The World Beyond BetterMost > The Culture Tent
Mary Renault Book Discussion
Kerry:
Chapter 4
Casting a spell that would put the powers of the most beguiling enchantress to shame, Mary Renault conjures this dazzling picture of the ancient port of Piraeus, at its most magnificent. Athens, at the height of its glory.
Recreated trireme, The Olympia,
docked in Piraeus
Xenophon and I, to escape all this gloom in the City, spent our spare time in Piraeus. Here there was always something new; a rich metic from Phrygia or Egypt might be building himself a house in the style of his former city, or putting up a shrine to one of the gods whom one hardly knew in his foreign dress, with even a dog’s head perhaps or a fish’s tail; or there would be a new shipment in the Emporion of carpets from Babylon, Persian lapis, Scythian turquoises, or tin and amber from the wild Hyperborean places that only Phoenicians know.
The Egyptian God, Anubis
Our silver owls were the only coinage, then, that was good all over the world. You saw in the wide streets Nubians with plugs of ivory pulling their ears down to their shoulders; long-haired Medes, in trousers and sequin bonnets; Egyptians with painted eyes, wearing only skirts of stiff linen and collars of gems and beads. The air was heavy with the smell of foreign bodies, of spices and hemp and pitch; strange tongues chattered like beast speaking to bird; one guessed at the meaning, and watched the talking hands.
A magical place, indeed.
injest:
--- Quote from: Kerry on March 02, 2007, 01:28:08 am ---Chapter 4
Casting a spell that would put the powers of the most beguiling enchantress to shame, Mary Renault conjures this dazzling picture of the ancient port of Piraeus, at its most magnificent. Athens, at the height of its glory.
Recreated trireme, The Olympia,
docked in Piraeus
Xenophon and I, to escape all this gloom in the City, spent our spare time in Piraeus. Here there was always something new; a rich metic from Phrygia or Egypt might be building himself a house in the style of his former city, or putting up a shrine to one of the gods whom one hardly knew in his foreign dress, with even a dog’s head perhaps or a fish’s tail; or there would be a new shipment in the Emporion of carpets from Babylon, Persian lapis, Scythian turquoises, or tin and amber from the wild Hyperborean places that only Phoenicians know.
The Egyptian God, Anubis
Our silver owls were the only coinage, then, that was good all over the world. You saw in the wide streets Nubians with plugs of ivory pulling their ears down to their shoulders; long-haired Medes, in trousers and sequin bonnets; Egyptians with painted eyes, wearing only skirts of stiff linen and collars of gems and beads. The air was heavy with the smell of foreign bodies, of spices and hemp and pitch; strange tongues chattered like beast speaking to bird; one guessed at the meaning, and watched the talking hands.
A magical place, indeed.
--- End quote ---
this is interesting to me, Kerry. Alexias doesn't see these gods as opposing gods...enemies of his own but rather the same gods wearing other forms.
would make for a much more tolerant society if we could all do that.
Kerry:
--- Quote from: injest on March 02, 2007, 01:44:53 am ---this is interesting to me, Kerry. Alexias doesn't see these gods as opposing gods...enemies of his own but rather the same gods wearing other forms.
would make for a much more tolerant society if we could all do that.
--- End quote ---
Many ancient civilisations were tolerant and respectful of the customs and culture of others. For example, there were temples dedicated to the Egyptian Goddess, Isis, in Rome. Very enlightened.
Isis
Kerry:
Man & Youth at Symposium
“Unrequited love’s a drag,” as Mama Cass once said. And nearly all of us have experience the excruciating pain, at some time in our lives, of being deeply in love with someone who didn’t even know of our existence. Speaking for myself, I vividly remember the crush I had on my high school physical education teacher. Adolescent love is more like a blight than a delight. It can lay you low. Make you sick. Drive you to distraction. One becomes morbidly preoccupied with the object of your desire. At the age of 16, Mr D was my singular raison d’etre! And then, one day, he came up to me in the school yard, and spoke to me. He asked me some inane question about my father, I recall. And though I loved him with a passion that was fast threatening to annihilate me, I found that the only way I could respond to this beautiful, god-like man; this vision splendid; was by stuttering out a mumbled response, giggling, and turning such a bright shade of fire engine red, I thought my head would surely burst into flames at any moment. Ah, adolescence! More to be endured, than enjoyed!
Unlike my Mr D, it looks like the object of Alexias’ ardour, Lysis, is beginning to pay attention and take notice. Even though Lysis was engaged in conversation with his peers about the whereabouts of Sokrates, it would appear that his attention was surreptitiously drawn elsewhere. Lysis had made a point of noticing that Alexias had twisted his ankle. Not unusual in itself. However, Lysis leaves his companions and takes a cooling cloth to Alexias, to bind his foot. Move over Florence Nightingale, Lysis is here to save the day!
Alexias tells us that he blushes so violently because he is ashamed that Lysis will find out that he hasn’t really been injured, or that he is malingering, or that he’s withdrawn from the race because he fears defeat. But I wonder if the real reason he has this reaction is because he has been surprised by the sudden, unexpected presence of the man he has been secretly fantasizing about and lusting over.
It reminds me of the Kahlil Gibran quote about the peasant who performs an act of bravery and is brought before the king to be honoured for his heroism. Even though he is thrilled to have his bravery acknowledged by the king, he is more mindful that he is trembling violently at being in the presence of his sovereign.
Here we have a man whom Alexias has been admiring from afar for some time. And now, suddenly, here he is, literally casting his shadow over Alexias’ person, soothing balm in hand, eager to administer comforting relief.
Psst, Alexias, he doesn’t find you boorish in the least. He’s got your name on his dance card, baby! He thinks you’re cute! Looks like the love you’re experiencing ain’t so unrequited after all!
injest:
well Alexias IS faking...he wanted to eavesdrop on Socrates friends' conversation!! and think if YOU were nude on the ground and the object of your admiration offered to touch you!! Knowing teenaged boys I imagine there was a reason all those men liked to come watch them exercise!! ::)
Here is Alexias's reaction:
I thanked him stammerinly, being taken by surprise, and overwhelmed that such a person should talk to me. Seeing I had a long way to look up, he came down on one knee; I saw he had a wet cloth in his hand, which he must have gotten from the bath. He paused for a moment and then said "Shall I do it?"
At this I remembered that nothing was wrong with me. I was so ashamed at the thought of his finding it out, and thinking I had sat down out of weakness or the fear of being outrun, that I felt my face and my whole body grow burning hot, and sat unable to answer anything. I thought he would be digusted by my boorishness; but holding out the cloth he said gently "If you would rather, then, do it yourself"
I like Lysis reaction to Alexias's shyness...SUCH a gentleman....*sigh*
but can you see HIS shyness? better hid than Alexias...
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