Tag: political philosophy
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Moses as Lawgiver
What is a lawgiver? In exploring this question, we turn to Moses, the earliest example of a lawgiver, and we contrast his character with others who came before him, such Abraham or King Hammurabi. Abraham, the teacher of the Israelites, is a father of a people -of “many nations” as promised by the Lord. He […]
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Persuading Achilles: Books IX, XVI, XXIV Considered
In Book IX of the Iliad, the Achaeans have been stricken with Panic (“panicos” meaning pertaining to Pan, the god of shepherds and wild animals). In the absence of Achilles on the battlefield, Hector has beaten back the Achaeans nearly to their ships. All that is left is to burn the Achaean ships into the […]
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Thoughts on Odysseus and Achilles
Achilles is a man of many passions. He is often described as quick, or “swift-footed.” For Achilles, the warrior, his life is short and grim. His unfettered rage is drawn out and drawn towards those who have offended him, especially those who have offended him most recently. He knows only friends and enemies. Rather than pursuing […]
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What is the Rage of Achilles?
The rage, or menin sometimes translated as “wrath”, of Achilles is the opening word of the Iliad and bears crucial significance with respect to the remaining content of the epic. This opening word stands in contrast to the first line of the Odyssey, a text about a man, whose opening word is andra, meaning “man.” If we take […]
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On the Homeric Question
The rising tide of scientific investigation, everywhere pervading our age, begs us, once more, to pose the question of the authenticity of Homer. This question comes about as a need to discover the sole source for the production of the Homeric works, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Could they have been the creation of one man? Or […]
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Political Philosophy in the Iliad
Book Two of the Iliad is the most politically revealing passage found in Homeric literature. Recall our heroes, the disparate Achaean princes feuding with one another. Despite being united under the arrogant leadership of Agamemnon, who is regularly deemed “the shepherd of the people,” the Achaeans are squabbling over property. The Achaeans have banded together to […]
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