Greek Tradition Research Articles

Raising the Roof in Cædmon's Hymn

Raising the Roof in <i>Cædmon's Hymn</i>

Ладовое своеобразие 4-го гласа в византийской традиции на протяжении столетий (ΧΙΙ – ΧΙΧ вв.)

The history of Byzantine chant goes back many centuries. The modal system of Octoechos, that regulates most of liturgical compositions, emerged even before the appearance of the musical notation in the chant books, and then continuously developed. Over the centuries, this octomodal system absorbed a lot of divergent influences, so Byzantine and post-Byzantine modes appear as a fusion of archaic, classical and modern features. After a detailed study of the modal content of the fourth authentic mode, the authors reconstruct its melodic image and its evolution from the classical Byzantine period to the samples of the later Greek tradition. The present study is based on different sticheras of the hebdomadal and annual liturgical circles taken from the middle-Byzantine Sticherarion of the 12th to the 14th century, from post-Byzantine versions of the Sticherarion by the 17th-century authors Chrysaphos the Younger and Germanos of New Patras, and from collections of selected chants: the Anastasimatarion of Chrysaphos the Younger (17th century), the Doxastaria of Iakovos the Protopsaltis and Petros Peloponnesios, the Anastasimatarion of Peter Peloponnesios (18th century). The middle Byzantine evidence points to the special place of the fourth authentic mode in the octomodal system, as possessing a peculiar modal content: while other authentic modes have a third-fifth structure of the main cadences, in the fourth authentic mode the main cadences are arranged in a second relation. This trait impacts also the melodic formulas of the chants. Over the centuries, this peculiar feature has been preserved in the mutual relationship of the main cadences of the fourth mode. Accordingly, the melismatic enrichment of older versions of Sticheraria took place, but the main characteristics of the mode remained unchanged, in spite of the addition of supplementary modal cadences. The modal particularity of the fourth authentic mode may be explained by the combination of several modal components: the archaic features, inherited from pre-octomodal forms, merged with later elements and were embedded into the classical modal system.

Following in the Footsteps of the Sun: Gilgameš, Odysseus and Solar Movement

Abstract During the heyday of the solar-myth paradigm it was a norm to interpret every single mythic character and his or her actions in terms of either the annual or diurnal solar movement. With the paradigm’s inevitable demise, the body of evidence that was central to its approach was relegated to a more peripheral position by the adherents of succeeding paradigms that successively dominated the field. This has left a significant number of references to solar phenomena in ancient text on the margins of scholarly interest, including those that appear in the central texts of both Mesopotamian and Greek traditions. This paper focuses on a re-evaluation of the presence of solar resonances in a section of the Epic of Gilgameš that contains clear and explicit references to the sun and its course. At the same time, following in the footsteps of many earlier scholars, it offers a parallel analysis of a section of Odysseus’ itinerary of a similar character. This re-evaluation has shown that the respective sections of the heroes’ itineraries are partly structured on an analogy with solar movement, but that the dominant use of solar references in these texts is more haphazard and reflects more circumscribed intentions of the texts’ authors.

The Cosmos in Your Hand: A Note on Regiomontanus's Astrological Interests

Johannes Müller von Königsberg (1436-1476), better known as Regiomontanus, is widely considered as the most influential astronomer and mathematician of 15th-century Europe. He was active as an astrologer and deemed astrology to be the queen of mathematical sciences. Despite this, Regiomontanus's astrological activity has yet to be fully explored. A brief examination of Regiomontanus's manuscripts shows that his astrological interests were accompanied by interests in the arts and in methods of prognostication. This article studies an unconventional astrological-chiromantical text, whose relevance is threefold: a) it sheds new light on Regiomontanus's astrological interests; b) it enriches our knowledge of Regiomontanus's efforts to learn and understand Greek-Regiomontanus transcribed it into his own manuscript during his sojourn in Italy from 1460-1467; and c) it is the sole extant text in the Greek tradition that provides a system for prognostication from the study of a person's hand, the parts of which are considered as being under the domain of planets. The article provides an English translation of Regiomontanus's transcription, alongside a brief commentary, and studies the intellectual and historical context of that production through manuscript analysis.

How to Think About the Climate Crisis: A Philosophical Guide to Saner Ways of Living by Graham Parkes

Reviewed by: How to Think About the Climate Crisis: A Philosophical Guide to Saner Ways of Living by Graham Parkes James McRae (bio) How to Think About the Climate Crisis: A Philosophical Guide to Saner Ways of Living. By Graham Parkes. New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2021. Pp. xv + 272. Paperback $26.95, ISBN 978-1-350-15886-3. Climate change is the greatest existential threat that human beings face in the 21st century, but unfortunately, we aren't doing very much about it (other than making it worse). Graham Parkes' How to Think about the Climate Crisis: A Philosophical Guide to Saner Ways of Living offers a succinct summary of the causes of global heating--scientific, economic, and philosophical--along with practical solutions to help us avoid the first major tipping point, which is quickly approaching in 2030. Parkes draws from both ancient Greek and traditional Chinese philosophy to develop an alternative worldview that can serve as a conceptual resource for reforming our laws, policies, and ways of life. Parkes' introduction provides some background for why this book is needed in environmental studies. Globalization has created long supply lines that are driven by fossil fuels, which damage the climate and harm both nature and human beings. Many people fear the consequences of climate change, so they either ignore the issue or invent conspiracy theories about how scientists are trying to destroy their way of life. The Internet's tendency to promote "information cocoons" makes these conspiracy theories more widespread, with significant consequences for even non-believers. Economics, which is the driving force behind domestic and foreign policy, tends to focus on quantity rather than quality, and often ignores the things that make life worthwhile, most of which cannot be directly translated into dollar values. A tiny fraction of the population (e.g., those heavily invested in the fossil fuel industries) are reluctant to combat global heating because they have been making a fortune off the status quo. To support their way of life, they have been waging a war of ideas for decades to persuade the public that climate change does not represent a significant threat. To combat this problematic worldview, Parkes offers some alternative ways of thinking about climate change drawn from ancient Greek and Chinese thought. Chinese philosophy is an essential part of the solution because China is the world's second-largest economy and one of its biggest polluters. Cooperation with China is necessary if we're going to [End Page 1] avoid critical environmental tipping points, and it is most expedient to engage the Chinese using ideas from their own traditions that resonate with concepts from the Greek traditions upon which much of Western culture is based. Parkes develops his argument in four major parts. Part One, entitled "Reality and Alternatives," explores the science of global heating and the "specious Promethean solutions" that are often proffered. The Earth system remained relatively stable throughout the Holocene, allowing human beings to thrive, but has been disrupted so dramatically in recent centuries that many scientists argue that we are in a new geologic epoch, the Anthropocene. Seven different meta-studies between 2004 and 2015 have demonstrated that 97 percent of climate scientists agree that global heating is anthropogenic (with the dissenting 3 percent publishing in bottom-tier journals). Nonetheless, most Americans are unaware of this consensus. Much of the ignorance about climate change has come as a result of a "strategic ploy" on the part of the fossil fuel industry and conservative politicians, who have spread disinformation and done their best to discredit environmental scientists. The 2018 IPCC report indicates that unless we reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent by the year 2030, we will move past the 1.5°C tipping-point and face catastrophic consequences. Parkes criticizes "Promethean" solutions to climate change that rely on science developing sophisticated technologies in the near future that can combat global heating so that we do not have to change our current lifestyles (e.g., carbon capture and storage, hydro-fracking, and "clean coal" technology). None of these solve the problem of global heating, but instead give people a false sense of hope that negative consequences can be avoided by...

Implications of Liberal Education in Aristotle’s Theory of Music Education

이 글은 아리스토텔레스의 ｢정치학｣에서 여가에 적합한 교육내용으로 언급되고 있는 음악 교과의 성격과 그 교육적 가치 문제에 대한 논의를 살펴봄으로써, 그가 말하는 자유교육의 기능을 검토하기 위한 것이다. 고대 희랍의 자유교육의 전통에서 음악은 체육이나 문학과 더불어 핵심적인 위치를 차지하였다. 그러다가 고전기가 끝나갈 무렵, 연주는 전문가에게 맡겨지고 아마추어는 감상자로 밀려나는 경향이 나타나면서 음악과 사장의 분리가 이루어지고, 음악 교과는 점차 학교교육의 영역에서 쇠퇴하게 된다. 이러한 상황에서 아리스토텔레스는 자유인의 교육에서 음악이 차지하는 위상과 그 중요성을 있는 힘을 다하여 정당화하고 있다. 그는 음악이 교과에서 제외될 때 발생하는 결함, 즉 인간성의 부조화를 심히 우려하는 것이다. 이성에 의하여 규제되지 않는 정서와 마찬가지로 올바른 정서에 의하여 견인되지 않는 이성도 오류에 빠질 수 있기 때문이다. 중등교육 단계에서 이루어지는 음악교육은 우리의 영혼이 쾌감을 올바르게 느낄 수 있도록 훈련함으로써 도덕적 품성을 도야하기 위한 것이다. 노래를 부르고 악기를 직접 연주하는 동안 그 당사자는 품성을 재현하고 있는 음악에서 도덕적 아름다움을 느끼게 되고 그의 품성은 차츰 음악의 리듬과 화성 저 너머에 있는 실재를 닮아가게 된다. 그의 체계에서 음악교육은 도덕교육과 지식교육의 교차점에 위치해 있다. 이러한 교육은 그의 이성과 감정이 조화를 이룬 도덕적 실천가를 지향한다.This article is to examine the function of liberal education by considering the nature of the music subject and its educational value, which is mentioned as an educational content suitable for leisure in Aristotle’s Politika. In the ancient Greek tradition of liberal education, music occupied a central position along with physical education and literature. Then, at the end of the classical period, there was a tendency to limit music performance to professionals and to define amateurs as viewers. As a result, music and literature were separated, and the music subject gradually declined from the realm of school education. Under these circumstances, Aristotle did his best to justify the status and importance of music in the education of free men. He was deeply concerned about the defect that occurs when music is excluded from the curriculum, that is, the dissonance of human nature. This is because, just like the emotions not regulated by reason, reason that is not driven by the right emotions can fall into error. Music education at the secondary level of education is to cultivate moral character by training our souls to properly feel pleasure. While singing and playing the instrument himself, the performer can feel the moral beauty in the music that reproduces the character, and his character gradually goes beyond the rhythm and harmony of music to resemble existence. In this system, music education is located at the intersection between moral and knowledge education. This education aims for a moral practitioner whose reason and emotions are in harmony.

Reflections by C. S. Lewis on Biblical Narrative as a Literary Phenomenon: The Cathartic Example of the Youth Literary Cycle The Chronicles of Narnia

This essay provides a detailed exploration of interest in the Bible as a literary phenomenon. We start with Frye’s research in order to analyze academic perspectives that studied the Bible as a form of literary criticism. Among these perspectives, it is worth highlighting those that define biblical narrative as the principal element of the Western imaginative tradition. This phenomenon builds a set of interrelations that have shaped our specific literary tradition, imbuing it with this symbiosis between sacred and profane influences. Moving on to a second level of interpretation of the question at hand, we examine the encounter between secular and religious literatures as a consequence of the work initiated by Frye. The philological background of the writer C. S. Lewis is key and unprecedented in shedding light on the frontiers between reality and fantasy in the field of literary studies, as exemplified in The Chronicles of Narnia. The Narnia books allow their readers to experience catharsis. This experience is foundational for the acquisition and cultivation of some character strengths, as the ancient Greek tradition held and put into practice centuries ago.

The Waiting-Servant Motif in a Late Antique Textile in Chicago: Iconography, Visuality, and Materiality

This article explores the use and adaptation of the iconographic motif of the waiting servant, known primarily from late Roman wall paintings, mosaics, and other media, within the sphere of Late Antique furnishing textiles. Taking as a case study a fifth- to sixth-century CE hanging in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection, the first section argues that the addition of elaborate, multihued architectural settings and floral motifs in this hanging and several comparable examples built upon the existing waiting-servant iconography offer an enhanced message of “the good life” within the household. Such compositional elements were rooted in earlier Greek and Roman artistic traditions, namely architectural polychromy and the visual interplay between artifice and reality. However, they also exemplify the Late Antique “jeweled style”, an aesthetic characterized by dazzling visual and polychromatic effects and an interest in artistic mimicry of other media. Striking visual parallels between the waiting-servant hangings and contemporary painted interiors suggest that textiles were considered on par with permanent media and operated in a system of cross-media artistic exchange. The article concludes with a consideration of the materiality of the Chicago hanging and its potential functions within a Late Antique residence, exploring how its portability as a woven object encouraged its flexible use within the home and allowed it to convey and even amplify particular messages through its juxtaposition with other objects, architecture, or people.

The Temenidae, Who Came Out of Argos. Literary Sources and Numismatic Evidence on the Macedonian Dynastic Traditions / Temenidzi, którzy przybyli z Argos. Macedońskie tradycje dynastyczne w źródłach literackich i świadectwach numizmatycznych

The prevailing opinion is that, at least from Alexander I onwards, Macedonian rulers attached a lot of importance to the tradition of their Argive origin. There are also suggestions that various images placed on royal coins refer to the mythical founder of the dynasty and his foreign origin. But a review of these images does not provide convincing arguments to justify the above-mentioned opinion. The preserved fragments of poetry dedicated to Alexander I seem to speak rather in favor of his interest in the Trojan myth. If the Argive origin of the royal family is so strongly emphasized by Herodotus, Thucydides, and Euripides, then perhaps the “establishment” of the genealogical ties of the Macedonian kings with Temenidae of Argos took place in Athens. The Greek authors presented the Macedonian rulers with versions of the mythical past of their family linked to Greek tradition. But there is not much to indicate that the predecessors of Alexander the Great attached particular importance to them.

The Temenidae, Who Came Out of Argos. Literary Sources and Numismatic Evidence on the Macedonian Dynastic Traditions / Temenidzi, którzy przybyli z Argos. Macedońskie tradycje dynastyczne w źródłach literackich i świadectwach numizmatycznych

The prevailing opinion is that, at least from Alexander I onwards, Macedonian rulers attached a lot of importance to the tradition of their Argive origin. There are also suggestions that various images placed on royal coins refer to the mythical founder of the dynasty and his foreign origin. But a review of these images does not provide convincing arguments to justify the above-mentioned opinion. The preserved fragments of poetry dedicated to Alexander I seem to speak rather in favor of his interest in the Trojan myth. If the Argive origin of the royal family is so strongly emphasized by Herodotus, Thucydides, and Euripides, then perhaps the “establishment” of the genealogical ties of the Macedonian kings with Temenidae of Argos took place in Athens. The Greek authors presented the Macedonian rulers with versions of the mythical past of their family linked to Greek tradition. But there is not much to indicate that the predecessors of Alexander the Great attached particular importance to them.

Tradisi Etnis Tionghoa dalam Bingkai Ukhuwah Islamiyah (Studi Sosiologis terhadap Tradisi Muslim Tionghoa Probolinggo)

Islam is present in life, not only meeting with a vacuum but also its presence meeting and dealing with several traditions which are the result of human dialogue with their environment, both individually and in groups in a sociological, anthropological collectively and their trust and beliefs. The first traditions encountered by Islam were the Jahiliyah belief traditions and the traditions of the biblical experts and even the magi and Greek traditions which had been firmly rooted in life for hundreds or even thousands of years before the advent of Islam. These traditions, with sociological and anthropological integrity, become a unifying rope among the communities of human life, which are further clarified in the framework of Ukhuwah Islamiyah offered by Islam. Islam which carries the mission of a middle way, balanced, and upright, as part of the high tradition of Islam, be a blessing to the whole universe, makes what is good from these traditions continue to be perpetuated as part of the Islamic tradition. from Islamic law and what is bad is categorized as a tradition of shirk and immorality that must be avoided.

The Rendering of Unclean Birds in an Arabic Translation of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14

Abstract This article examines the lists of unclean birds (Lev 11:13–19; Deut 14:12–18) based on a Christian Arabic translation found in twenty medieval manuscripts. While previous research has discussed the bird lists in the Hebrew and Greek traditions, very few studies have analysed the Syriac and Arabic versions. The present essay first demonstrates that the tradition represented by these manuscripts goes back to a single translation, which is itself a fairly literal rendering of the Peshitta. Since the Arabic list, like the Syriac, omits five prohibited birds, the article then turns to explain their omission by comparing the Syriac list with other late antique and early medieval Jewish sources. Finally, it draws several conclusions for the transmission of the bird lists and more generally for the study of Arabic Bible translations.

Vetus Latina: Die Reste Der Altlateinischen Bibel, 14/1: Danihel, Fascicule 1: Introduction, Dn 13,1–10; Fascicule 2: Dn 13,11–64; 1,1–3,17. Edited by Jean-Claude Haelewyck

Following his delivery in recent years of the Vetus Latina editions of Esther, Judith, and the Gospel according to Mark, Professor Haelewyck now takes on the book of Daniel. This is a writing of considerable text-critical interest, in which the Old Latin versions match the variety in the Greek tradition. Tertullian, the first substantial Latin source, normally corresponds to the early (and poorly attested) Septuagint text. The exception is the disputed Adversus Iudaeos, which is based on the version attributed to Theodotion—although this Greek form actually appears to date from more than a century before Theodotion’s translation. Cyprian’s text reflects the correction of the Septuagint towards the later version, a form which persists in later African writers. The European Old Latin texts are based on the Theodotionic version: this also supplies the basis for Jerome’s Vulgate revision of the Greek additions, although the majority of Vulgate Daniel is supposedly a new translation from Hebrew and Aramaic sources. In his Commentary on Daniel, written some 24 years after his revision of the biblical text, Jerome relies on the Vulgate for the biblical lemmata but explicitly mentions variant readings from the Septuagint.

Zodiac as Expression in the Creation of Paintings

This thesis raises the theme of "Zodiac as Expression in the Creation of Paintings" from an observation of various types of behavior, characters, and characteristics of the zodiac. This gives rise to the urge to bring the expressions of the zodiac cancer, pisces, and scorpio into abstract style paintings. In the embodiment of the work, the style used is a combination of naturalism and abstractionism, which are the characteristics of Mr. Made Budhiana's painting as a partner in the independent study program of the Merdeka Learning Campus Merdeka. With the aim and benefit of providing an understanding of the zodiacal character of the water element, the author expresses ideas that are processed using qualitative methods, equipped with interview guidelines, reduction and presentation of data that can be used as ideas in creating a painting. Ideas or ideas cannot be separated from observations and interactions with surrounding conditions and personal experiences so that the author can express the feelings of the zodiac character with the water element in the painting. The idea obtained also comes from astrological records that have been studied since time immemorial, namely the Ancient Greek tradition that is spread on social media. So it can be concluded that this painting with the theme of the water element zodiac can be used as a reference to understand a person's character, especially the Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio zodiacs in everyday life

Race, gender and slavery in early Islamicate history

AbstractSlavery was practiced in parts of the Islamicate world from the 7th through 21st centuries. Until the late 20th century, many authors claimed that Islamicate slavery was relatively benign and free from racism. However, recent scholarship has found evidence of race‐thinking in Islamicate history—particularly anti‐Black racism and an association between Blackness and enslavement—tracing back at least to the ninth‐century CE. Scholars still contest what racial categories or forms of race‐thinking existed in the first centuries of Islamicate history. The Quran is free from overt race‐thinking, but the Islamic conquests of the seventh and eighth centuries seem to have precipitated the articulation of new racialized categories and the application of old ones from the Biblical and Greek traditions. Considerations of gender further complicate the picture, as most of those enslaved in early Islamicate history were women, and many enslaved concubines bore children for their enslavers. The identity of these children was contested in the seventh century, but they seem to have defined themselves as full Arabs by the mid‐eighth century. Ultimately, the intersection of race, gender, and slavery in early Islamicate history is not a linear narrative, but a complex story of negotiation and contestation.

The Greek Fragments of the Works of Māšāʾallāh ibn Aṯarī

This article provides an overview of the Greek mentions of the Arabic astrologers Māšāʾallāh ibn Aṯarī al-Baṣrī and Abū Maʿšar al-Balḫī, together with the edition of the Greek fragments explicitly attributed to Māšāʾallāh, based on all their witnesses. Moreover, a general introduction to the Greek tradition of the two astrologers and a discussion of their mentions in the manuscript Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 1056 are supplied.

Geophysical surveys in archaeological sites in Baucina (Palermo)

Abstract The archaeological site of Monte Carrozza and Monte Falcone dominates in the south and east of the modern town of Baucina. These are two reliefs of modest size, separated by a small hill elongated in an East-West direction where the cliffs stand the necropolis. On these hills, probably in the sixth century. B.C., settled people, sicane that at the end of the century came into contact with the Greek colonies of Himera and the Punic Soluntum, as the research conducted in the last decade have demonstrated. Located in the hinterland, on the watershed between the river San Leonardo and Milicia, the sites are located in a critical point, in an area open to the connections between Palermo, Solunto and Himera. Archaeological excavations are conducted by the Chair of Ancient Topography of the University of Palermo, in agreement and cooperation with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of Palermo and with the logistical and financial support of the City of Baucina. Investigations affecting a sector of the cemetery located along the southern slope of Monte Falcone to combat the phenomenon of illegal excavations. For this purpose were undertaken, a series of geophysical surveys were. The survey results showed the presence of various structures, likely archaeological interest. Subsequent excavations made in areas investigated by geophysics have unearthed different funerary structures: burials in graves or nasturtium, cremation within pithoi or amphorae. The dead were accompanied by grave goods of the Greek tradition: skyphoi, achromatic cups, etc. Particular interest is a large tomb in an artificial cave entrance that consists of pillars and lintel plaster. The grave diggers violated by poachers is unique for their monumental architecture. It was reached by a corridor carved in the rock, in whose landfilling and numerous ceramic fragments were recovered a bronze coin.

La Figura del Sabio Como Modelo Integral de Conocimiento y Conducta en la Filosofía Antigua

Abstract From the significance of the sage in ancient philosophy and the emergence of the notion of wisdom in contemporary psychology, I propose to reevaluate the role of the wise man as integral model of knowledge and action in ancient philosophy. I claim that this model is rooted in the Greek tradition from archaic literature, but it is not a central element in the philosophy of the classical period (i.e., Plato and Aristotle) as it is in Hellenistic philosophy, particularly with the Stoics. The analysis includes an assessment of the conditions allowing a theory that offers the figure of the wise man as a guiding model of both knowledge and action. For this, I consider three relevant criteria: the wise man is human (even if similar to god), he proves to be integrally wise (without excluding theory from praxis) and his wisdom is useful (because of his advice or example).

Accelerating Student Engagement with Asynchronous Online Debates

Rooted in the Greek tradition of Socrates and Aristotle, debate pedagogy utilizes the interpersonal ‘heat’ that comes with a clash in opinions to engage students in learning. Well-structured classroom debates can engage students, give them agency in their learning, and challenge them to view the layered perspectives that lie under the surface of topics across the curriculum. The proliferation of on-demand and asynchronous learning approaches presents a challenge for instructors who wish to hold live, synchronous, debates. It is frequently not possible to utilize traditional debate pedagogical techniques when students are not temporally or physically in a classroom space. Disruptions to traditional classroom learning caused by the COVID-19 epidemic only exacerbate the need to re-invent pedagogies for today’s dynamic higher education learning environments. Emerging tools and approaches show promise in rekindling debate pedagogy, however, relatively little scholarship exists to orient instructors who wish to deploy evidenced-based debate pedagogy in blended and online courses. This paper presents the results of an investigation of one technology-facilitated approach to deploying asynchronous and online debates. Findings from the present investigation help to illuminate a path forward for instructors who wish to deploy structured classroom debates in online and asynchronous formats.

Jakob Leth Fink. Editor. Phantasia in Aristotle’s Ethics. Reception in the Arabic, Greek, Hebrew and Latin Traditions. Bloomsbury Studies in the Aristotelian Tradition. London/New York/Oxford/New Delhi/Sidney: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019

Jakob Leth Fink. Editor. Phantasia in Aristotle’s Ethics. Reception in the Arabic, Greek, Hebrew and Latin Traditions. Bloomsbury Studies in the Aristotelian Tradition. London/New York/Oxford/New Delhi/Sidney: Bloomsbury Academic, 2019