Greek Texts: Week 10: Looking backwards and forward with Imperial Greek Literature

What is the author in hellenistic literature?

 study of texts from the archaic and classical past; original reinterpretation

What does the text show in hellenistic literature?

importance of writing 

What is the audience like in hellenistic literature?

educated; decodes the authors allusions and references

What themes are shown in literature?

Boundaries between literary genres interest in erotic and naturalistic themes, emotions, myths and realism (everyday life)

Where else are these themes reflected?

This is also reflected in Hellenistic art. Hellenistic literature also shows an interest in myth. 

Write out Theocr. Id. 1.1-63:

THYRSIS 

There is sweet music in that pine tree’s whisper, goatherd,

There by the spring. Sweet, too is the music of your pipe;

You would win the second prize to Pan. If he takes as his

Reward a horned goat, you will have the she-goat. If he

Wins the she-goat as a prize, the kid will fall to you.

A kid’s meat is good, until the time it gives its milk.

 

 

GOATHERD 

Shepherd, your song sounds sweeter than the water tumbling

Over there from the high rock. If the Muses take a ewe

As their prize, yours will be a stall-fed lamb. If they desire

To take the lamb, then you will carry off the ewe.

 

 

THYRSIS 

Come and sit here, goatherd, please, for the Nymphs’ sake,

Where tamarisks grow and the land slopes away from this mound,

And play your pipe; I shall pasture your goats meanwhile.

 

GOATHERD 

We’re not allowed to pipe at midday, shepherd – not allowed.

It's then that Pan rests, you know, tired from the hunt.

We're afraid of him; he's tetchy at this hour, and his lip

Is always curled in sour displeasure. But look, Thyrsis, you

Have sung of The Sufferings of Daphnis, and you outstrip

All others in herdsman’s song; so come, let's sit

Here under this elm, facing Priapus’ image and the spring

There by the oaks and that shepherd’s seat. If you sing

As once you did in the match with Libyan Chromis

I'll give you three milkings of a goat that suckles twins,

Yet has enough left to fill two pails. I'll give you too

A deep cup, sealed with a layer of sweet wax,

Two-handled, newly made, still smelling of the knife.

At its lip winds an ivy pattern, ivy dotted with

Golden clusters; its tendrils twist this way and that,

Glorifying in their yellow fruit. Inside the plant’s frame is carved

(Truly gods’ craft) a woman resplendent in a dress and circlet.

She stands between two men with fine long hair, who compete

In alternating song, but do not touch her heart. She smiles,

Glances at one, then turns to look at the other, while they,

Their eyes long swollen with love, keep on their useless toil.

Next to them is carved an old fisherman, who stands

On a jagged rock. Urgently he gathers up his great net

For the cast, the image of a man straining his back to a task.

You'd think he was at his strength’s limit, so do the sinews

Swell all around his neck as he fishes. Grey haired

He may be, but his strength is the strength of youth.

Not far from this sea-beaten old man there is a vineyard,

Heavily laden with dark ripe grape-clusters. A little boy

Watches over it, perched on a drystone wall.

Two foxes lurk nearby; one prowls down the vine rows,

Stealing the ripe fruit, while the other pits all her cunning

Against the boy’s satchel. No respite for him, she reckons,

Till he has nothing left for breakfast but dry bread.

But he is twisting a pretty cricket-cage of asphodel,

Plaiting it with rushes, with never a thought for satchel

And vines, absorbed as he is in his weaving task.

All round the cup’s base spreads pliant acanthus, a wonder

For goatherds to see and a marvel to strike your heart.

For it I gave a sailor from Calyndos a goat and a huge cheese

Of white milk; but it’s still spotless, and has never touched

My lips. My friend, I would gladly give it to you, for your

Enjoyment, if you would sing me that delightful song.

Please – I don't speak in mockery; everyone knows you cannot

Take your song to Hades, place of oblivion, and save it there.

What happens in lines 1-14 in Theocritus’ Idyll 1?

Thyrsis and an anonymous goatherd compliment each other’s musical ability

What happens in lines 15-63 in Theocritus’ Idyll 1?

The goatherd invites Thyrsis to sing and promises him a goat and a wooden cup; description of the cup

What happens in lines 64-145 in Theocritus’ Idyll 1?

Thyrsis’ song, lament for Daphnis

What happens in lines 146-152 in Theocritus’ Idyll 1?

Praise by the goatherd; the cup is given to Thyrsis

What did Payne say about ecphrasis?

“The ecphrasis, then, is a manifest fiction, and what it offers the reader is a concentrated experience of fictional involvement and a paradigm of the way in which this involvement can further fictionalize fictional facts by providing them with all kind of imaginary motivations and contexts. […] the goatherd’s narration leaves us in no doubt that what we are listening to is in part invention. The ecphrasis is a fictional character’s imaginative engagement with a work of visual fiction. To participate in it fully, he creates a world from the hints its still images offer. In this sense the goatherd’s response to the bowl can be seen as a mise en abyme of the reader’s response to the poem itself. The quick succession of scenes, and our effort to correct the goatherd’s interpretive decisions regarding them, surely make us aware that our own willingness to participate in these fictional worlds rivals his own.

What is ecphrasis?

the use of detailed description of a work of visual art as a literary device

Who was Theocritus?

Theocritus was a poet, from Siciliy but he also worked in Alexandria, which had an important role in this period (famous library)

How is Theocritus’ poetry characterised?

Theocrtius poetry is characterised by the themes and topics from above but generally in his Idylls, there is an idealised landscape where shepherds could compete with each other and sing songs about love. Theocritus used obscure stuff as he wants his audience to decode what he is saying. 

What happened to Daphnis in Idyll 1?

In Idyll 1 we arent completely sure what happened to Daphnis, we dont know why they are dead the only thing we know is it was due to love.

What is on the wooden cup in the text?

Wooden cup, the goatherd describes the cup- three main scene of every day life on this cup, second scene: an old fisherman who is gathering his nets and fishing, this scene: a boy immersed in beautiful nature, he is building a cage for crickets.

What is an important element in the text?

 Fictionality is an important element in this text

What is ekphrasis and give an example

Ekphrasis is a manifest fiction e.g. the goatherd is describing more than what he can see on the cup, he is describing elements on the cup that can't physically be there- imagining more than what he sees e.g. the sound of the two men trying to seduce the woman in the first scene

What is ekphrasis intended to create?

Ekphrasis is intended to create a reality of an object that does not exist. We see ourselves reflected in the goatherd, we are looking with him at this cup, we are trying to understand what it is, engaging with the cup together with the goatherd.

What does the ‘non-performity’ in Idyll 1 show?

In Idyll 1 the “non-performativity” of the text thus becomes another marker of its fully fictional character.

What does face to face storytelling in the idyll do?

While face-to-face storytelling (as the poem portrays it) responds directly to its audience’s desires, the text must seduce its readers with the promise of an experience they cannot have outside it.

What is the purpose of the goatherd in the Idyll?

. In the gap that opens up between representation and performance Theocritus places the reader, whose representative within the poem is the nameless goatherd. It is he who shows us the work of the imagination in his description of the bowl, so that we see how we are to bridge this gap in our reading of the song, when he, in direct contact with its immediacy, can no longer be our guide.”

Write out Theocritus Idyll 11:

There is in nature no remedy for love, Nicias—neither an ointment, I believe, nor a powder—other than the Pierian Muses. This remedy is a light and pleasant one for mortals, but it is not easy to find. I know that you are well aware of this, being both a doctor and an especial favorite of all nine Muses. Our countryman the Cyclops, Polyphemus of old, got on as easily as he could in this way when he was in love with Galatea, the beard just sprouting round his mouth and temples. He loved not with apples or roses or locks of hair, but with outright madness, and he thought everything else was less important. Often his sheep returned alone to their fold from the green pasture while he, singing of Galatea, pined away alone on the weedy seashore from daybreak, having a most hateful wound deep in his heart, which an arrow from the great Cyprian goddess had fixed in his liver. But he discovered the remedy; and, sitting on a high rock, he would sing in this way as he gazed out to sea:

“O white Galatea, why do you reject one who loves you—whiter than curd to look on, softer than the lamb, more skittish than the calf, sleeker than the unripe grape

[…]

I know why you avoid me, lovely girl: it’s because a long, single eyebrow stretches from one of my ears to the other, a shaggy brow over my whole forehead; and beneath it is a single eye, and a broad nostril above my lip. Yet, though I am so, I pasture a thousand sheep, and from them I draw and drink the finest milk. Cheese does not fail me in summer or autumn or at the end of winter: my racks are always laden. I know how to pipe like no other of the Cyclopes here, singing of you, my dear sweet apple, and of myself, often late into the night. I am rearing eleven fawns for you, all with collars, and four bear cubs.

[…]

Even if I seem rather too shaggy, I do have oak logs and undying fire under the ash; and in my burning love for you I would yield up my soul and my single eye. I have no dearer possession than that.

[…]

O Cyclops, Cyclops, where have your wits flown? If you went and plaited wicker baskets and cut down greenery and carried it to your lambs, you would have much more sense. Milk the sheep that’s by you; why do you pursue someone who flees? Maybe you’ll find another Galatea who is even prettier. Many girls invite me to play with them through the night, and they all giggle when I take notice. It’s clear that on land I too am a somebody.”

 

In this way Polyphemus shepherded his love with singing, and he did better than if he had spent money

What happens in lines 1-18 in Idyll 11?

love as illness; poetry as cure; description of Polyphemus’ love for Galatea

What happens in lines 19-29 in Idyll 11?

song of Polyphemus who recalls when he first saw Galatea

What happens in lines 30-53 in Idyll 11?

Polyphemus shows the advantages of being with him

What happens in lines 54-62 in Idyll 11?

Polyphemus imagines to swim and join Galatea

What happens in lines 63-79 in Idyll 11?

Polyphemus invites Galatea to stay with him on his mountain; Polyphemus’ pangs of love; realisation that Galatea is not reciprocating his love

What happens in lines 80-81 in Idyll 11?

poetry as a cure for love

What is Polyphemus aware of and how does he try to overcome this?

Polyphemus is aware that his physical appearance is why Galatea is disgusted, so he brings milk and cheese and plays his bagpipe to try convince her to love him

What is Polyphemus’ poetry like?

His poetry is clumsy and points out his roughness where he is trying to show how he is mature and loving

How did idyll 11 open?

Opened with love, common topic of Hellenistic literature

How do the relationships change from line 72?

 line 72 we see that Polyphemus seems to have forgotten Galateia, he is directing his attention to other maidends, and these maidens are smiling at him so he interprets this as their attrecation

How is poetry presented in this poem?

Poetry is presented as a cure for love, but is it really a remedy for love.

How is Polyohemus presented in this idyll?

In Idyll 11 we have a very different polyohemus to the odyssey, he is not violent just a sheppherd in love

What references to Homer are there in the idyll?

The author knows and studies past literary traditions so he would know Homer, in Idyll 11 there are references to the odyssey e.g. line 52-53 also when he says he can't be without his single eye (reference to the odyssey), polyphemus seems to be aware that there is a poetic tradition about him where he is presented as monstrous

What does Goldhill say about the Idyll?

“The proposed flight from one Galatea to the next. The cure for desire seems to be … another desire […] So, then, can we be sure that we are seeing a development of cathartic self-awareness through song in these final lines? Is this song really a serious proof of the eventual healing powers of song?”

What do we know about the Imperial Greek Literature and second sophistic

• Roughly late II- mid III century CE 

• Philostratus, Lives of the sophists: «Second Sophistic»

• Public performances; display of the sophist’s erudition; the sophist is scrutinised by the audience

• Intertextuality and playfulness 

• Paideia of the elite; Greek language and culture

What is the second sophistic?

Second sophistic is much more complex so its hard to find neat definitions for what we are talking about.

How do the audience impact the second sophistic?

The audience of the second sophistic can actively influence the sophists, as they are constantly observed and scrutinised by the audience, their speeches were written out after their performances, we must consider that these texts will be heard as well as read

What are other works of philostratus?

• Other works of Philostratus: Gymnasticus, Love Letters, Life of Apollonius of Tyana, Lives of the sophists, Heroicus

Where do ekphrasis and naples come into his work?

• Ekphrastic tour of a sophist among the paintings of a Neapolitan villa

• Set in Naples during public games; where public speeches are performed (rhetorical competitions) 

• Performance of the sophist before the 10-year-old son of his Neapolitan host and a group of young boys

• 65 descriptions of paintings (probably they did not exist)

What are Enargeia and sapheneia?

(«vividness» and «clearness»)

What should ekphrasis do?

Ekphrasis should make us see the described objects as if they were before our eyes

What is the aim of the imagines?

“The present discussion, however, is not to deal with painters nor yet with their lives; rather we propose to describe examples of paintings in the form of addresses which we have composed for the young, that by this means they may learn to interpret paintings and to appreciate what is esteemed in them.” (Philostr. Imag. praef. 3, translated by Arthur Fairbanks)

Write out Philostratus, Imag. 2.18:

These men harvesting the fields and gathering the grapes, my boy, neither ploughed the land nor planted the vines, but of its own accord the earth sends forth these its fruits for them; they are in truth Cyclopes, for whom, I know not why, the poets will that the earth shall produce its fruits spontaneously. And the earth has also made a shepherd-folk of them by feeding the flocks, whose milk they regard as both drink and meat. They know neither assembly nor council nor yet houses, but they inhabit the clefts of the mountain. (2) Not to mention the others, Polyphemus son of Poseidon, the fiercest of them, lives here; he has a single eyebrow extending above his single eye and a broad nose astride his upper lip, and he feeds upon men after the manner of savage lions. But at the present time he abstains from such food that he may not appear gluttonous or disagreeable; for he loves Galatea, who is sporting here on the sea, and he watches her from the mountain-side. (3) And though his shepherd’s pipe is still under his arm and silent, yet he has a pastoral song to sing that tells how white she is and skittish and sweeter than unripe grapes, and how he is raising for Galatea fawns and bear-cubs. All this he sings beneath an evergreen oak, heeding not where his flocks are feeding nor their number nor even, any longer, where the earth is. He is painted a creature of the mountains, fearful to look at, tossing his hair, which stands erect and is as dense as the foliage of a pine tree, showing a set of jagged teeth in his voracious jaw, shaggy all over—breast and belly and limbs even to the nails. He thinks, because he is in love, that his glance is gentle, but it is wild and stealthy still, like that of wild beasts subdued under the force of necessity. (4) The nymph sports on the peaceful sea, driving a team of four dolphins yoked together and working in harmony; and maiden-daughters of Triton, Galatea’s servants, guide them, curbing them in if they try to do anything mischievous or contrary to the rein. She holds over her head against the wind a light scarf of sea-purple to provide a shade for herself and a sail for her chariot, and from it a kind of radiance falls upon her forehead and her head, though no whit more charming than the bloom on her cheek; her hair is not tossed by the breeze, for it is so moist that it is proof against the wind. And lo, her right elbow stands out and her white forearm is bent back, while she rests her fingers on her delicate shoulder, and her arms are gently rounded, and her breasts project, nor yet is beauty lacking in her thigh. Her foot, with the graceful part that ends in it, is painted as on the sea, my boy, and it lightly touches the water as if it were the rudder guiding her chariot. Her eyes are wonderful, for they have a kind of distant look that travels as far as the sea extends.

What happens in Imag. 2.18.1?

landscape and the Cyclopes (golden age world)

What happens in Imag. 2.18.2-3?

description of Polyphemus in love with Galatea

What happens in Imag. 2.18.4?

description of Galatea who ignores the Cyclops

What do we learn about Polyphemus in this section?

Polyphemus is neglecting his sheep and instead feeding calves? 

His horrendous appearance is again described

What references are mde to theocritus and homer?

References to theocritus and homer, polyhemus is said to eat humans but the sophists say that he doesn't eat them anymore as he doesn't want to appear as horrendous to Galateia, reference to Homer.

What is the name of this piece of art:

Wall painting, Polyphemus and Galatea, from villa at Boscotrecase, I century BC.

What is the name of this painting:

Blaise de Vigenère (1629), Les Images ou Tableaux de platte peinture des deux Philostrates, image of Polyphemus, p. 436

What does the first painting show?

Luxurious natural world, polyphemus and Galateia are very small compared to the natural landscape in the background he is throwing stones at a ship.

Two episodes of his life, one is his love for galateia and in the background he is showing his homeric story

What is happening in this painting?:

On the left polyohemus and galateia are looking at each other

What is happening in this painting?:

he is receiving a letter from her.

What do these paintings show?

New interpretation of her reciprocating his love, shown through the change in gazes- gazing at someone can mean reciprocating someones love

What themes do ancient novels have?

• Stories that discuss Romance; couple of beautiful young lovers; love at first sight

• Setting: city

• Love is threatened by other suitors or by fortune 

• Separation of the couple; vicissitudes (abduction, pirates, travels, slavery, war, faked death, …)

• Happy ending

Who wrote daphnis and chloe?

Longus

What is the plot of Daphnis and Chloe?:

“Daphnis and Chloe, born to prominent families of Mytilene but abandoned as infants in the countryside, are suckled respectively by a goat and a ewe, discovered each by a different shepherd, and raised by that shepherd’s family. Grazing their goats and sheep together in their early teens, they develop a strong mutual attraction but know nothing about the workings of love, which they gradually discover by trial and error. They are pointed in the right direction by a wise old shepherd, Philetas, and Daphnis is tutored in the basics of lovemaking by a married woman from the city. Along the way they encounter external obstacles as well—the demands of seasonal labor, separation in winter, Daphnis’ abduction by pirates and Chloe’s by a party of wealthy young men from Methymna, unwelcome attention from amorous rivals—but these they overcome with help from the benevolent and ever-present deities of the countryside: Pan and the Nymphs, and Dionysus. Daphnis’ true identity is discovered when his parents visit their country estate, and Chloe’s recognition soon follows. The couple are married and finally consummate their love.”

What are themes in Daphnis and Chloe?

• Slow development of love between the hero and the heroine; psychological analysis – no love at first sight

• Natural and bucolic landscape – no city

• Travel through time rather than through space

What other writes are referenced in Daphnis and Chloe?

• References: Theocritus; historiography (Herodotus, Thucydides); Sappho

What do we know about Longus?

Nothing

What is a difference between this novel and other ancient novels?

When they grow up they realised they love each other and this is one of the main differences between Daphis and Chloe and other ancient novels, typically in ancient novels its love at first sight but their love is a slow development.

What is the other important thing we must remember about their relationship?

 The other important thing to remember is chloe falls in love with Daphnis first and then later on he reciprocates

What is another difference between this novel and other ancient novels?

Another difference is that daphnis and Chloe is set in a beautiful natural landscape, in the coutntryside where they take care of their sheep- the other ancient novels are set in cities, the city landscape in Daphnis and chloe is distant they are emersed in nature.

What often happens in ancient novels but doesnt happen in Daphnis and Chloe?

We typically see a lot of travel in ancient novels, they often travel and visit different cities but this is not as present in Daphnis and Chloe. Daphnis and Chloe is set in Lesbos and most of the action takes place in Lesbos, isntead of travel there is travel through time.

How is the time in the story characterised?

The development of their love takes place through a long period of time, it takes place in a time period of a year and half to two years, this time is characterised by the cyle of seasons which are highlighted as being the love between them growing and developing

What historiography references are in daphnis and Chloe

In Daphnis and chloe there is a natural landscape where they dont have to work hard but there are also references to historiography e.g. herodotus in his histories he discusses the aim of his historgraphical work which is to talk about the deeds of the greeks and Persians but also to understand the origin of the hate for the Persians, he acknowledges it developing form the abduction of women (the women doign the abudcting, e,g, Medea so the oriental people abducted Helen

How are pirates relevant in this story?

In daphnis and chloe daphis is kidnapped by pirates, he is brought on their ship but Chloe saves him at the last moment (common theme

What does Herodotus discuss in his histories?

More broadly herodotus in his histories, he shows his interest for exotic and distant lands, he describes the traditions cultures, religions and flora and fauna of distant people and lands.

How is ekphrasis involved with Daphnis and Chloe?

Speaking in first person singular, hunting in woods sacred to the nymphs, he saw a beautiful painting. He describes the painting, children being abandoned, shepherds who find the children, adventure and love, The narrator is describing the story of Daphnis and Chloe, the whole thing is a long ekrphasis. The narrator states that they saw all of this and wanted to write about it so they wrote four books, this means the four books on Daphnis and Chloe. Telling a story by looking at the painting he found ekphrasis.

Write out the prologue of Daphnis and Chloe:

1) On Lesbos while hunting I saw in a Nymphs’ grove a display, the fairest I ever saw: an image depicted, a story of love. Fair also was the grove, thick with trees, flowery, well watered: a single spring nourished it all, flowers and trees alike. But that depiction was lovelier still, owning outstanding technique and an amorous subject, so that its prestige drew many visitors, even strangers, to worship the Nymphs and to view the image. (2) In it were women giving birth and other women adorning babies in swaddling clothes, babies abandoned and beasts feeding them, shepherds taking them up, youngsters plighting their troth, a pirate raid, an enemy invasion, and much more, all of it amorous. (3) I looked and marveled, and a longing seized me to rival the depiction in words; I sought out an interpreter of the image and have carefully fashioned four books, an offering to Love and the Nymphs and Pan, a delightful possession for all mankind that will heal the sick and encourage the depressed, that will stir memories in those experienced in love and for the inexperienced will be a lesson for the future. (4) For absolutely no one has ever escaped Love nor ever shall, as long as beauty exists and eyes can see. For our part, may the god grant us proper detachment in depicting the story of others.

Write out Daphnis and Chloe 1.13.5-6; 1.14

5. She also persuaded him to have another wash, and she watched him while he washed, and after watching she touched him, and again she came away in admiration, and that admiration was the beginning of love. She did not know what was happening to her, being but a young girl raised in the country, who had never even heard anyone speak of love. Her heart began to ache, she could not control her eyes, she was always talking about Daphnis.

 

6. She neglected food, she was sleepless at night, she neglected her flock. Now she would be laughing, now she would be crying. One moment she would sit quietly, the next she would leap into action. Her face would turn pale and then blush red. Not even a cow stung by a gadfly acts this way. One day when she was alone, she found herself speaking this way:

 

14

“I’m ailing these days, but I don’t know what my ailment is. I hurt, and I have no wound. I feel sad, and none of my sheep have gone missing. I feel hot, and I’m sitting in deep shade.

2. How often have brambles scratched me, and I never cried! How often have bees plunged their stingers, and I never screamed! But this thing that now stings my heart is sharper than all of those. Daphnis is beautiful, but so are the flowers; his syrinx sounds beautiful, but so do the nightingales. And yet they are nothing special to me.

 

3. I wish I could be his syrinx, so he could breathe into me! I wish I could be a goat, so I could be in his flock! Wicked water, you made only Daphnis beautiful, but washing did nothing for me! I’m passing away, dear Nymphs, and not even you try to save the girl who was raised among you.

 

4. After I’m gone, who will garland you? Who will bring up the poor lambs? Who will take care of the chatty locust that I took such trouble to catch, so that it would sing me to sleep in front of the cave? And now on account of Daphnis I can’t sleep, and its chatter is wasted.”