lavinia are the pious: Aeneas and Silivius vs. Ascanius and Turnus.

I wish I could have spent more time in the world LeGuin created, but at the same time, I'm glad that I finally finished the book so I can get back to reading my Burkert books and translating the Apology without the distraction of such a wonderful and sublime novel tugging at my sleeve every chance it could.

Today in Ancient History: June 11

1184 BCE: If the calculations of the Greek librarian and mathematician Eratosthenes are correct, then today is the anniversary of the sacking of Troy. From then on, bad puns have been made just about anytime anyone gives someone a horse...

Leonidas: King, Warrior, Appliance Pitchman?

"Greeks! Throw down your quality specialty cookware appliances!"

"Persians! Come and get them!"

Today in Ancient History: June 9

68 CE: Amateur musician, pyromaniac, matricidist, mediocre poet, "singer", sub-par athlete, and Roman emperor kills himself with his own sword (and the help of his secretary) saying "what an artist dies in me."

Earthquake in Athens: June 8

Legend has it that when the first king of Athens sought a patron deity for his city, both Poseidon and Athena presented themselves as intereseted parties.

The king proposed that both of them should present him with a useful gift for the city, and that whoever gave the best gift would win the patronage.

So Poseidon struck the ground with his trident, and from the ground burst forth a saltwater spring (but some say it was horses). The water tasted bad and was useless.

Athena then caused an olive tree to grow from the ground, and as it matured, she explained the many uses of its fruit.

Athena's gift was chosen, and the city had it's god. Poseidon left angrily, even challenging Athena to combat, but Zeus and the other gods intervened to stop the hostilities between the two.

So today there was an earthquake near Athens. Around 3:30 local time this afternoon, the ground began to shake. The house I'm staying in wobbled for about 20 seconds or so and it felt like airplane turbulence.

Poseidon, of course is the god of earthquakes. Could it have been him reminding us of that event so long ago once again?

Book Review: The War at Troy by Lindsay Clarke

When most people think about the Trojan War, I would guess that after the Trojan Horse (sadly not the Trojan Norse... yet), most people would think of Homer.

Yet surprisingly little of the war actually takes place within the Iliad, or is described in the Odyssey. Most of the events that depict the events leading up to the war, the ten years of campaigns and battles, the sack of Troy, and the return of the Argives (save for Odysseus, of course) take place in other texts, plays, and poems.

Lindsay Clarke's The War at Troy does a fantastic job of collecting those stories into one master accounting.

Narrated by the Ithican bard Phemius, the book begins with the story of the Golden Apple of Discord which set in motion the divine motivations for the war, and ends with the very human reconciliation of Menelaus and Helen in Troy.

The book does a great job of putting together all the characters and stories in a cohesive manner that makes sense. Like in the film, Troy, Clarke focuses on the human story in the novel. The gods are present, especially at the beginning, but they soon take a back seat to the drama the develops between the mortal characters.

This is the first novel in a two book series. I look forward to reading The Return from Troy one of these days. And if you are looking for an entertaining read that puts a good deal of Trojan/Greek lore together in a fun read, I'd highly recommend this book.

Today in Ancient History: June 8

68 CE: Galba becomes the seventh Caesar of Rome (and the first emporer not of the Julio-Claudian dynasty). He marched on Rome following Nero's suicide and was found favorable to rule by the Praetorian Guard. Well... by those Praetorian Guardsmen who he didn't kill.

Galba ruled with the help of his advisors and made some very unpopular moves, including siezing land to pay off debts accrued by Nero, not bribing his soldiers, and disbanding the traditional unit of German body guards, which had been established by Augustus.

His rule barely lasted six months before he was killed. Some 120 people took credit for his death.

The Trojan Norse: Coming at You Live From Athens

For the next seven weeks, the Trojan Norse will be posting from Greece!

I arrived last night, taking the train into downtown Athens, then found the villa where I'll be staying. I'll be in Athens for the majority of the time, but I will be taking some trips outside of the city as well: Crete, Delphi, Sounion, Olympia, and Sparta are definitely on the list, and I'm sure I'll find some other places to visit as well.

Today, I've managed to find the Arch of Hadrian and the archaeological park where the Temple of Zeus stands. The Acropolis looms in the distance, calling me to visit. I hope to get there tomorrow.

The Arch of Hadrian was built in 131 CE to commemorate his visit to the city. I was able to get a picture of the inscription on one side of it, but not the other (at least not yet!).  On one side it reads "This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus" and on the other it reads, "This is the city of Hadrian, not of Theseus."

I'm looking forward to exploring the city more, and maybe even making friends with some of the locals. I better get some biscuits...

[photo credit: Clinton Jarboe]