Mycenaean Citadels - An Introduction

Many of you may have seen in person or via a documentary or online Mycenae in Greece which is the Classic example of a Mycenaean Citadel.

 There however many others well and lesser known which I'll be discussing in this series.

Some of them are lesser known because earthquakes tumbled the higher walls and temples or churches or castles were built on top of them. 

I'll be taking a look at Argos Tiryns Orchomenos and a few other sites like Kalogria which I believe to be Myrsinos. 

First a few common features Ive noticed.

They are near rivers or what were major roads in the past. 

They have a clear line of sight of other citadels harbors or passes. 

Lower towns or villages tend to be on one side of the citadel not surrounding it completely. 

A preference for oval shapes.

Unlike Celtic Roman or mediaeval  castles and fortresses

 No moats or ditches even where terrain would allow such.

Cyclopean foundations.

Join me for this series 

Our first stops will be ...

Well come back and found out ! 

What is a Parable?

WHAT IS A PARABLE ?

For starters its actually parabolee in Greek from the verb paraballoo

To set something side by side so as to compare one with another 

So a parabolee is a placing besides a comparision yet it also came to mean a teaching story one that tries to show us what something or one is like by comparing it to something else.

There are dozens of them throughout the Old n New Testament.

One particularly striking one if you garden or farm is that of the mustard seed.

Theyre used in relishes and sauces or added to dishes.

This story recorded in Matthew and Mark also  appears in Luke

"To What is the realm of God similar and to what will I compare it? 

(Homoioosoo is translated as liken so if you prefer you could say what is it like ? )

It is like a seed of mustard which a man took into his garden and it increased and became a tree and the birds of the sky settled down in its branches. "

It is something that grows from a small thing into something that can shelter other small things.

But perhaps I should say beings not things for the process is organic with life growing and creating new habitats for many  other lives fron one life.

Parables are both beautiful and useful. 

To read the Mustard Seed Story in Greek or English go to 

Matthew 13:31_33

Mark 4:30_32 

Luke 13:18_21 

Next time the start of that series on Mycenaean Citadels 

The Parable as ART - the Faithful servant

#gospelofluke #parable #narrative #greeknewtestament #biblestudy #bibleasliterature

THE PARABLE AS ART

LUKE Chapter 12: 41 - 48

This passage is an excellent example of several things. Many people study it for its mentions of slaves and discuss whether doulos means slave or servant here. There are morals in the parable too of great use and benefit. There are linguistic features I will comment on later.However its also an example of the parable as a clear narrative unit with a beginning and ending clearly linked.

Note the opening. Peter asks if this is a parabolee / story for us or everyone?

At first it seems like he's telling about corrupt irresponsible ministers and priests with his mention of stewards and slaves and households. But he expands on this!

47 The unfaithful servant unlike the wise faithful steward 42  the one who knew what he was suppose to do will be beated very much  dareesetai pollas  beated severely which by the way is also a lovely future middle that contrasts with the aorist forms.

48 however the one who didnt knew will receive lesser punishment oligas

This expands to a general finishing observation or promise that to everyone who was given much much will be sought of them and a person who men have entrusted with many things will have all the more asked of them.

Whether you are a leader a minister a priest a steward a politician or a secular administrator abusing your staff slave or free is not a wise action. Sooner or later a higher authority will find you out.

Its clear simple but strong narrative and message story and warning!

Eos' Boys

#Eos #dawngoddess #greekmythology #Greekceramics

EOS the dawn goddess gets a BAD rap in Greek literature labelled as being a pederastic cougar chasing and stealing boytoys. I rather suspect though there were older myths speaking of her as a spirit carrying off souls.

Actual depictions of her often look more like an annoyed mother chasing naughty teens.

I wonder if the original "moral" of stories about Eos was if you misbehave and stay up partying all night EOS will take you ?

Paul's "Love" Letter - Thoughts about Philemon

#eros #agape #onesimus #philemon #newtestamentgreek #oneesis ##khreeston #love #usefulness #benefit

PAUL'S "LOVE" LETTER

THOUGHTS ABOUT PHILEMON

Valentines Day has been and gone and while people are thinking about "LURV"
 I want to direct your attention to a different kind of LOVE 

It may seem like trivia to most people but the noun Eros and the related verb #eraoo are not used in the New Testament. The most popular words for LOVE are derived from either AGAPE or PHILIA.

Paul certainly uses AGAPE and related words a lot in his Letter to Philemon.

Philemons name suggests affection - phile as stem and Paul addresses him as beloved coworker - agapeetooi sunergooi - and praises him for his love - apageen and faith - pistin. He thanks Philemon for the joy and comfort provided by Philemons agape.

Then a twist he says he could command Philemon to do something necessary but he would prefer Philemon did it for love - dia teen agapeen mallon.

What he wants him to do is forgive Onesimus and treat him not as a slave but as a beloved brother adelphon agapeeton !

There's also a pun on Onesimus being formerly useless but now useful akhreeston  eukhreeston as Onesimus name is derived from either the verb oniveemi or the noun oneesis also meaning useful.

This also suggests Paul was aware of people confusing the title Christos with the Greek word khreestos and is referring to Onesimus' conversion.

Paul clearly refers to Onesimus as a slave. Possibly Onesimus had been raised as a younger brother and companion to Philemon as a child then reduced back to being treated like a slave as an adult and taken something he felt entitled to and so was accused of being a thief wrongly or rightly? Maybe he owed the family money towards buying his freedom ?

It would appear Onesimus was told he was "useless" and ran away and somehow met Paul in Rome.

How he got from Asia Minor to Rome is unknown but he could have been pretending to be a freedman or accompanied some other group visiting Paul.

Paul asks Philemon not only to take Onesimus back but not to punish him but forgive him and again treat him as a brother which suggests he also wants Onesimus to be freed?

"receive him as you would receive me" 

"If he has wronged you or owes you" suggests Paul didn't believe Onesimus was a thief and knew both men?

Note Paul asks Philemon in the flesh and not just in the Lord to treat Onesimus as a brother so I think this was a call to free him. Had Onesimus been promised his freedom and not received it?

What a GREAT LOVE LETTER THIS

He's calling on Philemon to let go of Onesimus as a slave and accept him as a brother as an act of love! Possibly justice as well?

I think Philemon did free Onesimus and treat him as a brother again. WHY?

This is not certain. It may have been another Onesimus not this one as two dates have been suggested for their deaths but some decades later we read of of a BISHOP of EPHESUS called Onesimus.

And Onesimus becoming a church leader could explain why their letter of request survived.
People telling stories about Philemon and Onesimus and saying see here is the letter Paul sent!

ROMANCE IS NOT THE ONLY KIND OF LOVE.

Odd foundations

Because of the wet weather in Sydney I was rereading the Parables of the Houses built on Rock n Sand and comparing Luke n Matthews Versions.

Lukes version 6: 46 - 49  is shorter than Matthews 

Luke uses the word themelion  for house foundations 

Words like themelion show why its useful to learn some classical first before koine new testament greek or have a good word guide

Now if you were reading the greek first what would you think themelion means?

The lion ending implies its an object.

Theme suggests its from titheemi place 

Its the placing or placement of a house in a location.

Yould think Greek would use a word derived from histeemi but no from titheemi ! 

Then I went to Matthew 7:24-28 and was atonished to realise on reading the Greek that Matthew used a pluperfect verb form 

Tethemeliooto ! 

Now I wish I knew Aramaic so I see how the text differs 

However that though interesting and telling us something about levels of greek usage can be a distraction from the important message in both passages 

Build on solid foundations of rock not sand so you can endure catastrophes physical or spiritual and perhaps also understand local conditions 

If Jesus had been talking to nomads or traders who crossed the desert he might have used tent pegging as an image ? 

Like the prophets n the psalmists while being inventive n poetic he also draws on things he and his disciples knew to illustrate his parables.

Build wisely and be practical.

Listen and act.

Reread the Parable of the Houses whether its in English or Greeka n d the Gospel of Matthew or Luke.

Though I find it odd and  intriguing a nbd yes delightful that a foundation is also a placed thing in Greek.

A Short tale of Mouse and Rats

#yearoftherat #rat #rodents #mouse # termiology #classicalgreek #latin

A Short Tale of Mouse and Rats

Many ancient languages use the same or related words for various species of rodents and insectivores.

However #ClassicalGreek while not distinguishing between rats and mice did have a variety of terms for small mammals.

(N.B. Rat comes from Germanic #rattaz)

 In Both Latin and Greek mouse and mice are MUS which may possibly come from the verb muoo and meant perhaps something like the hidden one? But the humble mouse is however also Sminthos.

Here's some language trivia nezumi the Japanese for rodents may have also originally had that meaning too!

Voles were seen as a kind of mice being called field mice in Latin but arouraios in Greek a term also applied to hamsters and rats.

Squirrels which are written with characters meaning treerat in East Asia were skiouros.

Shrews were mogaira. Moles Khooma.

If you're a teacher in a multiethnic ask out students how many names they know for rats and mice and other small creatures?