Heracles and the Cretan Bull

#Heracles and the #CretanBull

#greekmyths

The Labours of Heracles 7

You've heard of Theseus and the Minotaur but Theseus wasn't the only Greek hero into bullfighting or ritual acrobatics or men wearing bull marks or whatever  possible historical events or Minoan rituals underlie the story about the Minotaur.

Minos ruler of Crete had a sacred bull allegedly fire breathing which had escaped and was ravaging farms and orchards tearing down fences damaging crops and reaking havoc.

Heracles managed to capture this bull and ship it to the mainland where it was turned loose.

I choose this particular vase painting cos the artists has given some thought to how one would actually catch a wild bull and take it alive without the modern benefits of tranquillizer darts or trained cattle dogs or horses trained to work with you while lassoing an animal. 

The end of the story suggests the mainlanders had better cattle herding skills.

The bull was driven across Greece and ended up in Attica probably siring calves on various herds of cows on the way.

PIGS and PEARLS

#gospelofmatthew #bible study

Gospel of Matthew Ch 7 Verse 6

People tend to cite the middle of this verse and ignore the rest.

Literal translation

Not give (aor subj)  the holy to the dogs.
Nor throw (aor subj again) pearls yours in front of the the swine
lest they tread down  / trample katapateoo  upon them in the feet of them
and having turned around  strephomai aor part they rend (another aor subj) you.

note this verse is not just about pigs seen as unclean animals.

While the Jews didn't eat pork they may have farmed pigs for the bristles and leather from their hides or seen local Greek colonists farming pigs or had wild pigs coming down form the highlands and forests  wandering the area eating waste.

This verse isnt just about waste but about avoiding danger?

I wonder if Jesus was referring to some local recent event during which someone was silly enuff in Galilee to actually throw low grade pearls into a pig sty to demonstrate how pigs will eat anything and the pigs being intelligent animals got really offended.

Note the use of en as a dative agent ... the pearls were crushed  into the pigs "feet" which are very sensitive probably irritating them so enraged they turned on the human attacking them?

Perhaps we could also read this as not only  don't waste but do feed or offer people the correct food or don't try to test and fool people so they don't get angered by your extravagance and turn on you?

The Light and the Dark

#Matthew 6. 22 - 23 #bible study #greek #whatjesussaid

see also #Luke 11. 33 - 36

word for word translation

the lamp of the body is the eye
if therefore is (note subjunctive / conditional ) the eye of you open/ sincere/ simple (2nd declension adjective with multiple meanings) whole the body of you bright /shining will be.

if but the eye of you evil is whole the body of you dark will be.
if therefore the light to you dark is the dark how much !?


Note the parallelism and the subjunctives.

Lamp often gets translates as Light but the greek is luknos!

Here is the ancient concept of the eye being a gate or link to the soul.

I think however given the subjunctives our Lord is talking as much about spiritual as physical perception. Letting in the light? He is not linking physical disability to sin as a cause or effect!

This is light as an energizing force as much spiritual as physical?

Think of those verses in which he or others spoke of the Light of the World?


A note for fellow Whovians.  Last week the Doctor spoke of never seeing paradise and this week he's into the darkness! We joke What would the Doctor do?

It would seem this season our favorite Gallifreyan is seeking redemption and healing for himself and others.

We don't need a Tardis for that and have a Companion and Friend to call on for help!

Two Paintings of the Graces

Two Paintings of the Graces

Pausanias tells us (Book 9. 35. 1-7) that while it was normal in his time the 2nd century AD to depict the Graces as nude he has seen older works of art in which they are clothed but alas none of those works survived even as Roman mosaic copies.

However here's one Roman era fresco from Pompeii that did.

and here to demonstrate Classical Influences on later art Raphael's depiction of the Graces.

Some Necessary bumping for Metousia

People I've been doing some archiving and editing and just discovered many posts  that were batch blogged or posted via my mobile Blogit app have not appeared on Google Plus so please consider following Metousia directly ?

www.metousia.blogspot.com

Archibald Fountain

Whether you are a visitor to Sydney or a local pausing to enjoy the coolness take a moment to consider the Classical influences on this fountain in theme and style.
Yes its Art Deco but a very NeoClassical influenced Art Deco with simplified forms inspired by 19th archaeologists discovering earlier forms of Greek art.

And its a beautiful fountain! Enjoy!

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 6 hunger and thirst

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 6

Blessed (are) those who hunger and those who thirst

for righteousness for they will be satisfied

μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην,

ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται.

Luke 6:21 has those who thirst now you will be however it is a plural you so perhaps this minor difference could be explained by Luke's informant perhaps being someone standing further away from Jesus who didn't hear or remember all of the Sermon? 

πεινάω hunger and διψάω thirst two new contract verbs this time with A stems and yes διψάω is a present form not future.

The σύνη suffix is usually translated as – ness. Δικαιοσύνη comes from Δικαιος.

Χορτάζω to feed until full to be full to be satisfied.

Note the future passive.

Desire can be a good thing if focused on an ethical goal?

This has been your Sunday Bible Study Aid. Looking for something more secular?

Midweek I'm running a post series on the 3 Grace Classical theme and how its been used in Art over the centuries. 

Alexander in Sydney

If you're in Sydney this summer don't forget to visit the wonderful Alexander exhibition currently on at the Australian Museum. Truly I've been and it's excellent! A Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to all my readers whoever you are!