Mamma turns up
A few signals to keep an eye out for so you don’t miss the moment a god may show up: it could be aural, olfactory, visual or just a change in temperature. In this case it was the perfume of oceanic lavender that first hinted at the arrival of a goddess-mother,...
Cobalt polar lapis blue
A dazzlingly variegated Greek sky. It was under such a sky, which for me also includes hyacinth blue and lilac, that I realised the Greek national flag is simply the pairing of the deep inviting blue of its sky and the blinding whiteness of its church walls in the...Half a prayer
A perfect example of mercurial Greek god behaviour. No rhyme or reason, I grant this, I grant that, I refuse one thing, and not the other.May your prayers be granted, in whole or in part, but if in part, let it be the right part.’God heard his prayer and granted...
Fortune’s favour
This reminds me of an anonymous Elizabethan verse which I cite from memory: ‘Lift up thy heart and courage eke, Be bold and of good cheer; For Fortune most doth favour those Who all things least do fear.’ So, go forth and fear not! This is...
Hospitality protocol 101
Homer is awash with examples of great hospitality and generosity between hosts and guests, even uninvited ones washing up on the beach. Here is a pithy proverb summing up the responsibility of each. Logue’s magnificent rendition of several books of the...
To charm, to change …
Odysseus is a tricky hero, part noble, upstanding and brave, part slippery, trickery, too-clever-by-half. He is a compelling orator, and it is hard to tell if his apparent shuffling shyness is a feint to lull his audience, or win their sympathy.This is from...
Zeus dispenses with practicalities
Zeus here neatly rebuffs his daughter Athene’s requests. I like his suitably arch reaction, which puts all supplicants in their petty place, even gorgeous goddesses, allowing the god of gods to just hang out on Olympus undisturbed. ‘Child, I am God, Please do...
Of leaderless leadership
‘Leadership’ litters newspapers and networks such as LinkedIn, with people claiming to embody it, or vaunting the leadership of others. It’s perhaps one of the most over-hyped terms of our time, and rarely less convincingly than when combined with...
Hopelessly insane: Homer fans
Here Christopher Logue highlights the sheer vital durability of Homer and the magnitude of such sustainability, kept alive through a hard core of ‘Unprofessional Ancient Greek Readers’. I don’t know if I qualify, since the UAGR could refer only to...
As distinct as…
I like this geometric juxtaposition, though I might have made the distinction sharper: as distinct as circle and square? As distinct as line and circle?See also the bestellar reviews, complete with rich quote-mosaics, of Adam Nicolson’s magnificent Why Homer...
The icy scabs of the earth
A depiction of the north and south ice caps, as ‘icy scabs at either end of the earth’. And then having them wince in their sleep as Achilles’ distant scream reaches them from its middling latitude.See also the bestellar reviews, complete with rich...
Quiet in quiet rooms
A simple movement, settling back against a rope, evoking entire lives spent leaning into comfort and quiet, disengaging from din and adventure.See also the bestellar reviews, complete with rich quote-mosaics, of Adam Nicolson’s magnificent Why Homer Matters and...
