I chose Homer's 'Odysseus and the Suitors'. I found it interesting how the preview in the beginning made the story sound like an action adventure. Like Odysseus being undercover scouting the noblemen. It peaked my interest as I thought about Agent 007 (and all his disguises), I wanted to know what Odysseus unravels or discovers during the time. 

The whole passage is pretty descriptive with some parts being a bit gory but if I can pick out a part, it would be when Odysseus drew his bow and arrow and struck Antinoös with it. The way Homer describe's the scene taking place is pretty remarkable. From the way the bow struck Antinoös throat to feet kicking and choking.. I would say Homer out did himself with this one, and I would definitely go see it if it were in the movies. Another part was when Eurymachos tried to bargain with Odysseus but it wasn't working and instead went on the attack alone and died because of so. 

I think Homer was trying to convey how not everyone in Ithaca wanted to continue living in such ways the way Ithacans do. Hinting why they indulged in sinful acts, over feasted, drank all the wine etc. even though it meant consuming the towns food and product. I think the author was communicating the growth in greed and self sabotage. Also, the betrayal amongst their own kind. I think this document is hinting at a place where your word still had value and meaning, also the position you held matter to the people highly. I would like to know more about who would the deaths of Antinoös and Eurymachos affect, now that they have been murdered.

This week's document develops an insight into Archaic Greece, which ranges from the rise he city-states such as Athens and Sparta, each having separate political structures in the form of oligarchies and periods of tyranny. The colonization expeditions extended Greek imperialism throughout the Mediterranean area, while the tiered society, class-divided between the aristocracy, the citizens, and the slaves, underlined military obligation primarily in the hoplite form. This was a culturally developing phase, with substantial development within art, architecture, and literature. Poets like Homer and Hesiod scripted the Greek consciousness when religious practices came to the fore in people's lives.

The reading I chose this week was Hesiod- On Labor and I chose it to learn more about Hesiod and his personal life when it comes to family but also to see how they handle profit and money/ land. The detail that stood out to me while I read the passage was the fact that part of the advice given was to not let a women in as she is after your prized possessions. This was interesting to me because till this day, men have the same mindset but it's just interesting to know that they had the same outlook during this time period. If you were to have a women, It shouldn't be a wife but rather a slave women to help you. The second half of the passage was primarily about women and when the right time to have a wife is. It was highlighting the position of women and what they're most useful for. I think the author was trying to communicate the significance of knowing the time and place for things. Understanding how to run your land and farm is important as you can't let distractions get in the way. I would like to find out more about Perses and his connection to Hesiod other than being his brother.

The reading I chose this week was On Labor by Hesiod. I liked how this reading focuses on the concepts of labor and injustice, showing how, in a society full of conflict, hard work frequently goes unappreciated and unrewarded. Hesiod placed a strong emphasis on the value of being a community as well as sharing one's labors' produce. This is a characteristic of a larger social ethos in which shared well-being and individual success are linked and I think these were the things that Hesiod was trying to communicate. While heroic tales and stories often highlight individual glory and divine intervention, I think Hesiod's writing places a strong emphasis on the daily qualities of community and hard work which provides a more realistic view of human existence. I would like to find out more about how their daily life consisted of in different weather conditions and what they did to work around storms and if they changed or improved on their lifestyles in response.

The reading I chose this week was the Accounts on Religious Beliefs. I chose this reading because religious beliefs have been a strong arguements for many generations. Many have different religious beliefs based on families they came from or choices they make.

One passage that jumped out to me was "Against Nichomachos", by Lysias from 400 BCE. Why I chose this passage is because of differences between leaders, and people of a timeline. What helps justify my claim is that the story is about the main character, Nichomachos going against the author of this story Lysias. Nichomachos is gaslighting Lysias for sacrifices that were made towards the city of Hellas because he believes that the code that was made is not sensible. Nichomachos enters a greater number that caused the public revenue in Hellas to be expended and being deficient on ancestral offerings. The author, Lysias is communicating the people of Hellas because Lysias believes that the code in place is for the good. He also tells them that Nichomachos is gaslighting him and the city by having different beliefs. This document tells me the importance of rules, as it can cause agreements and disagreements towards people around you. I can't think of any documents that we read in class that relate to this reading. I would like to find out more about what makes rules so important for a city. I would also like to learn more about what would happen if everyone was on the same pace and agreed with everything for the city of Hellas. Would we see anyone try to gaslight the leader trying to do good for the city? I would also like to learn about religious beliefs being on the same pace for everyone as many people see differently.

The reading I picked is “On Labor” by Hesiod. What interested me about this reading is that it’s about brotherly advice. A passage that stood out to me is “and he, again, is good who listens to a good adviser; but whoever neither thinks for himself nor keeps in mind what another tells him, he is an unprofitable man”. I believe Hesiod is saying that one should think for themselves, however, it’s wise to listen to another person’s advice. Hesiod was telling his brother to take heed to his advice so that he could be successful. Another passage that stood out to me was “Do not put your work off till to-morrow and the day after; for a sluggish worker does not fill his barn..”. Hesiod is advising his brother to not be lazy, for a farmer who is lazy is unable to fill his property. In my opinion, Hesiod’s piece is about living a life of hard work. He gives advice about marriage/ family and agriculture; all important values in Greek society. This piece supports our discussions about this time and place because the Greek were about community and bettering oneself. Here, Hesiod is advising his brother on how to be a part of a community and is encouraging him to be a better version of himself. He wants his brother to leave behind his lazy and shameful ways, in order to prosper and live a fulfilled life.

The reading the I chose for this week was Accounts of the Hellenic Games. The reason I found this reading interesting was because of the title. I immediately thought it was going to be about the famous Olympic games and it is something that is fascinating to me. How the citizens worship the gods by pushing their body to their limits for glory. 

The passage in particular that jumped out to me the most was “ If one should win a victory thanks to the swiftness of his feet or when competing in the pentathlon there in the sanctuary of Zeus by the streams of Pisa at Olympia, or if one should gain the prize in wrestling or painful boxing, or in that fearful contest people call all-in-fighting, to his fellow citizens he would be thought more glorious to look on than ever, and he would gain from his polis the right to meals at public expense and a gift which would be his personal treasure.” 

What the author was trying to communicate is how these games meant everything to the athletes participating. It was their way to be admired by their cities and also get covered all their expenses. It meant to be looked at, as a human God by their fellow citizens. They were competing to be the best and were willing to make any sacrifice to perform at the highest level. 

what is this document telling us about the time and place it is that these games meant so much for the society that even women had interest in being part of the Olympic games. These game were held at such ambitious standards that men did want not female to be part of it. This document relates to time and place as they were very particular of women being public and specially around men. They believe that female should not be expose as much as men and were not allowed at the Olympics. I would like to find out what led the acceptance of women in these games in the future. 

The reading I chose this week was The Selected Poems of Sappho. The reason I chose this reading is because I wanted to get a more i depth look and understanding of her work after last week's lecture, since Professor Wilson spoke so passionately about the content of her poetry. The passage that stood out the most was: I have not had one word from her

Frankly I wish I were dead

When she left, she wept

a great deal: she said to me, “This parting must be

endured, Sappho. I go unwillingly.”

I said, “Go, and be happy

but remember (you know

well) whom you leave shackled by love

This passage, although it can be open to many interpretations, Sappho is expressing sadness and longing due to the departure and absence of her beloved female friend. There is an attachment of a romantic nature that leaves Sappho wishing to be dead. She also reminds her she is leaving "shackled by love". This document tells us that despite the place of women in Greek society, Sappho, given her wealthy origins, enjoys freedom that was not afforded to most Greek women, who were prescribed to the Gineseo, being thought incapable of an intellectual life. Much is known about men's relationships in ancient Greek, very little of women's, other than the role they played in men's lives. This document contradicts this misconception. Sappho was celebrated in her lifetime with coins with her profile, people would take pilgrimage to go see her. I would love to know if there were other women like Sappho, or maybe find more of her work hidden somewhere in a cave or pottery.

I choose to read the snippet of On Labor from Hesiod. The detail Hesiod put about not trusting women, they are after your barn spiel was interesting showing this idea is not a recent concept but one that stretched back even into antiquity. The author Hesiod is trying to communicate his ideal of how a farmer should live, how he should act, how he should marry and how he should think. With also spread throughout is Hesiod's thoughts on the upper and lower classes since his work appears to be targeted at a middle class background. To me On Labor shows that at the time it was written some farmers were getting lazy and becoming burdens on the community like Hesiod's brother is in the narrative. I would be interested in learning how seriously did people take Hesiod's opinions, were these thoughts outliers or was this a shared sentiment.

1 - I picked Hesiod – On Labor because it is an interesting topic, and I always like to know more about laws. The people in labor how they were treated and if there was respect and fair treatment by the bosses.  I also wanted to see how the workers reacted to injustice towards them.

2 - (11. 405 – 413) “First of all, get a house, and a woman and an Ox for the plough – a slave woman and not a wife, to follow the oxen as well – and make everything ready at home, so that you may not have to ask of another, and he refuses you, and so, because you are in lack, the season pass by and your work come to nothing.” This paragraph grabbed my attention because I read it in our textbook.

3 – The author may be saying that the injustice among the rich people was high, and they did not respect their workers. The bosses had their laws that were applied to their workers. Families and communities were famine without the prospect of living a better life because they were poor. While riches became richer, and only made war and society miserable. The society suffered living under the power of the rich people.

4 – In my opinion there were many injustices in the law and how those who had power and control over the labores. People worked hard but were not being treated well by the landowners. Society was living in conditions that were not acceptable because they were oppressive and unjust.

5 – Yes, this document seems to relate to support our reading.

6 –I would like to find out how society in ancient Greece rebuilt the city after the war and how they made laws that would be just for everyone to live. 

The reading I chose to pick was the accounts of the Hellenic games. The detail I. Particular that stood out to me was the story about callipateira. The reason it stood out to me is because the was the only woman who was caught at the Olympic Games on the days where it was prohibited to women and disguised herself as her son , Peisirodus gymnastic trainer. It was interesting to read that she was the reason for why after there was a law passed where they had to check future trainers to make sure it was males only entering. 

    What I think the author was trying to communicate was to give us an idea of how the Olympic Games were conducted in the during the Archaic age at that time. The author also even describes what certain winners received if they won in particular competitions in the Olympic Games. 

    What I think this document tells us about this particular time and the place it comes from is how creative and competitive people were in Ancient Greece with the Olympic Games. It also highlights the differences and similarities in how the Olympic Games are conducted today. 

I chose The Founding of Cyrene as my reading since I was interested in hearing an authentic ancient Greek account of a community deciding to found a colony. There are two accounts of this story, one by Herodotus and the other by Strabo, but I will be talking about Herodotus’s version primarily. A detail that stood out to me was how the choice to create the colony was draped in religious overtones, as it’s the Oracle of Delphi who after been offered the customary hecatomb instructs the king of the island of Thera found a city in Libya. Because they at first ignore her warning, they suffer a form of divine punishment in the form of a devastating drought that lasts for 7 years. In dire straits, the people of Thera drew lots and those chosen exchanged tear-filled goodbyes to their families and friends before departing under the leadership of a man named Battus for Libya. Upon settling on the mainland, the afflictions the Theran’s suffered disappeared, and a soon to be great city of Antiquity was born.

The two tellings of the founding of Cyrene by Herodotus and Strano take very different approaches to the matter. While Strabo offers a straightforward summary of the geographic region and origin of the city, Herodotus tells a most likely first-hand of the Theran’s folk memory of the story behind their sister city’s founding. In this sense, Strabo is far more concerned with providing an account of the geography and material conditions of surrounding the city than Herodotus who gives an ethnographic perspective, putting us into the minds of the Theran’s themselves and the human rationale behind their decision. Thus, the two authors are trying to communicate very different things, most likely reflecting the different times they lived in.

While I see no reason to doubt that, if it’s true that the Theran’s suffered such a serious drought, they would have seen divine intervention as involved, I believe there might be something else going on here. A general trend in the Hellenic world in the Archaic period and Classical period was the coopting of Greek mythology, particularly Herakles and his exploits, as a justification for Hellenic colonization and expansion throughout the Mediterranean world. Although no myth or mythological hero was used to justify the Theran’s creating a colony in Libya, it’s telling that the story is presented in a religious light, portraying the Theran’s as divinely ordained to colonize foreign land.

One thing I’d like to learn more about is the lived experience of the many Hellenes who left their homes to found colonies in terra incognito, and how they navigated interacting with the locals and fostering amicable relations with them

The reading I picked was “ Hesiod On Labor “ there was no real reason I picked it beyond the name Hesiod feeling familiar . I think the author was trying to communicate the values and beliefs held by Greek culture at the time relating to men specifically their place in the world as far as labor.

I think the document is trying to tell us  that at the time Work and the concept of labor was something that overlapped a lot with Greek mythology. Being a hardworking man that was constantly avoiding idleness and striving to better his land wealth and family was a value that was expected in their culture , at least if you wanted to avoid being seen unfavorably by the gods . Hesiod is explaining to his brother Perses there’s no reason to be bitter about the land he’s received , because through hard work , he can become wealthy with what he already has and  favorable to the gods . Hesiod emphasized to his brother that being a hard worker is not shameful , and in fact that opposite is true .

When looking at this in relation to the time and place it came from it’s safe to say at the time Hard-work and  driving to better oneself and one’s family were highly important virtues. one thing I thought was interesting was the end of the reading where Hesiod says to his brother

 “ For a man wins nothing better than a good wife, and, again, nothing worse than a bad one, a greedy soul who roasts her man without fire, strong though he may be, and brings him to a raw old age. “  I thought this was interesting because the reading focuses primarily on the labor and striving towards wealth by men , but still wanted to emphasize the importance of the wife’s companionship within the home . Such  a statement  gives much weight to the role  of the wife , something that seems to be a reoccurring theme in other depictions and readings of Ancient Greece. I’d like to find out more about  why the Greek Gods favored hardworking people .

The reading I decided to pick was Hesiod. I chose this one because it is a story about farming and I am curious about how the crops were produced during that period. I think Hesiod was trying to communicate the importance of hard work. He believes that hard work is the key to survival and bringing someone closer to the divine aspects of the world. In my opinion, this document tells me the importance of farming and labor in the agrarian world. Hesiod's writing focuses more on farming and the pessimistic view of the world were readings such as the Iliad go for more of a noble and heroic view of the world. I would like to know how much did the people believe the gods played a role in their day to day lives.

I think the main crux of Hesiod piece On Labor teaches us that to attain wisdom is probably the best route to take in life. Notice when he speaks to his brother who is in dire straits. He tells his brother to essentially listen more and speak less to live within means and to be extremely discerning when picking a wife. This document and its material is certainly from ancient times because all life and economics is agriculturally based. Hesiod talks about minding your barn when choosing a wife. He encourages that by having more kids you will greatly increase your farming output. Hesiod also says to find good cheap help to hire for maintaining the farm's productivity. It is funny and significant how unstrusting and cautious Hesiod is about choosing a wife. Obviously, with good purpose. However, it is funny how even in those times marriages were seen as a strategic investment as much as anything else. I do wonder was Hesiod ever a solider at one point? Just curious.

The reading that I picked was On Labor by Hesiod. The reason that this reading interested me was due to its focus on advice to the independent farmer. The poet Hesiod is able to give wisdom, which I find valuable. The detail that I found jumped out to me is that instead of Hesiod giving his half of his father’s estate to Perses, he decides to show him what to do with an estate instead. This reminds me of the saying where a person could give you a fish or they can teach you how to fish. The person that knows the method of acquiring something will be able to provide for themselves whenever they want, rather than just once. I think that the author Hesiod was trying to communicate that there is a formula to make things work as a farmer. There is a reason behind the success. For example to keep your barn full and not be a sluggish worker. In my opinion the document is telling us that in this time and place the civilization was already made up and people were going downhill from an already prepared society. This document seems to relate to our reading in the textbook of Ancient Greece because similarly there is discussion of not letting a woman deceive you. I would like to find out more about the general advice that Hesiod has. He seems to be in the position to have an abundance of wisdom.