I was shocked to discover recently that a sizable portion of creative writing students do not get parody. Of about 100 high school juniors and seniors, only an odd dozen or so were able to explain what constitutes satire or parody. Fewer still were able to write a piece of parody or satire. Interesting. Given […]
Tag Archives: Aristophanes
Punctuation is simple. Right? Obvious rules to follow. Right? There is no doubt when to use a period (well, hardly ever). In this case the marks are clearly doubtful in their meaning. Exclamation marks, parentheses, colons, and even semi-colons have reasonably defined rules. There are some choices, for example, the decision to use a semicolon […]
The life of Aristophanes before the middle of the fifth century B.C. and in the fourth century B.C. The exact dates of his birth and death are unknown. He was a citizen of Athens, and wrote comedies for the education and entertainment of his citizens. Aristophanes wrote most of his plays during the Peloponnesian War […]
Ancient Greek society was surrounded by new innovations in all aspects of knowledge. They made discoveries in the fields of mathematics and science while creating new styles art and architecture. Philosophers spread wisdom and knowledge throughout society, while literature and drama flourished. New forms of government were formed as well. Several of these concepts are […]
Ancient Greek was never a homogeneous language like many modern “standardized” languages. The language of Homer’s poems was not the same as that of Leonidas of the famed 300. These different dialects were used not only by separate political entites, but also within each state, they were used for different genres of literature. The main […]
The final days of Socrates are rather dramatic. He was accused of religious offenses and corrupting the youth. At his trial, he intelligently defended himself, but was condemned to death. His friends were ready to help him escape, but he decided to submit to Athenian law, and drank the hemlock. Plato gives us the contents […]
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The ancient Olympics began as a religious ceremony whose origins are shrouded in mythology. On the other hand, all the Olympians were in the open. The Greek tradition of athletic nudity began at the Olympics in 720 BC, possibly introduced by those whacky Spartans. The men of Sparta were not unacquainted with athletic prowess. The […]
The Medici were great patrons of the arts. Almost everyone is responsible for Italian Renaissance art in some way. Their money helped many great artists and they weren’t afraid to show it. It all started with Pope John XXIII who chose a small Medici bank to handle papal funds. This family, in the person of […]