Homer's Notes on

Barry B. Powell's Classical Myth

------Written by the Epic Poet in Hades

and Acquired by Necessary Prose for this Page-------

Edited by Eric Mader

I. Introduction

This page contains reading notes written by the ancient Greek poet Homer, author of the West's first written epics the Iliad and the Odyssey. The notes were not written during the poet's life, however, but after his death: they are, in other words, post mortem notes. The following text is very possibly the first ever to make it out of the grim realm of Hades where Homer now resides--if resides is the proper word in this instance.

The acquisition of Homer's notes is by all accounts a major event in the history of classical scholarship. The surprises contained in this text both for Homer scholarship and for our understanding of the classical underworld are many.

But what does the great poet in Hades actually read, that he would take notes on it? The answer is in itself something of a surprise, because the notes written by Homer here are not on any ancient work, but on a modern academic work, an introduction to classical myth written by an American academic, University of Wisconsin mythographer Barry Powell. Why would Homer be reading such a work?

To judge by a statement early in the notes, a copy of Powell's book made it into Hades in the backpack of a visitor, who is referred to only as a "young man." We might presume the young man was a student. Was he alive at the time of his visit? Alive or not, how did he manage to bring a backpack with him? It seems Homer himself is perplexed by this question.

Homer opens his notes by addressing one Thoas, the man who was evidently his scribe when the two resided in Euboea almost three millennia ago. This time, however, the poet writes in his own hand: an activity he shows himself not that keen on. Not surprisingly, Homer's handwriting is rather eccentric. In the first sheaf of notes, he uses only lower case letters, the one exception being the use of the capital for the personal pronoun "I". The only punctuation is a displaced full stop, which the poet apparently employs as something like a paragraph marker. An exact transcription of Homer's first five "paragraphs" would thus look like this:

delighted with the book by that man powell yes thoas I've written some notes to it you can study them yourself and we can talk it over while I finish the later chapters . I hope you'll approve my hand thoas never as good as yours was never as fated for great things . it's amazing they let this young man cross with his backpack on as he calls it the old strict order of things is breaking down what's going on is it maybe their new sense of humor or is it something charon thought up by himself . I'm not very good at this writing as you can see but what good is it to learn to write down here merely kills the time remember what that Italian said "I'd rather have written a grocery list and still be up there than have written my commedia and now be down here with you" one of the many disappointed thoas . you can certainly correct me when you think I've made some mistake writing mistake that is as regards the essentials I still remember more than you .

This is needlessly difficult to read for the modern reader, and so in the version below I've lightly edited Homer's notes to conform with modern typography. I've capitalized proper names and sparingly added punctuation according to my best understanding of the meaning. My goal was to retain something of Homer's note-taking style while at the same time making the text clearer than an exact transcription would be.

Rather surprisingly, Homer wrote these notes in a fluent English. Has English, then, become the lingua franca in the underworld, or does Homer's English simply reflect the fact that Powell's book is in English? Are the shades of the dead perhaps multilingual, or even somehow omni-lingual? We cannot be sure.

Read these notes and reproduce them as you wish, but please don't write to Necessary Prose asking how they were acquired. I am sworn to secrecy, and according to both seers consulted, breaking my oath would have grave consequences.

E.M., October, 2003

* * *

II. Homer's Notes

Delighted with the book by that man Powell. Yes, Thoas, I've written some notes to it. You can study them yourself and we can talk it over while I finish the later chapters.

I hope you'll approve my hand, Thoas, never as good as yours was, you know: never as fated for great things.

It's amazing they let this young man cross with his backpack on as he calls it. The old order of things is breaking down it seems. What's going on? Is it maybe their new sense of humor? Or is it something Charon thought up himself?

I'm not very good at this writing as you can see. But what good is it to learn to write down here? Merely kills the time. Remember what that Italian said: "I'd rather have written a grocery list and still be up there than have written the Commedia and now be down here with you." One of the many disappointed, Thoas.

You can correct me when you think I've made some mistake. Writing mistake that is. As regards the matter I still remember more than you.

I'm poring over this book now, doing my best not to go straight to where he writes of us. He's guessed pretty well about us though from what I've seen so far. Yes I have read a bit ahead.

Once again, Thoas, you may complain all you like but I'll have nothing to do with this punctuation idea you've picked up we never needed it back on Euboea and it's still no good whatever you say if a man needs so much help with his breath he needn't bother being a man in the first place.

In these notes I've caved in to paragraphing as you call it. That's as far as I'll go.

I begin with my notes with Chapter 1 worst part of the book however. It concerns that bit of general obfuscation they've cooked up called myth. This being my first time with an actual "modern" book I'd have to say it's not put together very well certainly not as well as ours were. If you took away what we gave them there'd be nothing worth reading in the whole of it.

Powell calls himself a mythographer. Apparently it's a name for someone who can't tell a tale as well as we did. But certainly he can make up lists and charts of all the important names and it's true the man can paint too some of the pictures are quite striking.

I imagine trying to work these writings up into verse. I mean work them up in the way he's laid them out here as "myth." Hardly possible I think but maybe later I'll have a go at it just for laughs.

Chapter 1 Powell writes of different literary genres comedy, tragedy, hymn, love poem.

To define myth is difficult. Is it a literary genre or should we call it a discursive genre? What is the setting of a myth? Who is the author? What are a myth's connections to history?

Why does Powell write "study of myth" rather than "study of mythology"? Because he considers the latter a pleonasm.

What is a "traditional story"? Can men still tell them? If no, why not?

Trado is from the Latin "hand over."

In mythos the teller doesn't claim personal responsibility: mythos is not logos. Logos is a reasoned explanation of something, as in the philosophers.

Powell's definition of belief: "what you accept with or without proof as a basis for action."

There are 3 types of myth:

In divine myth supernatural beings are the main actors. Divine myths are often etiological.

In legend aristocracy offers the main actors. A legend narrates events of the human past, explains and justifies the present.

In folktale common folk are the main actors. A folktale entertains and instructs about dangers. No one claims the characters really existed, as also in fables.

Of the real existence of legendary heroes: Menelaus means literally "upholder of the people." Powell says he was thus possibly an actual figure in the Bronze Age wouldn't surprise me, Thoas, I've talked to him on many occasions.

At 7.8 he deals with Troy.

At 11.8 what they now call phonocentrism. In fact the teller of a myth in oral culture also "introduces variations often not present in the different, namely other oral, retellings of the tale."

So why did our poems tell almost exclusively of the deeds of the aristocratic warrior class? Simple enough. How could we have done anything interesting with grinding olives or feeding swine?

When dawn with her rosy fingers began to brighten the horizon I began my reading of Chapter 2.

Or at least I wish it had been like that, Thoas, Eos never shows her fingers here.

3000-1600 was the Early to Middle Bronze Age.

1600-1200 was the Late Bronze Age or Mycenaean Age.

1200-800 Dark Age.

800-480 Archaic Period.

480-323 Classical Period.

323-31 Hellenistic Period.

On 3000-1600 the Early to Middle Bronze Age and 1600-1200 the Late Bronze Age or Mycenaean:

The people during these times are not regarded as Greeks.

Minoan civilization is noteworthy 2200-1450. They built grand palaces a toylike civilization on Crete. Two of their icons the bull and the axe. Ariadne and Minos, Dedalus and the Minotaur.

2100 widespread destruction of settlements. The introduction of horses the arrival of so-called Indo-Europeans from the Caucasus region.

He writes of how Greek language developed. He thinks the Mycenaeans might have called themselves Achaeans. As to nonalphabetic Linear B it's a syllabary he says.

On 1200-800 the Dark Age:

1200 Dorian invasion from the northwest Athens withstands it.

Settlers go east from the Peloponnesus. Ionians, later Miletus.

Of Euboea the only Greeks to maintain trade with Near East during the Dark Age.

The true alphabet appeared in Euboea. As well you know, Thoas. He gets it right on this score: good man.

Regarding 800-480 the Archaic Period:

After the alphabet was invented came the city state or polis and citizenship and democracy and thus rhetoric. Coinage around 500.

Greek classes as against Mesopotamian or Egyptian classes. Greece a mountainous land. This and the seafaring led to more independent cultures less centralized more resistant to organization.

Then came the tyrants with the merchants against the aristocrats. The kakoi "bad men" against the aristoi "best men." So that's how things fell out we might have seen it coming but he never discusses just how the tyrants gained power.

490 the Battle of Marathon, the Greeks defeat the Persians.

480 the Battle of Salamis, led by Athens, and the Battle of Plataea, led by Sparta.

Of 480-323 the Classical Period I'll never complain for having missed it:

He points out that Helen is not Hellen and Hellenic is not Hellenistic either.

431-404 the Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta should they be called "civil wars" or not?

Power is not equal to impressive architecture look at the great power of spare Sparta and yet what did they build?

338 Philip II of Macedon invades Greece.

336 Philip dies 20-year-old son Alexander takes over.

On 323-31 BC being the Hellenistic Period:

323 Alexander dies marking the beginning of this period.

146 mainland Greece conquered by Rome.

31 Cleopatra's suicide. Alexandria falls.

Powell writes on males and females in the Classical Period.

Says pederasty is not the same as modern homosexuality mentions Aristophanes' ridicule.

In the andreion the man's room there are boy servants, hetairai, battles of wit, heavy drinking etc.

He lays out the stages of life for males: 0-18 boys ;18-20 ephebes (the initiation rite the ephebic festival); 20-30 unmarried men; 30 the man marries. He writes of their different places in the gymnasium, in war, in love.

How and when did Greeks marry why did they marry girls just after menstruation he writes on the marriage ceremony the dowry and so on much of it unlike in our day, Thoas.

How war was fought by hoplites.

Then he writes on the stages of life for females.

The gynaikeion the movement from mother's to mother-in-law's gynaikeion.

Icons of womanhood in textiles and vessels.

Parthenos the "dangerous age."

He writes that a respectable woman only went outdoors during certain religious festivals when she "averted her eyes and covered her head" compare to our day how they were.

Writes of his idea that increased Athenian wealth isolated wives even more seems true.

Writes of how women presided over birth and death the two feminine doors of entry and exit.

Of miasma a horrible power at the doorways.

Of the exposure of infants.

Of Aspasia the Miletian mistress of Pericles.

Of freedmen.

And what indeed did Zeus think to see his son sold as a sex slave to a foreign queen?

He writes on religion.

The monotheistic textual priests as against the ritual priests of Greece and I prefer the latter.

Of sacrifice he writes "in order to gain the god's good will destroy what you value most."

But is this correct is it not rather "give to the god what you value most"?

The theory of natural law was a Greek invention of the fifth century it didn't exist when the Greek myths were formulated more poppycock here.

Of dreams and Hecabe's dream of Aeneas.

Of classical Greek society and the verisimilitude of myth.

Of Greece and Rome the question why was Italy so long on the periphery of ancient Mediterranean culture he points to communication and trade considers the case of Euboea.

The Romans a bit like the Japanese from what I know of them both having met two of the latter.

The Roman republic really an oligarchy the word senate means "body of old men."

Warring factions then fall after which Augustus declares himself the "first citizen" Rome now only nominally a republic.

Chapter 3 regarding our poems he points out that epithets arise from needs of verse form wily Odysseus Poseidon the earthshaker swiftfooted Achilles greyeyed Athena laughterloving Aphrodite rosyfingered Dawn these all fit the meter.

Says that modern scholarship reveals a basis for much of our myth in Mesopotamia I've heard of the Mesopotamians and got some more from his book but still I'm unclear, Thoas, and I suspect no little bit of poppycock here again.

Female sculptures male sculptures Priapus herms.

Cycladic sculptures.

Potnia Theron lady of beasts makes wild game flourish.

Efforts to reconstruct Indo-European myth almost all they have here is a so-called comparative method to seek out common elements in mythical offspring it's the same as linguistic comparatism to seek out Indo-European language of no use to us now and where are these Indo-Europeans down here do they have them in some other area?

What can we know of Indo-European myth not much a sky god or gods perhaps twin brother gods a dualism between left dangerous evil and right lucky good a primordial war a coalition of priests and warriors standing against the food producers in other words even he admits not much at all.

"Legend" of the Trojan War may be an offshoot of this original myth a mix of the myth with an actual conflict at Troy what arrogance this man has in places how might he know this when he doesn't know any more than he admits above.

He sees Demodocus as my self-portrait understandable mistake given the legend I was blind.

Says the battle of the gods gets its origin in Mesopotamia.

Of the Near East how the Bible telescoped things.

1654 an Irish archbishop calculated the creation of the world at 4004 BC.

3500 BC first human writing Sumerian.

Of the difficulties of reading Sumerian of ziggurats of the Sumerian gods.

An a "sky" god of law and order.

Inanna "queen of heaven" goddess of sexual love and war "120 lovers not enough for her."

Enlil "Lord of the Storm" god of force held the tablets of destiny also a king on earth.

Enki "Lord of Earth" god of groundwater trickster subterranean he instructed man rather like Prometheus.

Ki "Earth" mated with Enki brought forth vegetation.

Ereskigal "Queen of the Great Below" like Persephone.

Of Mesopotamian anthropomorphism.

Then of the Semites they inhabited the steppe at the fringes of the Arabian desert.

Eponymous figures in Noah's sons Shem, Ham, Japheth.

Shem for "Semites."

Among Shem's sons there is Ashur for Assyrians, Aram for Aramaeans, Eber for Hebrews, Habiru.

2340 Akkadians under Sargon take over after which name changes An becomes Anu Inanna becomes Ishtar Enlil becomes Marduk.

Babylon rises.

1750 Hammurabi long before us if it's true the noteworthy texts are his law code and the Eunuma elish a theogony.

Of the Hebrews:

2000 BC Abraham called by a god to leave Ur "of the Chaldees" trouble having children thus Sarah and slave Hagar Isaac and Ishmael Jews and Arabs respectively or at least that's how they tell it.

1400 BC Akhenaten's monotheism perhaps influenced the later Moses who 1200 BC led the Hebrews chosen ones out of Egypt under monotheistic dispensation of the god who chose them which perhaps showed those Egyptians what monotheism will get them.

586 BC the Chaldean dynasty and Nebuchadnezzer the Babylonian captivity which followed the Egyptian captivity I suppose.

1600-1200 Hittite power in central Anatolia Indo-European speakers.

Of how he dates us since our work doesn't really mention writing he guesses the eighth century but did he manage to guess me the poet and you my scribe the first alphabetician in Euboea's finest hall together did he manage to guess this Thoas?

Was the Iliad a real Bronze Age war he thinks maybe but he thinks I didn't really know the Bronze Age and why should I but see his example wouldn't cremation leave few traces.

The values and speeches of my characters reflect the culture of the beginning of the Archaic Age the values and speeches of his characters reflect a god awful culture I don't regret missing one bit.

Of Hesiod 700 BC a brief biography.

First statement of western literary criticism on the Muses' ambiguity according to Hesiod think of dreams how they come through the gate of ivory false or the gate of horn true.

Of evidence for his general theory that Hesiod sang at Euboea.

Cyclic poems Archaic period constructed in circles around my work 62.5 definition of hymn 62.7 writing and the origins of lyric poetry 62.8 no official version of Greek myths no "Bible" thus the Greek creation of ethics secular law humanism no god not even the Muses are a sure source of truth they lie just like us mortals and what of that god of Moses.

Rabdos staff thus rhapsodes they are memorizers rather than makers as against the aoidoi the true poets the makers like myself.

But the aoidos Hesiod was also given a staff by the Muses I was never given a staff and would have no need for one Thoas.

Of the music metaphors for the two types of poets.

Why would Plato complain of the rhapsodes Plato the greatest of the philosophers have met him only once.

Choral song choros meaning dance a group of 12 boys or girls.

Pindar wrote for a chorus of singers.

64.7 on tragedy's origins.

All of Greek literature meant to be heard not read do you hear that my friend.

Theater was encouraged in order to entertain and thus flatter the merchant class.

62.2 contra censorship.

He dispatches with those two cherished notions of European literary criticism points out that hamartia is not "tragic flaw" but "mistake" hubris is not "overreaching pride" but merely "violence" a letdown for his readers I suppose but they may see how the later writers who took up Aristotle improved on his thinking and so not merely a question of misrepresentation.

Aeschylus 7 of 80 plays survive as for Sophocles it's 7of 123 and Euripides 19 of 90.

Aeschylus lived 525-426 Sophocles 496-406 Euripides 485-406.

Only still in contact with Sophocles wonder what he'd think of this book.

66.1 traces a movement across the three dramatists a development of sorts.

66.5 on the horrors of the theater.

Alexandria founded in 331 becomes a center of scholarship the Museion "hall of the muses" the great library scholars appeared with critical principles for the correction of texts corrupted through copying.

Literature in the Hellenistic period seems to have been read aloud from a scroll to a small audience thus the third to last step in the long movement by which this perfidious art called writing silences the voice.

On the arcane tendency in Alexandrian literature Lycophron's poem titled Alexandra 3000 words 518 of which are found nowhere else.

Of Pausanias' geography of Greece.

Of Seneca tutor and defender of Nero writer of savage tragedies thus we have "senecan tragedy".

Powell puts himself in the line of the Hellenistic mythographers rather than in the literary line.

Chapter 4.

In Hesiod cosmogony and theogony are the same Hesiod's cosmogony abounds in contradictions.

Chaos or chasm the opening from which the other primordial beings arose the word implies the separation of two things to make a gap in the middle.

The problem of personification as geography for example is Gaea the earth itself or the goddess of the earth who can if she wants walk on the earth is Tartarus a place or the god of that place.

Chaos Gaea Eros.

According to Powell Hesiod seems to think that the three formed aspects of the primeval scene from which the world later emerged and so Chaos Gaea Eros a gaping a foundation and a principle of sexual love that ensured generation and change.

The titans being the former gods thus there is no essential difference between titans and gods but why the association with gigantic size and the monstrosity of some of Gaea's children.

By herself Gaea gives birth to Uranos Mountains Tartarus and Pontus "Sea".

With Uranos Gaea gives birth to six male and six female titans as well as the three primal Cyclopes and the three Hecatonchires the "hundredhanders".

The cosmos moves from asexual to sexual reproduction.

75.5 the two titans Oceanus and Tethys which we knew as giving birth to all the gods Hesiod apparently disagreed.

76.8 the titaness Themis "law" "refers to the earth, that which is fixed and settled like the oracles delivered in her name."

Thinks Iapetus may be related to Noah's son Japheth ancestor of the Europeans.

And so it goes the primordial generation being Gaea and Uranos who are mother and son the titan generation being Rhea and Cronus who are siblings the Olympian generation being Hera and Zeus who are also siblings.

"The Cyclopes, strong and abrupt of emotion" Hesiod.

Unlike the later Polyphemus Hesiod says the original Cyclopes were shrewd and had "the wisdom of the metallurgist".

Of Hyperion sun god father to Helius Selene and Eos.

Story of Helius and son Phaethon like that of Dedalus and Icarus.

Many stories like that of Tithonus and his aging.

Adamantine called a "mythical" hard substance and origin of the word "diamond".

From Uranos' testicles are born the giants the Melian nymphs and the Erinyes or Furies they "punish those who shed kindred blood".

80.5 the logic of the castration of Uranos was to create a space between earth and sky for the air.

The word "monster" means that at which you point in surprise same root as word demonstrate.

How we borrowed Egyptian figures and made them monstrous.

The Graeae "faircheeked hags" an oxymoron if ever there was one.

Sea deities being Oceanus who is the river around earth and father of the 6000 Oceanids Nereus the shapeshifter and father of 50 Nereids.

Pontus born asexually Oceanus sexually.

Cronus' vomited stone displayed in Apollo's shrine in Delphi the Omphalos navel of the world Powell says it was decorated with carving it wasn't as well you know Thoas.

87.7 Zeus begins to use lightning.

88.4 Tartarus as prison.

The titan Atlas the Atlas mountains near Pillars of Hercules the hills of Gibraltar and Ceuta Atlas thus Plato's Atlantis.

Gaea and family romance why does she help Zeus to defeat her children angry at Cronus then angry at Zeus she brings forth Typhoeus Gaea the quintessential mother always sides with the children for it is they who depend on her once they've grown she wants nothing to do with them.

Gaea always helping the children overthrow their father.

Typhoeus slices out the sinews of Zeus' hands and feet in Syria Hermes restores them.

Zeus buries Typhoeus under mount Etna the thunderbolts still smolder there.

Of the logic of the succession myth to avoid succession Uranus keeps his offspring down in the mother's body Cronus swallows his offspring while Zeus swallows the pregnant mother Metis.

Metis "cleverness" thus becomes part of his own being taking cleverness into himself Zeus gives birth from his head and thus defies the logic by which only the female gives birth.

The titanomachy the typhonomachy and the gigantomachy because of Heracles' presence the gigantomachy must have occurred significantly later.

Everyone knew that Zeus ruled the world the question that called forth Hesiod's poem is that of how Zeus came to rule the world.

93.3 Powell writes that Hesiod's universe grows from "progressive proliferation and differentiation away from original unity" was it really unity some say that in the beginning was difference he himself writes that Chaos implies a "separation between two things so as to make a gap" is not separation already difference.

93.4 the gradual ascent to power of male over female regardless of male power Gaea remains the base on which the world stands.

Babylonian Enuma elish "when on high".

The succession runs as follows in the beginning male Apsu who is fresh water and female Tiamat who is salt water are mingled in an indeterminate mass.

Then two mud gods male and female Lahmu and Lahamu.

Then sky and earth gods Anshar and Kishar.

Then another generation among which is Anu heir and rival to his fathers.

Then another generation among which is Ea the clever.

The younger gods dance and disturb Apsu's sleep who decides to kill them regardless of Tiamat's protests.

But clever Ea puts Apsu to sleep with a spell and kills him instead.

And Ea builds his house atop dead Apsu who is fresh water.

Then Ea moves into his house with his wife who gives birth to foureared foureyed Marduk.

Marduk's grandfather gives him four winds to play with and thusly playing Marduk stirs the waters of old Tiamat who disturbed and begets an army of monsters to destroy all the young gods.

To lead her monsters she chooses a new husband named Kingu "her only lover" and gives him the Tablet of Destiny thus allowing him in some measure to control the universe.

Ea goes against her but loses his nerve.

Anu goes against her but runs away in terror.

Marduk offers to go against her if only the gods will make him lord of fate.

Seeing Tiamat Marduk almost flees like the others for a time he endures her taunts but finally he fills her mouth with storm and defeats her and cuts her apart.

Marduk takes the Tablet of Destiny gives it to Anu.

Marduk constructs the new world on Tiamat's body he brings forth the sun and moon sets the stars plans to mash blood and bones together to make man who is to be the servant of the gods he executes Kingu and uses his blood to make man.

The gods together build the ziggurat of Babylon.

Now listen to the fifty names of Marduk and so forth.

That's how it goes Thoas quite a gruesome work I don't a bit regret that I missed it.

There is however a similar movement from large to small from Apsu to Ea as from Uranos to Zeus.

96.8 of the problems with reading Babylonian literature.

96.9 don't confuse tablet and tablet.

97.7 the striking violence of Babylonian myth.

99.5 the meaning of water in Mesopotamian myth.

The all male Hittite work kingship in heaven what a laugh.

103.2 Powell says "cosmic history begins with mighty powers of nature and ends in the organization of the universe as a monarchic patriarchal state".

Powell says our cosmogonic myth was transmitted to us Greeks from the ancient Near East doubtless it's true but when it comes down to it our versions were better and subtler and Hesiod himself wasn't as good as the versions I was told and perhaps could have told myself but those tales weren't my forte I'll send you more notes as I write them Thoas this from Homer.

Barry Powell's Classical Myth is currently the best basic introduction to Greek and Roman myth.

Powell's Classical Myth at Amazon.com

---------

HOME

---------

Email: inthemargins03@hotmail.com

---------

This page is at http://www.necessaryprose.com/

---------