"... Sinis used to take hold of pine trees and draw them down. All those whom he overcame in fight he used to tie to the trees, and then allow them to swing up again. Thereupon ... the bound man...was torn in two. This was the way in which Sinis himself was slain by Theseus." I looked for examples of myths, rituals, and sacred spaces associated with trees and wood. Read more
We were excited to welcome Angela Cinalli of "La Sapienza" University of Rome, for an Open House "Itinerant professionals of literature and music in the epigraphic sources of the Hellenistic period. "Poeti Vaganti” in Delphi and Delos." The event took place on Friday, June 12 at 11:00 a.m. EDT, and was recorded. There is an associated handout. Read more
The myth of Theseus’ sacred journey’ continued to be re-enacted in an Athenian state festival held in honor of Apollo at Delos. The ritualized journey in which the two-times-seven Athenian youths sailed to Delos and back again to celebrate that they had been saved was called a theōriā. But what evidence is there about what this ship looked like? Read more
During our study at HeroesX, I was thrilled by the Hour 23 discussion about the sacred journey [theōriā], the never ending objective of Socrates to enter into dialogue with anyone he encounters. The first text is from Plato's Phaedo: "...Theseus went to Crete when he took with him those famous two-times-seven young people. He saved [sōzein] them and he too was saved . And they were said to have vowed to… Read more
