Welcome
Oh no! Not another website! They're everywhere.
Why one more?
An anecdote may explain. When I finally retired from some administrative jobs, I asked myself what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. The answer came back swift, strong and surprising. I wanted to read Greek. Early or late, prose or poetry, famous or obscure, it didn’t matter. I just wanted to read Greek.
But when I read, I write – not necessarily for publication. For me writing is primarily a dialogue with the self; its aim is to clarify what I really think about a text or a problem.
Texts and contexts, however, belong together. In the context of political and cultural crisis, Greek texts sometimes seem to call out for an audience that will listen to what they have to say. So some of my reading has found its way into print - pieces on hyperbole, demagogy, maxims and slogans, ancient and modern. I hadn’t planned on that but here they are.
Another surprising thing happened. Some mostly forgotten Greeks stepped out from the shadows - women poets such as Anyte, Phemonoe with her oracles, Gnaetha and Cleobouline speaking in riddles. There were neglected men, too, for example, poor Democrates who gets confused with big-name Democritus. Male and female, they are all worth meeting. This website introduces them in case you don’t already know them.
And, of course, Thucydides keeps turning up, always with something fresh to say. Some results of my reading have been Published, but much is still Work in Progress or Provocations intended to stimulate debate, or are succinct comments best suited to a Blog.
Finally, another surprise. Along the way, I found I was learning to read more intensely than I had in the past, fiercely sometimes, ferociously even, like a Solonian dog growing old while trying to learn new tricks.
Stay tuned.
Bob Connor
PS: I can be reached at [email protected] Let me hear from you.