"Those in love are in pain. And so are we. They forget to eat. So did we. They can't sleep, and neither can we. They seem to be on fire, and fire is upon us...." What is love? Pleasure or pain? And apart from desire, what other types of love are there? We have selected a few passages to illustrate the range of love and passion. Read more
"No one has escaped Eros or will escape Eros as long as there is beauty, and eyes see." This month we shall read a pastoral love story: Longus' Daphnis and Chloe. Discussion starts and continues in the Forum, and via Zoom February 28, 11 a.m. EDT. Read more
I had not previously paid much attention to the shorter Homeric Hymns. I became curious to look at examples to examine the wording more closely and to see if there were clues about the sort of stories that might have been associated with them, or at least formulaic phrases that occur in epic or in the longer hymns, and I chose to look this time at the Homeric Hymns to… Read more
"Should anyone here not know the art of love, read this, and learn by reading how to love. By art the boat’s set gliding, with oar and sail, by art the chariot’s swift: love’s ruled by art." Inspired by Valentine's Day, our selection this month is Ovid's The Art of Love, or Ars Amatoria. Discussion will start and continue in the forum, and we will meet via video link on… Read more
We were pleased to welcome Armand D'Angour, Jesus College, Oxford, for a discussion about Socrates and Aspasia of Miletus, which is the subject of his forthcoming book. The event took place on Thursday, February 14 2019 at 11 a.m. EST, and was recorded. There is a handout of focus passages for consideration. Read more
