Thesmophoriazusae

Aristophanes's play about the festival of Athenian matrons celebrating Demeter and Persephone is a treasure of lyrical poetry. I don't know how faithful is the translation, but the play is enjoyable, even missing  the chorus singing and dancing. An example of the women's chorus praying for Zeus' help:

We hope that they

will win the day

whose words are the best and wisest.

But those who fain

would cheat for gain,

Their solemn oaths forgetting

our ancient laws

and noble cause

and mystic rites upsetting

Who plot for greed

who call the Mede

with secret invitation

I say that these

the gods displease and wrong the Athenian nation.

It is interesting that the drunken women chorus (because the mystic rite was no other than getting drunk in sacred safety) worries about someone betraying the country and calling in the Mede (the Persians). Ancient Greeks were patriotic but, notwithstanding their incessant babble about the essence of goodness, they believed in no God nor in ethical principles, and it was common to betray one's country and help the enemy. But I don't think they ever descended to the depth of impiety of HaAretz columnists that shamelessly glorify Palestinian murderers and call for international intervention against Israel.

I say they certainly displease the gods and wrong the Jewish nation. 

Un Bonheur Eternel

The panhellenic festival on Mount Olympus has evolved into a planetary futbol championship. The French (the new French? 80% Africam 50% Muslim) are the current champions.  I am always amazed anew about the Ancient Greeks that developed the cultural/organizational infrastructure of Western civilization. They had democracy and talked incessantly, which made them intelligent. We have to think seriously about how to avoid declining as they did: first they conquered the world with Alexander, then they depopulated their homeland and at last they diluted into Byzantium, the Eastern Roman Empire. Then came the Turks. And Erdogan. 

Sixty Dead in Northern Britain

From a British Paper: “Approximately 50 pigeons and 10 hens are believed to have perished in the fire."  A massacre. Should be published with a trigger alert for sensitive souls.

Comment: Brits kill and eat 2.2 million chickens per day. And with 70 per cent of all chicken in the UK being home-reared, it also satisfies those who prefer to  buy British.

Israel Quotes Arab Poet: Your Lifes Are In Your Hands

In this moments, Israel is bombing terror infrastructure in Gaza. IDF speaker is broadcasting a message to the people wrapped in a formula they can understand: "Get Out of the Way, if you think your life is worth something." In Arabic it translates like "Your life is in your hands".

And your fast feet, I'd have added.

I don't understand the background image. Psywar. 

Nice Ass

Aristophanes killed Socrates

When Socrates, the witty philosopher/teacher of Athens, was put on trial for poisoning the minds of the youth, he knew that his chances were nil. Five hundred jurors, common people of Athens, had never meet him but all have watched "him" teaching how cheat in a play of Aristophanes.

In those times, theater was the media. Aristophanes had painted him as a teacher of swindling and gaming the rules, and that image had more conviction than the truth. The jury condemned the image of Socrates to death by hemlock, and the real Socrates complied with the law.

It is amazing how modern were the Greeks 2500 years ago. Their civilization decayed and Athens became a miserable hamlet. Western civilization is following the same path.

Left: a vase representing his play "The Birds". Beautiful.

Spartan Delights

Xenophon, a pro-Sparta Athenian, vehemently denies that there was homosexuality in the Spartan army, that the system of pairing adolescent trainees with veteran fighters had no sexual connotation. They ate together and slept together, but that was for socializing the fresh soldier. Xenophon sent his son to be educated in the Spartan army.

I salvaged from the University the complete plays of Aristophanes. In  "Peace" (Greek: Εἰρήνη Eirēnē) a caricature of a Spartan comes to negotiate the end of hostilities. Aristophanes makes him speak in an exaggerated Dorian dialect, and comment a propos of nothing "What a beautiful bottom". Classic Greek comedy is very gross and physical, the Greeks are always shitting, liberating gases and so. And buggering each other. Did they do so in reality?

I don't know. According to American surveys, 10% of the married heterosexual couples use the rear entrance once while, and the percentage grows to 30% among Africans and Hispanos. In this part of the world, the Turks are famous for their love of the "white pig".