Clement of Alexandria is rumored to have been a disciple of Peter. He was from Alexandria, Egypt and later became the representative, or "bishop," of Rome, holding that office from about 88 AD until his death in 99 AD (per Tertullian). He was praised among many of the early Christian church leaders. Clement is considered … Continue reading On Clement’s Letter to the Corinthians
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Xenophon’s Perfect Country Gentleman in the Oeconomicus
The word "economics" comes down to us from the Greek meaning "household management" and the various contingents of the household. Thus the science of the economy is the science of the household or the estate. The title of Xenophon's seminal but brief dialogue points us to the theme of the text: household management, or more … Continue reading Xenophon’s Perfect Country Gentleman in the Oeconomicus
Socrates’s Desire to Die: On Xenophon’s Apology
Xenophon's Memorabilia ("recollections") is his public defense of Socrates, but the title is notably silent about whether or not the recollections are exclusively of Socrates. The text is, instead, rife with the recollections by Xenophon on the Socratic, and therefore, the philosophic life. As an alternative, his shorter Socratic writing, the Apology of Socrates, is clear about who … Continue reading Socrates’s Desire to Die: On Xenophon’s Apology
The War Between the Sexes in Lysistrata
Lysistrata is the only surviving Aristophanean play whose title designates the name of the main character. Most other plays convey the collective name of the Chorus or another chief theme of the play. Lysistrata means something like "releaser of war" or "army disbander" and we are invited by Aristophanes to consider her character above all others, as the … Continue reading The War Between the Sexes in Lysistrata
The Story of French Impressionism, Part XI: Georges Seurat and Paul Signac
Georges Seurat (1859-1891) and Paul Signac (1865-1935) are generally associated with "Post-Impressionism" and "Pointillism." Georges Seurat (pronounced "George Sir-rah") was born in Paris. His father grew wealthy from various real estate speculative investments. He studied art as a young man and developed refined sensibilities, as well as mathematical precision in his works. The Suburbs (1882–1883) … Continue reading The Story of French Impressionism, Part XI: Georges Seurat and Paul Signac
Dionysus’s Descent Into Hades In The Frogs
The Frogs is my favorite of Aristophanes's comedies. It is the only Aristophanean comedy to feature a god at the beginning -Dionysus, the god of the theatre, and his slave Xanthias. As they walk, Xanthias is meta-textually concerned with telling jokes that will make the audience laugh, and laughter presupposes some kind of suffering, though the … Continue reading Dionysus’s Descent Into Hades In The Frogs
Aristophanes’s The Birds: A New City in the Sky
Aristophanes The Birds ("Ornithets") is the only comedy written by Aristophanes whose entire action takes place far from the city of Athens. Consequently, the play makes little mention of the circumstances of the Peloponnesian War, or of contemporary Athenian politics. It won second prize at the Dionysia in 414 BC. It is a play about the … Continue reading Aristophanes’s The Birds: A New City in the Sky
The Story of French Impressionism, Part IX: Gustave Caillebotte
Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894) -pronounced "kye-bott"- was descended from a wealthy military textile family in Paris. His family owned a home in Paris and later bought a larger home south of Paris, as well. Photograph of Caillebotte circa 1878 Caillebotte studied law, and he was also drafted to serve in the armed forces during the Franco-Prussian War … Continue reading The Story of French Impressionism, Part IX: Gustave Caillebotte
Modernism in My Ántonia
A novel is just a glimpse, a framed and sometimes fragmented exploration into the depths of memory, psychology, time and place. Willa Cather's My Ántonia (pronounced "an-ton-ee-yuh") is one of the seminal works of the great American pastoral tradition, similar in style to O Pioneers! It is told as a reflection by Cather's childhood friend. Appropriately, … Continue reading Modernism in My Ántonia
The Story of French Impressionism, Part VIII: Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) is sometimes categorized as a "Post-Impressionist" painter by latter-day more sophisticated scholars of art history. In the same way that Manet is sometimes viewed as a bridge between "realism" and "modernism," Cézanne is sometimes viewed as a bridge between late Impressionism and other modernist movements, like Cubism. Both Matisse and Picasso are said … Continue reading The Story of French Impressionism, Part VIII: Paul Cézanne
