WHY STUDY THE GREEKS AND ROMANS?
They are all dead, their civilization is dead and gone,
they were polytheists. What do they have to say to us?
Just as Latin is not dead, it is also true that Greece and
Rome are not dead. They, too, are immortal in their
architecture, art, law, government, languages,
mythology, literature, and philosophy.
The cultures of Greece and Rome live around and
through us every day.
BOOKS
The Iliad is a book about a Civil War.
It is a book about all wars, about the people and
characters that you find in every war—actually, in
every town!—the wise, the foolish, the clever, the
noble, the base, the ambitious, the women, the old,
and the young.
It is about their pettiness, their heroism, their
adventures, their sacrifices, and their sufferings.
The Iliad is mostly about people, not war, and it gives
us unforgettable and universal character types.
ILIAD
MOVIES
Cleopatra
In art, literature, and poetry, Helen is one of
the most confusing characters of antiquity –
is she really looking for power and love or is
she a victim?
YOUTUBE
ACHILLES
Character type:
Divine birth
Achilles is extremely emotionally volatile and full of pride.
Achilles' grief is extreme. He swears to get revenge, knowing
that it will mean his own death.
There is only one way to defeat him/his character type; his
most sensitive, or weakest point.
HECTOR AND ACHILLES
With the gods many interventions in the battle for the city of Troy,
many men met their end on the field of battle.
No exception to this was Achilles and Hector. Although both men
lost their lives, Hector had much more to lose.
While Achilles knew that by entering the battle his life would end, he
favored his ego and chose to live on in legend.
While Hector knew he must defend his people, he dreaded the
knowledge of his family falling to the hands of invaders. Although
Hector lost more in the bloody war, he would unknowingly be the
victor in that his example of leadership and character would live on
in parallel to Achilles’ egotism and flaws.
Hector is a natural born
leader: devoted,
courageous, consistent,
and well-rounded.
Achilles is a natural born
diva: exceptional,
untouchable, demanding,
and uncompromising
WHAT DOES ACHILLES TEACH US?
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR….
In many cases the character repents of his/her illconsidered wish and things revert to normal — though in
some stories the character is stuck in the new situation and
forced to deal with the consequences of his/her thoughtless
wish.
Achilles asks Zeus to help the Trojans punish the Greeks,
which ends in his friend Patroclus' death fighting the
empowered Trojans.
BEWARE OF GREEKS BEARING GIFTS…
In reality, the “Trojan” horse was a Greek
horse. It was the Trojans who fell for the
ruse by the Greeks. The Greeks' wooden
horse was filled with Greek fighters who
overpowered the Trojans
Trojan Horse at the Mt Olympus
Theme Park, Wisconsin Dells, WI
ANOTHER THEME
…DRESSING AS THE ENEMY/UNDERCOVER
To achieve an end; Odysseus and Diomedes both dress as the enemy, someone they aren’t.
Princess Leia: Aren't you a little short for a
stormtrooper?
Luke: What? Oh, the uniform. <pulls off helmet>
I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you.
Princess Leia: You're who?— Star Wars: A New Hope
DEATH OF A CLOSE FRIEND
In this theme, two heroes are intensely close friends. Unfortunately, one of them (usually the
one who's not the main character) dies during the course of the story. The death has a
profound effect on the remaining hero, and changes them forever.
It's important to note that
1. The two cannot just be friends or acquaintances. They have to be REALLY close, and
2. The character's death needs to be a huge turning death point in the story.
Duke
and
Roadblock
Bubba
And
Forrest
Gilgamesh and Enkidu
Romeo
and
Mercutio
Kirk
and
Spock
MUSIC
ART
This stamp, issued by
Bhutan, commemorates
the return of Briseis.
GREEK AND ROMAN CLASSICS FIRST TOLD
THOSE STORIES THAT REVERBERATE THROUGH
ALL OF LITERATURE
The classics of Greece and Rome provide us with a set of
connected stories and a cast of characters that teach us
what it means to be human.
They are also the basis of literature, teaching us about the
natural man (man at his best and worst, but natural man).
They don't give us the answers that we find in revelation,
but they do give us the questions.