Menander ("Menandros") has been called the last of the great Greek comedians from antiquity, a sign of the declining and changing tastes among the people of Athens. He carried on the legacy of Aristophanean comedy ("Old Comedy"), even though Aristophanes focused primarily on satirizing heroes and political leaders, while so-called "New Comedy" satirized the ordinary … Continue reading Menander and Dyskolos

Of the thirteen surviving epistles of Plato (coming from the Greek for "to send along" or "to send news" -a letter) the seventh letter is perhaps the most important, and longest of his letters, buried in the middle of thirteen letters. Also the central teaching of Plato's political philosophy is also buried in the middle … Continue reading Notes on Plato’s Seventh Letter

Christianity, as exemplified in the Gospels, poses a new way for human beings. By creatively reformulating, and thus revitalizing, the mores of the ancient Hebrews, and claiming to fulfill their prophecies, Christianity sows the seeds for a new morality. Jesus completes the public revealing of the new morality in the so-called "sermon on the mount" … Continue reading Thoughts on the “Newness” of the New Testament

The Gospel According to John is distinct from the other three so-called "synoptic gospels" (so-named for their historical synopses of Jesus's life): Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In contrast, John presents an existential text filled with dichotomies: manichean lightness and darkness, friends and enemies, sons and fathers and so on. The Gospel can be read as a pre-Aquinas attempt to harmonize faith … Continue reading On The Logos in the Gospel of John

Matthew According to the gospel of Matthew, Matthew was a "publican" or "tax collector" called by Jesus to follow him (5:9) though Mark and Luke identify this man as Levi. His gospel is anonymous, with the subscription of "according to Matthew" at least a couple hundred years after the death of Jesus. His gospel is, in some ways, a compilation … Continue reading Comparing the Death of Jesus in the Four Gospels

The Gospel (or "good news") according to Maththaîon is concerned with the fulfillment of ancient scriptures, hence why the text continually references the prophecies of Jeremiah. The gospel of Matthew takes great liberties to trace Jesus's genealogy to the ancient bloodline of Israel, as the objective is to persuade the general public of Jesus's divinity, through … Continue reading Matthew Chapters 5-7: The Sermon on the Mount

Xenophon's Memorabilia, or "recollections" is a treatise written to the greatest number of people. It is the longest and most beautiful of Xenophon's Socratic works. It is manifestly distinct from the Oeconomicus, which is Xenophon's natural response to Aristophanes's caricature of Socrates in The Clouds. Memorabilia is Xenophon's public apologia for Socrates. The text is written directly from Xenophon's first-person perspective, … Continue reading On Xenophon’s Account of Socrates in the Memorabilia

Simonides is the legendary Greek poet hailing from the island of Ceos, off the coast of Attica. He lived during the turn of the 6th and 5th centuries BC. As a youth, he left his home on the island and made way for Athens. He may have met Pindar, the great creator of odes among … Continue reading Who Is Simonides?