Classical Wisdom

Members Homer, Hesiod, Apollonius, Ovid, Virgil, Nolan... Dear Classical Wisdom Reader, It’s fair to say Circe has been enjoying a bit of a renaissance. The powerful sorceress enjoyed a particularly visceral spotlight in Christopher Nolan’s recent film, where she quite literally strong-armed Odysseus’ men into swine, as well as the more empathetic, psychologically nuanced retelling in Madeline Miller’s bestselling novel. But which Circe are we actually talking about?

It’s a date all Classicists know… a moment history lovers mourn… the year one of the most egregious acts against philosophy took place. It is when Socrates was brought before an Athenian jury, accused of impiety, as well as corrupting the young. His defense, as conveyed by Plato, became one of the most important speeches in history. And yet…he was not successful. He lost the trial and was sentenced to death, by hemlock.

Earlier in the week, we had a special event with Angie Hobbs looking at the pre-Socratics and the very origins of Greek philosophy. Although, as you’ve probably heard us say before, really we should call them the Natural Philosophers.

It’s probably happened to you too, at some point. Not so long ago I had a very vivid dream about my teeth falling out. It’s apparently one of the most common dream experiences people can have, but it had never happened to me before… and I won’t forget it anytime soon. I could feel them crumbling and falling away in my mouth, and it all felt so real that when I woke up I had to check they were still there. And as with many common dreams, there’s a myriad of different interpretations out there.

I can’t quite put my finger on it… why aren’t the Pre-Socratics more famous? Why aren’t they the household names they so clearly deserve to be? It simply doesn’t make sense that family gatherings don’t include lively discussions about Leucippus and Democritus and their astonishing conception of atoms. Or that people don’t debate the fascinating differences between Heraclitus and Parmenides at dinner parties… And why don’t Anaxagoras and Anaximander get any love?

Where does ancient philosophy and more modern theology meet? Read on to enjoy today’s article by Van Bryan on God and Philosophy and then let me know what you think in the comments! Also, if you haven’t already, make sure to register for Wednesday’s discussion with Angie Hobbs on the Pre-Socratics. We’ll look at the immense impact these natural philosophers had in western philosophy and explore why it happened where it did...

We never really know, do we? Either in our own individual lives or the greater tides of history, sometimes what turns out to be really important surprises us. And the things we think of as small or minor really can turn out to have huge significance.

It’s a problem that is as old as civilization itself: How do you know something is authentic? Today, when we try to establish something as genuine, we use signatures, passwords, facial recognition, two-factor authentication as well as those infuriating codes that make you go in virtual circles. The ancient world had the same problem, though of course it took a different shape. How do you prove a shipment of goods hasn’t been tampered with? How can you show a document is official?

Dear Classical Wisdom Reader, What did the ancient world smell like? Yes, dear reader, here at Classical Wisdom, we like to ask the big questions...but seriously... We can still walk along Roman roads, gaze upon marble statues, read ancient poetry and even recreate ancient recipes. So much of the ancient world we can imagine...but scent? That is much harder to experience. And yet, for the Greeks and Romans, smell was an incredibly important part of life... and everywhere.

Dear Classical Wisdom Reader, Twenty-five years ago, I had just moved back to America. I had been there for exactly 10 days when it happened... when the history of the United States changed forever. I was there to attend my freshman year at St. John’s College in Annapolis, a small liberal arts “Great Books” college. Living in a dorm filled with young women I barely knew, I remember someone (whose name I can’t recall) running into our room to tell us the news that fateful morning.