Book IV opens with yet another revolt from allies of the Athenians, this time the city of Messana. Syracuse encouraged the revolt to prevent Athens from a clear path to Sicily. Additionally, Athens is again invaded by the Spartans under King Agis, son of Archidamus. Meanwhile an Athenian fleet builds a fort as an outpost … Continue reading The Peloponnesian War, Book IV: Armistice and Mounting Losses
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The Peloponnesian War, Book III: Invasion and Revolution
Book III begins as Archidamus, King of Sparta, invades Attica. This triggers a revolt, notably on the island of Lesbos, because of Athens's enslavement of its allies, which causes a proxy war for Athens with the Mytilenians. The Plataeans were attacked by Thebes and retreat to Athens, and Athens defeats the revolt of the Mytilenians, … Continue reading The Peloponnesian War, Book III: Invasion and Revolution
The Peloponnesian War, Book II: Proxy Wars and Pericles’s Funeral Oration
Book II begins the rise of the war chronologically. The thirty years peace ends when Thebes (allied with the Peloponnesians) attacks Plataea (allied with Athens) and the Thebans surrender. Both cities are loctaed borth of Athens in Boetia. Plataea executes its 180 vaptured prisoners in the country before Athenian emissaries could arrive to instruct them … Continue reading The Peloponnesian War, Book II: Proxy Wars and Pericles’s Funeral Oration
La Chienne
La Chienne (1931) Director: Jean Renoir La Chienne (sometimes called "The Bitch") is the second sound film of the great Jean Renoir's career, son of painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It was later remade by Fritz Lang as Scarlet Street in 1945. Michel Simon, the lead actor, is best remembered for his roles in other films: Boudu Saved From Drowning and L'Atalante by Jean Vigo. … Continue reading La Chienne
The Dangers of the Poets in The Bacchae
The Bacchae (Bacchantes) is Euripides's greatest play. It tells the story of Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, as he jealously rebukes Pentheus, ruler of Thebes (the latter city of Oedipus), for his lack of faith in Dionysus's sovereignty. Pentheus's impiety ultimately costs his city and family their nobility -Dionysus, in disguise, persuades Pentheus … Continue reading The Dangers of the Poets in The Bacchae
What is the Chorus in Greek Tragedy?
In Classical Greek drama, the existence of a Chorus strikes the modern audience as odd. Why is there a Chorus? What role does it play? Where did the Chorus come from? The origin of the word "khoros" is cloaked in mystery, however it has been suggested by modern scholars that the word references an open dance … Continue reading What is the Chorus in Greek Tragedy?
Electra in Aeschylus vs. Euripides
In Euripides's Electra he draws swords with Aeschylus's much earlier and superior version of the same Orestes story, in The Libation Bearers. In Aeschylus, there is a kind of hero-worship in which Orestes triumphantly returns to Mycenae and he kills his parents, only to be troubled by the Furies. In Euripides's version, the story is told … Continue reading Electra in Aeschylus vs. Euripides
Further Consideration of Jonah
Though we know almost nothing about the author of the Book of Jonah, it has been suggested that the book emerged after the Babylonian exile due to its universalist monotheistic message which came about with Second Isaiah, the anonymous sixth-century prophet of Babylonian exile. This global conception of God is a wholly different than the … Continue reading Further Consideration of Jonah
In Appreciation of the Song of Songs
The foundational books of the Hebrew Bible were originally composed, though not edited, from the 10th or 9th century to the 7th century BC, excluding a few archaic poems. The critical moment in biblical history was the Babylonian exile, which began after the conquest of Judah and Jerusalem in 586 BC. The Song of Songs, … Continue reading In Appreciation of the Song of Songs
The Little Colonel
The Little Colonel (1935) Director: David Butler The first of four films starring Shirley Temple alongside Bill Robinson, The Little Colonel is a fun film of north and south comaraderie post-civil war, however portrayals of African Americans in the film will, no doubt, be troubling for modern audiences. Ironically, the famous scene of dancing on the … Continue reading The Little Colonel
