The Center for Hellenic Studies

The Kosmos Society

Book Club | August 2022: Hymns of Callimachus

"At libations to Zeus what else should rather be sung than the god himself...?" For August we will be reading the six surviving Hymns of Callimachus. We will start and continue discussion in the Forum, and meet via Zoom at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, August 30th.

Trees and wood | Part 2: Theophrastus on the uses of timber

Theophrastus, in Enquiry into Plants, says "we must endeavour to speak of timber, saying of what nature is that of each tree, what is the right season for cutting it, which kinds are hard or easy to work, and anything else that belongs to such an enquiry."

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Book Club

Book Club | August 2022: Hymns of Callimachus

Topic for Discussion, Word Study

Trees and wood | Part 2: Theophrastus on the uses of timber

Topic for Discussion

Best of all things is water

When Pindar says “Water is best, (ἄριστον μὲν ὕδωρ) and gold, like a blazing fire in the night, stands out supreme of all lordly wealth” in Olympian 1, he is not wrong. Life happens around water. It is hard to find an example that water… Read more

Book Club

Book Club | July 2022: Constitution of the Lacedaemonians

"Sparta, though among the most thinly populated of states, was evidently the most powerful and most celebrated city in Greece." For July we will be reading Xenophon's Constitution of the Lacedaemonians. Discussion starts and continues in the Forum, and we will meet via Zoom on Tuesday, July 26, at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Read more

Topic for Discussion, Word Study

Trees and wood | Part 1: Homer and Hesiod

Having come across across references to trees and to wooden construction in the Iliad and Odyssey, my curiosity was piqued, and I decided to gather a few examples where wood and trees were mentioned, to try and better understand what these meant in Homeric and Hesiodic poetry. Are there any special associations with trees or using wood? What kinds of trees are mentioned? Read more

Travel

Travels in Greece: The Sacred Sites

When one visits the famous ancient sites of Greece, one soon realizes that most of these were built at places sacred to one or more of the ancient Greek gods—Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Athena and Poseidon among them. It seems the gods were a real presence to the ancient Greeks... They seem to have believed they could honor or interact with the gods most effectively at select locations, chosen by the… Read more

History, Topic for Discussion, Word Study

Gifts from the earth: mining in ancient Greece

When we see the golden artefacts found at Mycenae and the so-called “treasure of Priam,” it shows an incredible abundance of gold, silver and bronze in the Mycenaean period. Even in Homeric poetry there is mention of “Mycenae rich in gold,” and there are references in Homeric and Hesiodic poetry to silver, gold, iron, copper and bronze. So we wanted to know more about how these metals were mined. Read more

Book Club

Book Club | June 2022: Bring Your Own Book

Back by popular demand! For June you can bring your own selection, one book that you like or dislike, whether primary or secondary source, and share your thoughts about it. Discussion starts and continues in the Forum, and we will meet via Zoom Tuesday June 28, 11 am EDT. Read more

Topic for Discussion

Heirs of the Muses

we all pronounce music to be one of the pleasantest things, whether instrumental or instrumental and vocal music together at least Musaeus says, ‘Song is man’s sweetest joy,’ and that is why people with good reason introduce it at parties and entertainments, for its exhilarating effect, so that for this reason also one might suppose that the younger men ought to be educated in music. Read more

Visiting Scholars

Online Open House | Choral Performance and Civic Virtues, with James Collins

We were excited to welcome James Collins for an Online Open House entitled “Choral Performance and Civic Virtues.” The event took place on Friday, May 27 at 4:00 p.m. EDT and was recorded. You can watch the recording in this post or on the Center for Hellenic Studies YouTube Channel. Read more

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