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==TIL. Truth In Literature==
 
==TIL. Truth In Literature==
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<pre>
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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IDS -- Truth In Literature
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Truth In Literature
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 1
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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| Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?
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|
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| No, Cassius, for the eye sees not itself
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| But by reflection, by some other things.
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|
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|'Tis just;
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| And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
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| That you have no such mirrors as will turn
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| Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
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| That you might see your shadow.  ...
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|
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| Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius,
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| That you would have me seek into myself
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| For that which is not in me?
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|
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| Therefor, good Brutus, be prepared to hear.
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| And since you know you cannot see yourself
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| So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
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| Will modestly discover to yourself
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| That of yourself which you yet know not of.
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|
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| William Shakespeare, 'Julius Caesar', 1.2.53-72
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 2
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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|"The N.I.C.E. marks the beginning of a new era -- the 'really' scientific era.
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| Up to now, everything has been haphazard.  This is going to put science itself
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| on a scientific basis.  There are to be forty interlocking committees sitting
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| every day and they've got a wonderful gadget -- I was shown the model last time
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| I was in town -- by which the findings of each committee print themselves off
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| in their own little compartment on the Analytical Notice-Board every half hour.
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| Then, that report slides itself into the right position where it's connected up
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| by little arrows with all the relevant parts of the other reports.  A glance at
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| the Board shows you the policy of the whole Institute actually taking shape under
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| your own eyes.  There'll be a staff of at least twenty experts at the top of the
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| building working this Notice-Board in a room rather like the Tube control rooms.
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| It's a marvellous gadget.  The different kinds of business all come out in the
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| Board in different coloured lights.  It must have cost half a million.  They
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| call it a Pragmatometer."
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|
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| C.S. Lewis, 'That Hideous Strength', 1943
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 3
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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| All this did not in the least influence his sociological convictions.
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| Even if he had been free from Belbury and wholly unambitious, it
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| could not have done so, for his education had had the curious
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| effect of making things that he read and wrote more real to
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| him than things he saw.  Statistics about agricultural
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| labourers were the substance;  any real ditcher,
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| ploughman, or farmer's boy, was the shadow.
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| Though he had never noticed it himself,
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| he had a great reluctance, in his work,
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| ever to use such words as "man" or "woman".
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| He preferred to write about "vocational groups",
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| "elements", "classes", and "populations":  for, in
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| his own way, he believed as firmly as any mystic in
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| the superior reality of the things that are not seen.
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|
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| C.S. Lewis, 'That Hideous Strength', 1943
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 4
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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| She says she drinks no other drink but tears,
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| Brewed with her sorrow, mashed upon her cheeks.
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| Speechless complainer, I will learn thy thought;
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| In thy dumb action will I be as perfect
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| As begging hermits in their holy prayers.
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| Thou shalt not sigh, nor hold thy stumps to heaven,
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| Nor wink, nor nod, nor kneel, nor make a sign,
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| But I of these will wrest an alphabet,
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| And by still practice learn to know thy meaning.
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|
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| William Shakespeare, 'Titus Andronicus', 3.2.36-45
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 5
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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| Then something happened which completely altered his state of mind.
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| The creature, which was still steaming and shaking itself on the back
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| and had obviously not seen him, opened its mouth and began to make noises.
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| This in itself was not remarkable;  but a lifetime of linguistic study
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| assured Ransom almost at once that these were articulate noises.  The
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| creature was 'talking'.  It had a language.  If you are not yourself
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| a philologist, I am afraid you must take on trust the prodigious
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| emotional consequences of this realization in Ransom's mind.
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| A new world he had already seen -- but a new, an extra-terrestrial,
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| a non-human language was a different matter.  Somehow he had not thought
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| of this in connection with the 'sorns';  now, it flashed upon him like a
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| revelation.  The love of knowledge is a kind of madness.  In the fraction
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| of a second which it took Ransom to decide that the creature was really
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| talking, and while he still knew that he might be facing instant death,
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| his imagination had leaped over every fear and hope and probability of
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| his situation to follow the dazzling project of making a Malacandrian
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| grammar.  'An Introduction to the Malacandrian language' -- 'The Lunar
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| verb' -- 'A Concise Martian-English Dictionary' ... the titles flitted
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| through his mind.  And what might one not discover from the speech of
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| a non-human race?  The very form of language itself, the principle
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| behind all possible languages, might fall into his hands.
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| Unconsciously he raised himself on his elbow and stared at
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| the black beast.  It became silent.  The huge bullet head
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| swung round and lustrous amber eyes fixed him.  There was no
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| wind on the lake or in the wood.  Minute after minute in utter
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| silence the representatives of two so far-divided species stared
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| each into the other's face.
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|
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| C.S. Lewis, 'Out of the Silent Planet',
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| Scribner Paperback, Simon & Schuster,
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| New York, NY, 1996.  p. 55.
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 6
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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|"Now money, when it moves into a new tribe,
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| very quickly creates an image of the food,
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| craft, and work there:  it gathers around
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| them, molds to them, stays away from the
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| places where none are to be found, and
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| clots near the positions where much
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| wealth occurs.  Yet, like a mirror
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| image, it is reversed just as surely
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| as the writing on a piece of paper is
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| reversed when you read its reflection on
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| a boy's belly.  For both in time and space,
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| where money is, food, work, and craft are not:
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| where money is, food, work, and craft either
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| will shortly be, or in the recent past were.
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| But the actual place where the coin sits is
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| a place where wealth may just have passed
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| from or may soon pass into, but where it
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| cannot be now -- by the whole purpose
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| of money as an exchange object."
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|
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| Samuel R. Delany,
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|"The Tale of Old Venn",
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| in 'Tales of Nevèrÿon',
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| Wesleyan University Press,
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| Hanover, NH, 1993.  p. 93.
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 7
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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|"When money came among the Rulvyn, something very strange happened:
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| Before money came, a woman with strength, skills, or goods could
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| exchange them directly with another woman for whatever she needed.
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| She who did the most work and did it the best was the most powerful
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| woman.  Now, the same woman had to go to someone with money, frequently
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| a man, exchange her goods for money, and then exchange the money for what
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| she needed.  But if there was no money available, all her strength and skill
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| and goods gave her no power at all -- and she might as well not have had them."
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|
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| Samuel R. Delany,
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|"The Tale of Old Venn",
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| in 'Tales of Nevèrÿon',
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| Wesleyan University Press,
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| Hanover, NH, 1993.  p. 93.
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 8
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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|"Among the Rulvyn before money, a strong woman married
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| a prestigious hunter;  then another strong woman would
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| join them in marriage -- frequently her friend -- and the
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| family would grow.  Now that money has come, a prestigious
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| hunter must first amass money -- for what woman would marry
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| a man in such a system who did 'not' have money -- and then
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| go looking for good, strong workers to marry ... for that is
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| the only way 'he' can amass more money.  The woman are unhappy,
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| for now the men 'make' them work, pit them against each other,
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| blatantly and subtly chide them with the work of their cowives.
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| In the Rulvyn before money, the prestige granted the hunter was
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| a compensation for his 'lack' of social power.  Now that money
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| has come, prestige has become a sign 'of' social power, as surely
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| as the double stroke I make on the clay jar means that it contains
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| forked ginger roots.  And are the men happy?  The Rulvyn men are
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| strong, beautiful, proud, and their concerns were the concerns of
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| hunters, the concerns of prestige.  But since they have taken over
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| the handling of money -- with great diligence and responsibility,
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| I might add, for they 'are' proud men -- now, even though the
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| women still do all the work, the men are suddenly responsible
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| for the livelihood of all their wives -- rather than several
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| wives sharing the responsibility for the care and feeding of
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| a single hunter.  The simple job of supplying their wives
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| with a tri-weekly piece of prestigious food has become
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| much more complex.  And another sad truth is simply
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| that the temperament needed to be a good handler
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| of money is frequently the very opposite of the
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| temperament needed to be a good hunter.  When
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| I went up into the hills last to talk to my
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| Rulvyn friends, I found that since money has
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| come, the young women are afraid of the men.
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| The women 'want' good hunters;  but because
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| they understand real power, they know that
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| they must have good money masters."
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|
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| Samuel R. Delany,
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|"The Tale of Old Venn",
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| in 'Tales of Nevèrÿon',
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| Wesleyan University Press,
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| Hanover, NH, 1993.  pp. 93-94.
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 9
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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| Ladies of dread aspect, since your seat is the first in this land at which I
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| have bent my knee, show yourselves not ungracious to Phoebus or to myself;
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| who, when he proclaimed that doom of many woes, spoke to me of this rest
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| after long years:  on reaching my goal in a land where I should find
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| a seat of the Awful Goddesses and a shelter for foreigners, there
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| I should close my weary life, with profit, through my having
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| fixed my abode there, for those who received me, but ruin
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| for those who sent me forth, who drove me away.  And he
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| went on to warn me that signs of these things would
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| come, in earthquake, or in thunder, or in the
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| lightning of Zeus.  Now I perceive that in
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| this journey some trusty omen from you has
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| surely led me home to this grove;  never
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| otherwise could I have met with you,
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| first of all, in my wanderings --
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| I, in my sobriety, with you
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| who touch no wine, -- or
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| taken this august seat
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| not shaped by men.
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| Then, goddesses,
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| according to
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| the word of
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| Apollo,
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| give me
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| at last
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| some way
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| to accomplish
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| and close my course --
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| unless, perhaps, I seem too
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| lowly, enslaved as I am evermore
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| to woes the sorest on the earth.  Hear,
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| sweet daughters of primeval Darkness!  Hear,
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| you that are called the city of great Pallas, Athens,
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| given most honor of all cities!  Pity this poor ghost of
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| the man Oedipus!  For in truth it is the former living body
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| no more.
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|
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| Sophocles, 'Oedipus @ Colonus', (ed. Sir Richard Jebb).
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|
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| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Soph.+OC+75
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 10
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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| I will go when I have performed the errand for which I came, fearless of your frown:
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| you can never destroy me.  I tell you:  the man whom you have been seeking this long
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| while, uttering threats and proclaiming a search into the murder of Laius, is here,
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| ostensibly an alien sojourner, but soon to be found a native of Thebes;  nor will
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| he enjoy his fortune.  A blind man, though now he sees, a beggar, though now rich,
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| he will make his way to a foreign land, feeling the ground before him with his staff.
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| And he will be discovered to be at once brother and father of the children with whom
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| he consorts;  son and husband of the woman who bore him;  heir to his father's bed,
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| shedder of his father's blood.  So go in and evaluate this, and if you find that
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| I am wrong, say then that I have no wit in prophecy.
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|
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| Sophocles, 'Oedipus Tyrannus', (ed. Sir Richard Jebb).
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|
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| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Soph.+OT+447
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 11
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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| Then again the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, took other counsel.  On the daughter
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| of Icarius she shed sweet sleep, and she leaned back and slept there on her couch,
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| and all her joints were relaxed.  And meanwhile the fair goddess was giving her
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| immortal gifts, that the Achaeans might marvel at her.  With balm she first made
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| fair her beautiful face, with balm ambrosial, such as that wherewith Cytherea,
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| of the fair crown, anoints herself when she goes into the lovely dance of the
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| Graces;  and she made her taller, too, and statelier to behold, and made her
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| whiter than new-sawn ivory.  Now when she had done this the fair goddess
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| departed, and the white-armed handmaids came forth from the chamber and
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| drew near with sound of talking.  Then sweet sleep released Penelope,
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| and she rubbed her cheeks with her hands, and said:
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|
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|"Ah, in my utter wretchedness soft slumber enfolded me.
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| Would that pure Artemis would even now give so soft
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| a death, that I might no more waste my life away
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| with sorrow at heart, longing for the manifold
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| excellence of my dear husband, for that he
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| was pre-eminent among the Achaeans."
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|
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| Homer, 'Odyssey'
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|
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| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+18.169
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 12
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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| Then Odysseus of many wiles answered him, and said:  "I see, I give heed;
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| this thou biddest one with understanding.  Come, let us go, and be thou
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| my guide all the way.  But give me a staff to lean upon, if thou hast
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| one cut anywhere, for verily ye said that the way was treacherous."
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|
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| He spoke, and flung about his shoulders his miserable wallet,
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| full of holes, slung by a twisted cord, and Eumaeus gave him
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| a staff to his liking.  So they two set forth, and the dogs
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| and the herdsmen stayed behind to guard the farmstead;  but
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| the swineherd led his master to the city in the likeness of
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| a woeful and aged beggar, leaning on a staff;  and miserable
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| was the raiment that he wore about his body.
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|
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| Homer, 'Odyssey'
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|
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| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+17.166
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 13
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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| Suddenly then the baying hounds caught sight of Odysseus, and
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| rushed upon him with loud barking, but Odysseus sat down in his
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| cunning, and the staff fell from his hand.  Then even in his own
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| farmstead would he have suffered cruel hurt, but the swineherd with
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| swift steps followed after them, and hastened through the gateway, and
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| the hide fell from his hand.  He called aloud to the dogs, and drove them
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| this way and that with a shower of stones, and spoke to his master, and said:
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|
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|"Old man, verily the dogs were like to have torn thee to pieces all of a sudden,
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| and on me thou wouldest have shed reproach.  Aye, and the gods have given me
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| other griefs and sorrow.  It is for a godlike master that I mourn and grieve,
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| as I abide here, and rear fat swine for other men to eat, while he haply in
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| want of food wanders over the land and city of men of strange speech, if
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| indeed he still lives and sees the light of the sun.  But come with me,
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| let us go to the hut, old man, that when thou hast satisfied thy heart
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| with food and wine, thou too mayest tell whence thou art, and all the
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| woes thou hast endured."
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|
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| Homer, 'Odyssey'
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|
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| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+14.1
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
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TIL.  Note 14
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
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| Then Odysseus of many wiles answered her:  "Why then, I pray thee,
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| didst thou not tell him, thou whose mind knows all things?  Nay,
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| was it haply that he too might suffer woes, wandering over the
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| unresting sea, and that others might devour his substance?"
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|
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| Then the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, answered him:  "Nay verily,
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| not for him be thy heart overmuch troubled.  It was I that guided him,
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| that he might win good report by going thither, and he has no toil, but
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| sits in peace in the palace of the son of Atreus, and good cheer past
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| telling is before him.  Truly young men in a black ship lie in wait
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| for him, eager to slay him before he comes to his native land, but
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| methinks this shall not be.  Ere that shall the earth cover many
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| a one of the wooers that devour thy substance."
 +
|
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| So saying, Athena touched him with her wand.  She withered the fair flesh
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| on his supple limbs, and destroyed the flaxen hair from off his head, and
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| about all his limbs she put the skin of an aged old man.  And she dimmed
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| his two eyes that were before so beautiful, and clothed him in other
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| raiment, a vile ragged cloak and a tunic, tattered garments and foul,
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| begrimed with filthy smoke.  And about him she cast the great skin
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| of a swift hind, stripped of the hair, and she gave him a staff,
 +
| and a miserable wallet, full of holes, slung by a twisted cord.
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|
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| Homer, 'Odyssey'
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|
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| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+13.416
 +
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o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 15
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 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
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| So he spoke, and they all praised his words, and bade send the stranger
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| on his way, since he had spoken fittingly.  Then the mighty Alcinous spoke
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| to the herald, saying:  "Pontonous, mix the bowl, and serve out wine to all
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| in the hall, in order that, when we have made prayer to father Zeus, we may
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| send forth the stranger to his own native land."
 +
|
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| So he spoke, and Pontonous mixed the honey hearted wine and served out to all,
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| coming up to each in turn;  and they poured libations to the blessed gods, who
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| hold broad heaven, from where they sat.  But goodly Odysseus arose, and placed
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| in the hand of Arete the two-handled cup, and spoke, and addressed her with
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| winged words:
 +
|
 +
|"Fare thee well, O queen, throughout all the years, till old age and death come,
 +
| which are the lot of mortals.  As for me, I go my way, but do thou in this house
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| have joy of thy children and thy people and Alcinous the king."
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|
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| So the goodly Odysseus spake and passed over the threshold.  And with him
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| the mighty Alcinous sent forth a herald to lead him to the swift ship and
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| the shore of the sea.  And Arete sent with him slave women, one bearing a
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| newly washed cloak and a tunic, and another again she bade follow to bear
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| the strong chest, and yet another bore bread and red wine.
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|
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| But when they had come down to the ship and to the sea, straightway the lordly youths
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| that were his escort took these things, and stowed them in the hollow ship, even all
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| the food and drink.  Then for Odysseus they spread a rug and a linen sheet on the
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| deck of the hollow ship at the stern, that he might sleep soundly;  and he too
 +
| went aboard, and laid him down in silence.  Then they sat down on the benches,
 +
| each in order, and loosed the hawser from the pierced stone.  And as soon as
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| they leaned back, and tossed the brine with their oarblades, sweet sleep
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| fell upon his eyelids, an unawakening sleep, most sweet, and most like
 +
| to death.  And as on a plain four yoked stallions spring forward all
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| together beneath the strokes of the lash, and leaping on high swiftly
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| accomplish their way, even so the stern of that ship leapt on high, and
 +
| in her wake the dark wave of the loud-sounding sea foamed mightily, and
 +
| she sped safely and surely on her way;  not even the circling hawk, the
 +
| swiftest of winged things, could have kept pace with her.  Thus she sped on
 +
| swiftly and clove the waves of the sea, bearing a man the peer of the gods in
 +
| counsel, one who in time past had suffered many griefs at heart in passing through
 +
| wars of men and the grievous waves;  but now he slept in peace, forgetful of all that
 +
| he had suffered.
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Odyssey'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+13.47
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 16
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
|"There then I saw Minos, the glorious son of Zeus, golden sceptre in hand,
 +
| giving judgment to the dead from his seat, while they sat and stood about
 +
| the king through the wide-gated house of Hades, and asked of him judgment.
 +
|
 +
|"And after him I marked huge Orion driving together over the field of asphodel
 +
| wild beasts which he himself had slain on the lonely hills, and in his hands
 +
| he held a club all of bronze, ever unbroken.
 +
|
 +
|"And I saw Tityos, son of glorious Gaea, lying on the ground.  Over nine roods
 +
| he stretched, and two vultures sat, one on either side, and tore his liver,
 +
| plunging their beaks into his bowels, nor could he beat them off with his
 +
| hands.  For he had offered violence to Leto, the glorious wife of Zeus,
 +
| as she went toward Pytho through Panopeus with its lovely lawns.
 +
|
 +
|"Aye, and I saw Tantalus in violent torment, standing in a pool, and the water
 +
| came nigh unto his chin.  He seemed as one athirst, but could not take and drink;
 +
| for as often as that old man stooped down, eager to drink, so often would the water
 +
| be swallowed up and vanish away, and at his feet the black earth would appear, for
 +
| some god made all dry.  And trees, high and leafy, let stream their fruits above
 +
| his head, pears, and pomegranates, and apple trees with their bright fruit, and
 +
| sweet figs, and luxuriant olives.  But as often as that old man would reach out
 +
| toward these, to clutch them with his hands, the wind would toss them to the
 +
| shadowy clouds.
 +
|
 +
|"Aye, and I saw Sisyphus in violent torment, seeking to raise a monstrous stone
 +
| with both his hands.  Verily he would brace himself with hands and feet, and
 +
| thrust the stone toward the crest of a hill, but as often as he was about to
 +
| heave it over the top, the weight would turn it back, and then down again to
 +
| the plain would come rolling the ruthless stone.  But he would strain again
 +
| and thrust it back, and the sweat flowed down from his limbs, and dust rose
 +
| up from his head.
 +
|
 +
|"And after him I marked the mighty Heracles -- his phantom;
 +
| for he himself among the immortal gods takes his joy in the
 +
| feast, and has to wife Hebe, of the fair ankles, daughter of
 +
| great Zeus and of Here, of the golden sandals.  About him rose
 +
| a clamor from the dead, as of birds flying everywhere in terror;
 +
| and he like dark night, with his bow bare and with arrow on the
 +
| string, glared about him terribly, like one in act to shoot.
 +
| Awful was the belt about his breast, a baldric of gold, whereon
 +
| wondrous things were fashioned, bears and wild boars, and lions
 +
| with flashing eyes, and conflicts, and battles, and murders, and
 +
| slayings of men.  May he never have designed, or hereafter design
 +
| such another, even he who stored up in his craft the device of that
 +
| belt.  He in turn knew me when his eyes beheld me, and weeping spoke
 +
| to me winged words:
 +
|
 +
|"'Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus, Odysseus of many devices,
 +
| ah, wretched man, dost thou, too, drag out an evil lot such
 +
| as I once bore beneath the rays of the sun?  I was the son
 +
| of Zeus, son of Cronos, but I had woe beyond measure;  for
 +
| to a man far worse than I was I made subject, and he laid
 +
| on me hard labours.  Yea, he once sent me hither to fetch
 +
| the hound of Hades, for he could devise for me no other
 +
| task mightier than this.  The hound I carried off and
 +
| led forth from the house of Hades;  and Hermes was
 +
| my guide, and flashing-eyed Athena.'
 +
|
 +
|"So saying, he went his way again into the house of Hades, but I abode there
 +
| steadfastly, in the hope that some other haply might still come forth of
 +
| the warrior heroes who died in the days of old.  And I should have seen
 +
| yet others of the men of former time, whom I was fain to behold, even
 +
| Theseus and Peirithous, glorious children of the gods, but ere that
 +
| the myriad tribes of the dead came thronging up with a wondrous cry,
 +
| and pale fear seized me, lest august Persephone might send forth
 +
| upon me from out the house of Hades the head of the Gorgon,
 +
| that awful monster.
 +
|
 +
|"Straightway then I went to the ship and bade my comrades themselves to embark,
 +
| and to loose the stern cables.  So they went on board quickly and sat down upon
 +
| the benches.  And the ship was borne down the stream Oceanus by the swelling flood,
 +
| first with our rowing, and afterwards the wind was fair."
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Odyssey'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+11.567
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+11.601
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 17
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
|"The first to come was the spirit of my comrade Elpenor.  Not yet had he been buried
 +
| beneath the broad-wayed earth, for we had left his corpse behind us in the hall of
 +
| Circe, unwept and unburied, since another task was then urging us on.  When I saw
 +
| him I wept, and my heart had compassion on him;  and I spoke and addressed him
 +
| with winged words:
 +
|
 +
|"'Elpenor, how didst thou come beneath the murky darkness?
 +
| Thou coming on foot hast out-stripped me in my black ship.'
 +
|
 +
|"So I spoke, and with a groan he answered me and said:
 +
|'Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus, Odysseus of many
 +
| devices, an evil doom of some god was my undoing,
 +
| and measureless wine.  When I had lain down to
 +
| sleep in the house of Circe I did not think to
 +
| go to the long ladder that I might come down
 +
| again, but fell headlong from the roof, and
 +
| my neck was broken away from the spine and
 +
| my spirit went down to the house of Hades.
 +
| Now I beseech thee by those whom we left
 +
| behind, who are not present with us, by
 +
| thy wife and thy father who reared thee
 +
| when a babe, and by Telemachus whom thou
 +
| didst leave an only son in thy halls;  for
 +
| I know that as thou goest hence from the house
 +
| of Hades thou wilt touch at the Aeaean isle with
 +
| thy well-built ship. There, then, O prince, I bid
 +
| thee remember me.  Leave me not behind thee unwept
 +
| and unburied as thou goest thence, and turn not
 +
| away from me, lest haply I bring the wrath of
 +
| the gods upon thee.  Nay, burn me with my
 +
| armour, all that is mine, and heap up
 +
| a mound for me on the shore of the
 +
| grey sea, in memory of an unhappy
 +
| man, that men yet to be may learn
 +
| of me.  Fulfil this my prayer, and
 +
| fix upon the mound my oar wherewith
 +
| I rowed in life when I was among my
 +
| comrades.'
 +
|
 +
|"So he spoke, and I made answer and said:
 +
|'All this, unhappy man, will I perform and do.'
 +
|
 +
|"Thus we two sat and held sad converse one with the other,
 +
| I on one side holding my sword over the blood, while on
 +
| the other side the phantom of my comrade spoke at large.
 +
|
 +
|"Then there came up the spirit of my dead mother, Anticleia,
 +
| the daughter of great-hearted Autolycus, whom I had left alive
 +
| when I departed for sacred Ilios.  At sight of her I wept, and my
 +
| heart had compassion on her, but even so I would not suffer her to
 +
| come near the blood, for all my great sorrow, until I had enquired
 +
| of Teiresias.
 +
|
 +
|"Then there came up the spirit of the Theban Teiresias, bearing his golden staff
 +
| in his hand, and he knew me and spoke to me:  'Son of Laertes, sprung from Zeus,
 +
| Odysseus of many devices, what now, hapless man?  Why hast thou left the light
 +
| of the sun and come hither to behold the dead and a region where is no joy?
 +
| Nay, give place from the pit and draw back thy sharp sword, that I may
 +
| drink of the blood and tell thee sooth.'"
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Odyssey'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+11.51
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 18
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
|"So he spoke, and again I handed him the flaming wine.
 +
| Thrice I brought and gave it him, and thrice he drained
 +
| it in his folly.  But when the wine had stolen about the
 +
| wits of the Cyclops, then I spoke to him with gentle words:
 +
|
 +
|"'Cyclops, thou askest me of my glorious name,
 +
| and I will tell it thee;  and do thou give me
 +
| a stranger's gift, even as thou didst promise.
 +
| Noman is my name, Noman do they call me -- my
 +
| mother and my father, and all my comrades as
 +
| well.'
 +
|
 +
|"So I spoke, and he straightway answered me
 +
| with pitiless heart:  'Noman will I eat last
 +
| among his comrades, and the others before him;
 +
| this shall be thy gift.'
 +
|
 +
|"He spoke, and reeling fell upon his back,
 +
| and lay there with his thick neck bent aslant,
 +
| and sleep, that conquers all, laid hold on him.
 +
| And from his gullet came forth wine and bits of
 +
| human flesh, and he vomited in his drunken sleep.
 +
| Then verily I thrust in the stake under the deep
 +
| ashes until it should grow hot, and heartened all
 +
| my comrades with cheering words, that I might see
 +
| no man flinch through fear.  But when presently
 +
| that stake of olive-wood was about to catch fire,
 +
| green though it was, and began to glow terribly,
 +
| then verily I drew nigh, bringing the stake from
 +
| the fire, and my comrades stood round me and a
 +
| god breathed into us great courage.  They took
 +
| the stake of olive-wood, sharp at the point,
 +
| and thrust it into his eye, while I, throwing
 +
| my weight upon it from above, whirled it round,
 +
| as when a man bores a ship's timber with a drill,
 +
| while those below keep it spinning with the thong,
 +
| which they lay hold of by either end, and the drill
 +
| runs around unceasingly.  Even so we took the fiery-
 +
| pointed stake and whirled it around in his eye, and
 +
| the blood flowed around the heated thing.  And his
 +
| eyelids wholly and his brows round about did the
 +
| flame singe as the eyeball burned, and its roots
 +
| crackled in the fire.  And as when a smith dips
 +
| a great axe or an adze in cold water amid loud
 +
| hissing to temper it -- for therefrom comes
 +
| the strength of iron -- even so did his eye
 +
| hiss round the stake of olive-wood.  Terribly
 +
| then did he cry aloud, and the rock rang around;
 +
| and we, seized with terror, shrank back, while he
 +
| wrenched from his eye the stake, all befouled with
 +
| blood, and flung it from him, wildly waving his arms.
 +
| Then he called aloud to the Cyclopes, who dwelt round
 +
| about him in caves among the windy heights, and they
 +
| heard his cry and came thronging from every side, and
 +
| standing around the cave asked him what ailed him:
 +
|
 +
|"'What so sore distress is thine, Polyphemus, that
 +
| thou criest out thus through the immortal night,
 +
| and makest us sleepless?  Can it be that some
 +
| mortal man is driving off thy flocks against
 +
| thy will, or slaying thee thyself by guile
 +
| or by might?'
 +
|
 +
|"Then from out the cave the mighty Polyphemus
 +
| answered them:  'My friends, it is Noman that
 +
| is slaying me by guile and not by force.'"
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Odyssey'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+9.360
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 19
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| So saying he sat down, and among them rose Mentor, who was a comrade
 +
| of noble Odysseus.  To him, on departing with his ships, Odysseus had
 +
| given all his house in charge, that it should obey the old man and that
 +
| he should keep all things safe.  He with good intent addressed their
 +
| assembly, and spoke among them:
 +
|
 +
|"Hearken now to me, men of Ithaca, to the word that I shall say.
 +
| Never henceforth let sceptred king with a ready heart be kind and
 +
| gentle, nor let him heed righteousness in his heart, but let him ever
 +
| be harsh and work unrighteousness, seeing that no one remembers divine
 +
| Odysseus of the people whose lord he was;  yet gentle was he as a father.
 +
| But of a truth I begrudge not the proud wooers that they work deeds of
 +
| violence in the evil contrivings of their minds, for it is at the hazard
 +
| of their own lives that they violently devour the house of Odysseus, who,
 +
| they say, will no more return.  Nay, rather it is with the rest of the
 +
| folk that I am wroth, that ye all sit thus in silence, and utter no word
 +
| of rebuke to make the wooers cease, though ye are many and they but few."
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Odyssey'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+2.224
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 20
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| Soon as early Dawn appeared, the rosy-fingered, up from his bed arose the
 +
| dear son of Odysseus and put on his clothing.  About his shoulder he slung
 +
| his sharp sword, and beneath his shining feet bound his fair sandals, and
 +
| went forth from his chamber like a god to look upon.  Straightway he bade
 +
| the clear-voiced heralds to summon to the assembly the long-haired Achaeans.
 +
| And the heralds made the summons, and the Achaeans assembled full quickly.
 +
| Now when they were assembled and met together, Telemachus went his way to
 +
| the place of assembly, holding in his hand a spear of bronze -- not alone,
 +
| for along with him two swift hounds followed;  and wondrous was the grace
 +
| that Athena shed upon him, and all the people marvelled at him as he came.
 +
| But he sat down in his father's seat, and the elders gave place.
 +
|
 +
| Then among them the lord Aegyptius was the first to speak, a man bowed with age
 +
| and wise with wisdom untold.  Now he spoke, because his dear son had gone in the
 +
| hollow ships to Ilius, famed for its horses, in the company of godlike Odysseus,
 +
| even the warrior Antiphus.  But him the savage Cyclops had slain in his hollow
 +
| cave, and made of him his latest meal.  Three others there were;  one, Eurynomus,
 +
| consorted with the wooers, and two ever kept their father's farm.  Yet, even so,
 +
| he could not forget that other, mourning and sorrowing;  and weeping for him he
 +
| addressed the assembly, and spoke among them:
 +
|
 +
|"Hearken now to me, men of Ithaca, to the word that I shall say.
 +
| Never have we held assembly or session since the day when goodly
 +
| Odysseus departed in the hollow ships.  And now who has called us
 +
| together?  On whom has such need come either of the young men or of
 +
| those who are older?  Has he heard some tidings of the army's return,
 +
| which he might tell us plainly, seeing that he has first learned of it
 +
| himself?  Or is there some other public matter on which he is to speak
 +
| and address us?  A good man he seems in my eyes, a blessed man.  May Zeus
 +
| fulfil unto him himself some good, even whatsoever he desires in his heart."
 +
|
 +
| So he spoke, and the dear son of Odysseus rejoiced at the word of omen;
 +
| nor did he thereafter remain seated, but was fain to speak.  So he took
 +
| his stand in the midst of the assembly, and the staff was placed in his
 +
| hands by the herald Peisenor, wise in counsel.
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Odyssey'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+2.1
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 21
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| So saying the bright goddess led her on.  Then she made her to sit on
 +
| a silver-studded chair, a beautiful chair, richly-wrought, and beneath
 +
| was a footstool for the feet;  and she called to Hephaestus, the famed
 +
| craftsman, and spake to him, saying:  "Hephaestus, come forth hither;
 +
| Thetis hath need of thee."  And the famous god of the two strong arms
 +
| answered her:  "Verily then a dread and honoured goddess is within my
 +
| halls, even she that saved me when pain was come upon me after I had
 +
| fallen afar through the will of my shameless mother, that was fain
 +
| to hide me away by reason of my lameness.  Then had I suffered woes
 +
| in heart, had not Eurynome and Thetis received me into their bosom --
 +
| Eurynome, daughter of backward-flowing Oceanus.  With them then
 +
| for nine years' space I forged much cunning handiwork, brooches,
 +
| and spiral arm-bands, and rosettes and necklaces, within their
 +
| hollow cave;  and round about me flowed, murmuring with foam,
 +
| the stream of Oceanus, a flood unspeakable.  Neither did any
 +
| other know thereof, either of gods or of mortal men, but
 +
| Thetis knew and Eurynome, even they that saved me.  And
 +
| now is Thetis come to my house;  wherefore it verily
 +
| behoveth me to pay unto fair-tressed Thetis the full
 +
| price for the saving of my life.  But do thou set
 +
| before her fair entertainment, while I put aside
 +
| my bellows and all my tools."
 +
|
 +
| He spake, and from the anvil rose, a huge, panting bulk,
 +
| halting the while, but beneath him his slender legs moved
 +
| nimbly.  The bellows he set away from the fire, and gathered
 +
| all the tools wherewith he wrought into a silver chest;  and
 +
| with a sponge wiped he his face and his two hands withal, and
 +
| his mighty neck and shaggy breast, and put upon him a tunic,
 +
| and grasped a stout staff, and went forth halting;  but there
 +
| moved swiftly to support their lord handmaidens wrought of gold
 +
| in the semblance of living maids.  In them is understanding in
 +
| their hearts, and in them speech and strength, and they know
 +
| cunning handiwork by gift of the immortal gods.  These busily
 +
| moved to support their lord, and he, limping nigh to where
 +
| Thetis was, sat him down upon a shining chair;  and he
 +
| clasped her by the hand, and spake, and addressed her:
 +
|
 +
|"Wherefore, long-robed Thetis, art thou come to our house,
 +
| an honoured guest and a welcome?  Heretofore thou hast
 +
| not been wont to come.  Speak what is in thy mind;
 +
| my heart bids me fulfill it, if fulfill it I can,
 +
| and it is a thing that hath fulfillment."
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+18.388
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 22
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| But when the Argives saw Hector withdrawing, they leapt yet the more upon
 +
| the Trojans, and bethought them of battle.  Then far the first did swift
 +
| Aias, son of Oïleus, leap upon Satnius and wound him with a thrust of
 +
| his sharp spear, even the son of Enops, whom a peerless Naiad nymph
 +
| conceived to Enops, as he tended his herds by the banks of Satnioeis.
 +
| To him did the son of Oïleus, famed for his spear, draw nigh, and
 +
| smite him upon the flank;  and he fell backward, and about him
 +
| Trojans and Danaans joined in fierce conflict.  To him then
 +
| came Polydamas, wielder of the spear, to bear him aid, even
 +
| the son of Panthous, and he cast and smote upon the right
 +
| shoulder Prothoënor, son of Areïlycus, and through the
 +
| shoulder the mighty spear held its way;  and he fell
 +
| in the dust and clutched the ground with his palm.
 +
| And Polydamas exulted over him in terrible wise,
 +
| and cried aloud:  "Hah, methinks, yet again
 +
| from the strong hand of the great-souled
 +
| son of Panthous hath the spear leapt not
 +
| in vain.  Nay, one of the Argives hath
 +
| got it in his flesh, and leaning
 +
| thereon for a staff;  methinks,
 +
| will he go down into the
 +
| house of Hades."
 +
|
 +
| So spake he, but upon the Argives came sorrow by reason of his exulting,
 +
| and beyond all did he stir the soul of Aias, wise of heart, the son of
 +
| Telamon, for closest to him did the man fall.  Swiftly then he cast
 +
| with his bright spear at the other, even as he was drawing back.
 +
| And Polydamas himself escaped black fate, springing to one side;
 +
| but Archelochus, son of Antenor, received the spear;  for to
 +
| him the gods purposed death.  Him the spear smote at the
 +
| joining of head and neck on the topmost joint of the
 +
| spine, and it shore off both the sinews.  And far
 +
| sooner did his head and mouth and nose reach the
 +
| earth as he fell, than his legs and knees.
 +
| Then Aias in his turn called aloud to
 +
| peerless Polydamas:  "Bethink thee,
 +
| Polydamas, and tell me in good
 +
| sooth, was not this man worthy
 +
| to be slain in requital for
 +
| Prothoënor?  No mean man
 +
| seemeth he to me, nor
 +
| of mean descent, but
 +
| a brother of Antenor,
 +
| tamer of horses, or
 +
| haply a son;  for
 +
| he is most like
 +
| to him in build."
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+14.440
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 23
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| Then with an angry glance from beneath his brows Odysseus
 +
| of many wiles addressed him:  "Son of Atreus, what a word
 +
| hath escaped the barrier of thy teeth!  Doomed man that
 +
| thou art, would that thou wert in command of some other,
 +
| inglorious army, and not king over us, to whom Zeus hath
 +
| given, from youth right up to age, to wind the skein of
 +
| grievous wars till we perish, every man of us.  Art thou
 +
| in truth thus eager to leave behind thee the broad-wayed
 +
| city of the Trojans, for the sake of which we endure many
 +
| grievous woes?  Be silent, lest some other of the Achaeans
 +
| hear this word, that no man should in any wise suffer to pass
 +
| through his mouth at all, no man who hath understanding in his
 +
| heart to utter things that are right, and who is a sceptred king
 +
| to whom hosts so many yield obedience as are the Argives among whom
 +
| thou art lord.  But now have I altogether scorn of thy wits, that thou
 +
| speakest thus, seeing thou biddest us, when war and battle are afoot,
 +
| draw down our well-benched ships to the sea, that so even more than
 +
| before the Trojans may have their desire, they that be victors even
 +
| now, and that on us utter destruction may fall.  For the Achaeans
 +
| will not maintain their fight once the ships are drawn down to
 +
| the sea, but will ever be looking away, and will withdraw them
 +
| from battle.  Then will thy counsel prove our bane, thou leader
 +
| of hosts."
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+14.64
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 24
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| So they spake in prayer and Pallas Athene heard them.
 +
| But when they had prayed to the daughter of great Zeus,
 +
| they went their way like two lions through the black night,
 +
| amid the slaughter, amid the corpses, through the arms and
 +
| the black blood.
 +
|
 +
| Nay, nor did Hector suffer the lordly Trojans to sleep, but he called together
 +
| all the noblest, as many as were leaders and rulers of the Trojans;  and when
 +
| he had called them together he contrived a cunning plan, and said:  "Who is
 +
| there now that would promise me this deed and bring it to pass for a great
 +
| gift?  Verily his reward shall be sure.  For I will give him a chariot and
 +
| two horses with high arched necks, even those that be the best at the swift
 +
| ships of the Achaeans, to the man whosoever will dare -- and for himself win
 +
| glory withal -- to go close to the swift-faring ships, and spy out whether
 +
| the swift ships be guarded as of old, or whether by now our foes, subdued
 +
| beneath our hands, are planning flight among themselves and have no mind
 +
| to watch the night through, being fordone with dread weariness."
 +
|
 +
| So spake he and they all became hushed in silence.  Now there was among the
 +
| Trojans one Dolon, the son of Eumedes the godlike herald, a man rich in gold,
 +
| rich in bronze, that was ill-favoured to look upon, but withal swift of foot;
 +
| and he was the only brother among five sisters.  He then spake a word to the
 +
| Trojans and to Hector:  "Hector, my heart and proud spirit urge me to go close
 +
| to the swift-faring ships and spy out all.  But come, I pray thee, lift up thy
 +
| staff and swear to me that verily thou wilt give me the horses and the chariot,
 +
| richly dight with bronze, even them that bear the peerless son of Peleus.  And
 +
| to thee shall I prove no vain scout, neither one to deceive thy hopes.  For I
 +
| will go straight on to the camp, even until I come to the ship of Agamemnon,
 +
| where, I ween, the chieftains will be holding council, whether to flee or
 +
| to fight."
 +
|
 +
| So spake he, and Hector took the staff in his hands, and sware to him, saying:
 +
|"Now be my witness Zeus himself, the loud-thundering lord of Hera, that on those
 +
| horses no other man of the Trojans shall mount, but it is thou, I declare, that
 +
| shalt have glory in them continually."
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+10.295
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 25
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| Thus kept the Trojans watch, but the Achaeans were holden of wondrous Panic,
 +
| the handmaid of numbing fear and with grief intolerable were all the noblest
 +
| stricken.  Even as two winds stir up the teeming deep, the North Wind and the
 +
| West Wind that blow from Thrace, coming suddenly, and forthwith the dark wave
 +
| reareth itself in crests and casteth much tangle out along the sea;  even so
 +
| were the hearts of the Achaeans rent within their breasts.
 +
|
 +
| But the son of Atreus, stricken to the heart with sore grief, went this way and that,
 +
| bidding the clear-voiced heralds summon every man by name to the place of gathering,
 +
| but not to shout aloud;  and himself he toiled amid the foremost.  So they sat in
 +
| the place of gathering, sore troubled, and Agamemnon stood up weeping even as a
 +
| fountain of dark water that down over the face of a beetling cliff poureth its
 +
| dusky stream;  even so with deep groaning spake he amid the Argives, saying:
 +
|"My friends, leaders and rulers of the Argives, great Zeus, son of Cronos,
 +
| hath ensnared me in grievous blindness of heart, cruel god! seeing that
 +
| of old he promised me, and bowed his head thereto, that not until I had
 +
| sacked well-walled Ilios should I get me home;  but now hath he planned
 +
| cruel deceit, and biddeth me return inglorious to Argos, when I have lost
 +
| much people.  So, I ween, must be the good pleasure of Zeus supreme in might,
 +
| who hath laid low the heads of many cities, yea, and shall lay low;  for his
 +
| power is above all.  Nay, come, even as I shall bid let us all obey:  let us
 +
| flee with our ships to our dear native land;  for no more is there hope that
 +
| we shall take broad-wayed Troy."
 +
|
 +
| So spake he, and they all became hushed in silence.  Long time were they silent
 +
| in their grief, the sons of the Achaeans, but at length there spake among them
 +
| Diomedes, good at the war-cry:  "Son of Atreus, with thee first will I contend
 +
| in thy folly, where it is meet, O king, even in the place of gathering:  and
 +
| be not thou anywise wroth thereat.  My valour didst thou revile at the first
 +
| amid the Danaans, and saidst that I was no man of war but a weakling;  and
 +
| all this know the Achaeans both young and old.  But as for thee, the son
 +
| of crooked-counselling Cronos hath endowed thee in divided wise:  with
 +
| the sceptre hath he granted thee to be honoured above all, but valour
 +
| he gave thee not, wherein is the greatest might.  Strange king, dost
 +
| thou indeed deem that the sons of the Achaeans are thus unwarlike
 +
| and weaklings as thou sayest?  Nay, if thine own heart is eager
 +
| to return, get thee gone;  before thee lies the way, and thy
 +
| ships stand beside the sea, all the many ships that followed
 +
| thee from Mycenae.  Howbeit the other long-haired Achaeans
 +
| will abide here until we have laid waste Troy.  Nay, let
 +
| them also flee in their ships to their dear native land;
 +
| yet will we twain, Sthenelus and I, fight on, until we
 +
| win the goal of Ilios;  for with the aid of heaven are
 +
| we come."
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+9.1
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 26
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| So spake he, and they all became hushed in silence.
 +
| But at length there spake among them Diomedes, good
 +
| at the war-cry:  "Let no man now accept the treasure
 +
| from Alexander, nay, nor Helen;  known is it, even
 +
| to him who hath no wit at all, that now the cords
 +
| of destruction are made fast upon the Trojans."
 +
|
 +
| So spake he, and all the sons of the Achaeans shouted aloud,
 +
| applauding the saying of Diomedes, tamer of horses.  Then to
 +
| Idaeus spake lord Agamemnon:  "Idaeus, verily of thyself thou
 +
| hearest the word of the Achaeans, how they make answer to thee;
 +
| and mine own pleasure is even as theirs.  But as touching the
 +
| dead I in no wise grudge that ye burn them;  for to dead
 +
| corpses should no man grudge, when once they are dead,
 +
| the speedy consolation of fire.  But to our oaths let
 +
| Zeus be witness, the loud-thundering lord of Hera."
 +
|
 +
| So saying, he lifted up his staff before the face of all the gods,
 +
| and Idaeus went his way back to sacred Ilios.  Now they were sitting
 +
| in assembly, Trojans and Dardanians alike, all gathered in one body
 +
| waiting until Idaeus should come;  and he came and stood in their
 +
| midst and declared his message.  Then they made them ready with
 +
| all speed for either task, some to bring the dead, and others
 +
| to seek for wood.  And the Argives over against them hasted
 +
| from the benched ships, some to bring the dead and others
 +
| to seek for wood.
 +
|
 +
| The sun was now just striking on the fields, as he rose from softly-gliding,
 +
| deep-flowing Oceanus, and climbed the heavens, when the two hosts met together.
 +
| Then was it a hard task to know each man again;  howbeit with water they washed
 +
| from them the clotted blood, and lifted them upon the waggons, shedding hot tears
 +
| the while.  But great Priam would not suffer his folk to wail aloud;  so in silence
 +
| they heaped the corpses upon the pyre, their hearts sore stricken;  and when they
 +
| had burned them with fire they went their way to sacred Ilios.  And in like manner
 +
| over against them the well-greaved Achaeans heaped the corpses upon the pyre,
 +
| their hearts sore stricken, and when they had burned them with fire they
 +
| went their way to the hollow ships.
 +
|
 +
| Now when dawn was not yet, but night was still 'twixt light and dark, then
 +
| was there gathered about the pyre the chosen host of the Achaeans, and they
 +
| made about it a single barrow, rearing it from the plain for all alike;  and
 +
| thereby they built a wall and a lofty rampart, a defence for their ships and
 +
| for themselves.  And therein they made gates, close-fastening, that through
 +
| them might be a way for the driving of chariots.  And without they dug a
 +
| deep ditch hard by, wide and great, and therein they planted stakes.
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+7.398
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 27
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| He spake, and poised his far-shadowing spear, and hurled it;
 +
| and he smote Aias' dread shield of sevenfold bull's-hide upon
 +
| the outermost bronze, the eighth layer that was thereon.  Through
 +
| six folds shore the stubborn bronze, but in the seventh hide it was
 +
| stayed.  Then in turn Zeus-born Aias hurled his far-shadowing spear,
 +
| and smote upon the son of Priam's shield, that was well balanced upon
 +
| every side.  Through the bright shield went the mighty spear, and through
 +
| the corselet, richly dight, did it force its way;  and straight on beside
 +
| his flank the spear shore through his tunic;  but he bent aside, and escaped
 +
| black fate.  Then the twain both at one moment drew forth with their hands
 +
| their long spears, and fell to, in semblance like ravening lions or wild
 +
| boars, whose is no weakling strength.  Then the son of Priam smote full
 +
| upon the shield of Aias with a thrust of his spear, howbeit the bronze
 +
| brake not through, for its point was turned;  but Aias leapt upon him
 +
| and pierced his buckler, and clean through went the spear and made him
 +
| reel in his onset;  even to his neck it made its way, and gashed it, and
 +
| the dark blood welled up.  Yet not even so did Hector of the flashing-helm
 +
| cease from fight, but giving ground he seized with stout hand a stone that
 +
| lay upon the plain, black and jagged and great;  therewith he smote Aias'
 +
| dread shield of sevenfold bull's-hide full upon the boss;  and the bronze
 +
| rang about it.  Then Aias in turn lifted on high a far greater stone, and
 +
| swung and hurled it, putting into the cast measureless strength;  and he
 +
| burst the buckler inwards with the cast of the rock that was like unto a
 +
| mill-stone, and beat down Hector's knees;  so he stretched upon his back,
 +
| gathered together under his shield;  howbeit Apollo straightway raised him up.
 +
| And now had they been smiting with their swords in close fight, but that the
 +
| heralds, messengers of Zeus and men, came, one from the Trojans and one from
 +
| the brazen-coated Achaeans, even Talthybius and Idaeus, men of prudence both.
 +
| Between the two they held forth their staves, and the herald Idaeus, skilled
 +
| in prudent counsel, spake, saying:  "Fight ye no more, dear sons, neither do
 +
| battle;  both ye twain are loved of Zeus, the cloud-gatherer, and both are
 +
| spearmen;  that verily know we all.  Moreover night is now upon us, and
 +
| it is well to yield obedience to night's behest."
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+7.244
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 28
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| To him the gods granted beauty and lovely manliness;  but Proetus in his heart
 +
| devised against him evil, and drave him, seeing he was mightier far, from the
 +
| land of the Argives;  for Zeus had made them subject to his sceptre.  Now the
 +
| wife of Proetus, fair Anteia, lusted madly for Bellerophon, to lie with him
 +
| in secret love, but could in no wise prevail upon wise-hearted Bellerophon,
 +
| for that his heart was upright.  So she made a tale of lies, and spake to
 +
| king Proetus:  "Either die thyself, Proetus, or slay Bellerophon, seeing
 +
| he was minded to lie with me in love against my will."  So she spake,
 +
| and wrath gat hold upon the king to hear that word.  To slay him he
 +
| forbare, for his soul had awe of that;  but he sent him to Lycia,
 +
| and gave him baneful tokens, graving in a folded tablet many
 +
| signs and deadly, and bade him show these to his own wife's
 +
| father, that he might be slain.  So he went his way to
 +
| Lycia under the blameless escort of the gods.  And when
 +
| he was come to Lycia and the stream of Xanthus, then with
 +
| a ready heart did the king of wide Lycia do him honour:  for
 +
| nine days' space he shewed him entertainment, and slew nine oxen.
 +
| Howbeit when the tenth rosy-fingered Dawn appeared, then at length he
 +
| questioned him and asked to see whatever token he bare from his daughter's
 +
| husband, Proetus.  But when he had received from him the evil token of his
 +
| daughter's husband, first he bade him slay the raging Chimaera.  She was of
 +
| divine stock, not of men, in the fore part a lion, in the hinder a serpent,
 +
| and in the midst a goat, breathing forth in terrible wise the might of
 +
| blazing fire.  And Bellerophon slew her, trusting in the signs of the
 +
| gods.  Next fought he with the glorious Solymi, and this, said he
 +
| was the mightest battle of warriors that ever he entered;  and
 +
| thirdly he slew the Amazons, women the peers of men.  And
 +
| against him, as he journeyed back therefrom, the king
 +
| wove another cunning wile;  he chose out of wide
 +
| Lycia the bravest men and set an ambush;
 +
| but these returned not home in any
 +
| wise, for peerless Bellerophon
 +
| slew them one and all.
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+6.156
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 29
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| But Athene, daughter of Zeus that beareth the aegis, let fall upon
 +
| her father's floor her soft robe, richly broidered, that herself had
 +
| wrought and her hands had fashioned, and put on her the tunic of Zeus,
 +
| the cloud-gatherer, and arrayed her in armour for tearful war.  About her
 +
| shoulders she flung the tasselled aegis, fraught with terror, all about which
 +
| Rout is set as a crown, and therein is Strife, therein Valour, and therein Onset,
 +
| that maketh the blood run cold, and therein is the head of the dread monster, the
 +
| Gorgon, dread and awful, a portent of Zeus that beareth the aegis.  And upon her
 +
| head she set the helmet with two horns and with bosses four, wrought of gold,
 +
| and fitted with the men-at-arms of an hundred cities.  Then she stepped upon
 +
| the flaming car and grasped her spear, heavy and huge and strong, wherewith
 +
| she vanquisheth the ranks of men -- of warriors with whom she is wroth, she,
 +
| the daughter of the mighty sire.  And Hera swiftly touched the horses with
 +
| the lash, and self-bidden groaned upon their hinges the gates of heaven
 +
| which the Hours had in their keeping, to whom are entrusted great
 +
| heaven and Olympus, whether to throw open the thick cloud or
 +
| shut it to.  There through the gate they drave their horses
 +
| patient of the goad;  and they found the son of Cronos as
 +
| he sat apart from the other gods on the topmost peak of
 +
| many-ridged Olympus.  Then the goddess, white-armed Hera,
 +
| stayed the horses, and made question of Zeus most high,
 +
| the son of Cronos, and spake to him:  "Father Zeus, hast
 +
| thou no indignation with Ares for these violent deeds, that
 +
| he hath destroyed so great and so goodly a host of the Achaeans
 +
| recklessly and in no seemly wise to my sorrow;  while at their ease
 +
| Cypris and Apollo of the silver bow take their joy, having set on this
 +
| madman that regardeth not any law?  Father Zeus, wilt thou in any wise be
 +
| wroth with me if I smite Ares in sorry fashion and drive him out of the battle?"
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+5.711
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 30
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| So spake Athene, and persuaded his heart in his folly.  Straightway he
 +
| uncovered his polished bow of the horn of a wild ibex, that himself on
 +
| a time had smitten beneath the breast as it came forth from a rock, he
 +
| lying in wait the while in a place of ambush, and had struck it in the
 +
| chest, so that it fell backward in a cleft of the rock.  From its head
 +
| the horns grew to a length of sixteen palms;  these the worker in horn
 +
| had wrought and fitted together, and smoothed all with care, and set
 +
| thereon a tip of gold.  This bow he bent, leaning it against the
 +
| ground, and laid it carefully down;  and his goodly comrades
 +
| held their shields before him, lest the warrior sons of the
 +
| Achaeans should leap to their feet or ever Menelaus, the
 +
| warlike son of Atreus, was smitten.  Then opened he the
 +
| lid of his quiver, and took forth an arrow, a feathered
 +
| arrow that had never been shot, freighted with dark pains;
 +
| and forthwith he fitted the bitter arrow to the string, and
 +
| made a vow to Apollo, the wolf-born god, famed for his bow, that
 +
| he would sacrifice a glorious hecatomb of firstling lambs, when he
 +
| should come to his home, the city of sacred Zeleia.  And he drew the
 +
| bow, clutching at once the notched arrow and the string of ox's sinew:
 +
| the string he brought to his breast and to the bow the iron arrow-head.
 +
| But when he had drawn the great bow into a round, the bow twanged and
 +
| the string sang aloud, and the keen arrow leapt, eager to wing its
 +
| way amid the throng.
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+4.85
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 31
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| So spake Odysseus, and with his staff smote his back and shoulders;  and Thersites
 +
| cowered down, and a big tear fell from him, and a bloody weal rose up on his back
 +
| beneath the staff of gold.  Then he sate him down, and fear came upon him, and
 +
| stung by pain with helpless looks he wiped away the tear.  But the Achaeans,
 +
| sore vexed at heart though they were, broke into a merry laugh at him, and
 +
| thus would one speak with a glance at his neighbour:  "Out upon it! verily
 +
| hath Odysseus ere now wrought good deeds without number as leader in good
 +
| counsel and setting battle in army, but now is this deed far the best that
 +
| he hath wrought among the Argives, seeing he hath made this scurrilous babbler
 +
| to cease from his prating.  Never again, I ween, will his proud spirit henceforth
 +
| set him on to rail at kings with words of reviling."
 +
|
 +
| So spake the multitude;  but up rose Odysseus, sacker of cities,
 +
| the sceptre in his hand, and by his side flashing-eyed Athene,
 +
| in the likeness of a herald, bade the host keep silence, that
 +
| the sons of the Achaeans, both the nearest and the farthest,
 +
| might hear his words, and lay to heart his counsel.  He with
 +
| good intent addressed their gathering and spake among them:
 +
|
 +
|"Son of Atreus, now verily are the Achaeans minded to make thee, O king,
 +
| the most despised among all mortal men, nor will they fulfill the promise
 +
| that they made to thee, while faring hitherward from Argos, the pasture-land
 +
| of horses, that not until thou hadst sacked well-walled Ilios shouldest thou
 +
| get thee home.  For like little children or widow women do they wail each to
 +
| the other in longing to return home.  Verily there is toil enough to make
 +
| a man return disheartened.  For he that abideth but one single month far
 +
| from his wife in his benched ship hath vexation of heart, even he whom
 +
| winter blasts and surging seas keep afar;  but for us is the ninth year
 +
| at its turn, while we abide here;  wherefore I count it not shame that the
 +
| Achaeans have vexation of heart beside their beaked ships;  yet even so it is
 +
| a shameful thing to tarry long, and return empty.  Endure, my friends, and abide
 +
| for a time, that we may know whether the prophecies of Calchas be true, or no."
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+2.265
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 32
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| Whomsoever he met that was a chieftain or man of note, to his side
 +
| would he come and with gentle words seek to restrain him, saying:
 +
|
 +
|"Good Sir, it beseems not to seek to affright thee as if thou were
 +
| a coward, but do thou thyself sit thee down, and make the rest of
 +
| thy people to sit.  For thou knowest not yet clearly what is the
 +
| mind of the son of Atreus;  now he does but make trial, whereas
 +
| soon he will smite the sons of the Achaeans.  Did we not all
 +
| hear what he spake in the council?  Beware lest waxing wroth
 +
| he work mischief to the sons of the Achaeans.  Proud is the
 +
| heart of kings, fostered of heaven;  for their honour is
 +
| from Zeus, and Zeus, god of counsel, loveth them."
 +
|
 +
| But whatsoever man of the people he saw, and found brawling,
 +
| him would he smite with his staff;  and chide with words,
 +
| saying:
 +
|
 +
|"Fellow, sit thou still, and hearken to the words of others that are
 +
| better men than thou;  whereas thou art unwarlike and a weakling,
 +
| neither to be counted in war nor in counsel.  In no wise shall
 +
| we Achaeans all be kings here.  No good thing is a multitude
 +
| of lords;  let there be one lord, one king, to whom the son
 +
| of crooked-counselling Cronos hath vouchsafed the sceptre
 +
| and judgments, that he may take counsel for his people."
 +
|
 +
| Thus masterfully did he range through the host,
 +
| and they hasted back to the place of gathering
 +
| from their ships and huts with noise, as when
 +
| a wave of the loud-resounding sea thundereth
 +
| on the long beach, and the deep roareth.
 +
|
 +
| Now the others sate them down and were stayed in their places, only there
 +
| still kept chattering on Thersites of measureless speech, whose mind was
 +
| full of great store of disorderly words, wherewith to utter revilings
 +
| against the kings, idly, and in no orderly wise, but whatsoever he
 +
| deemed would raise a laugh among the Argives.  Evil-favoured was
 +
| he beyond all men that came to Ilios:  he was bandy-legged and
 +
| lame in the one foot, and his two shoulders were rounded,
 +
| stooping together over his chest, and above them his
 +
| head was warped, and a scant stubble grew thereon.
 +
| Hateful was he to Achilles above all, and to
 +
| Odysseus, for it was they twain that he
 +
| was wont to revile;  but now again with
 +
| shrill cries he uttered abuse against
 +
| goodly Agamemnon.  With him were the
 +
| Achaeans exceeding wroth, and had
 +
| indignation in their hearts.
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+2.188
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 33
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| So spoke the Dream, and departed, and left him there, pondering in his heart
 +
| on things that were not to be brought to pass.  For in sooth he deemed that he
 +
| should take the city of Priam that very day, fool that he was! seeing he knew not
 +
| what deeds Zeus was purposing, who was yet to bring woes and groanings on Trojans
 +
| alike and Danaans throughout the course of stubborn fights.  Then he awoke from
 +
| sleep, and the divine voice was ringing in his ears.  He sat upright and did on
 +
| his soft tunic, fair and glistering, and about him cast his great cloak, and
 +
| beneath his shining feet he bound his fair sandals, and about his shoulders
 +
| flung his silver-studded sword;  and he grasped the sceptre of his fathers,
 +
| imperishable ever, and therewith took his way along the ships of the
 +
| brazen-coated Achaeans.
 +
|
 +
| Now the goddess Dawn went up to high Olympus, to announce the light to Zeus
 +
| and the other immortals, but Agamemnon bade the clear-voiced heralds summon
 +
| to the place of gathering the long-haired Achaeans.  And they made summons,
 +
| and the men gathered full quickly.
 +
|
 +
| But the king first made the council of the great-souled elders to
 +
| sit down beside the ship of Nestor, the king Pylos-born.  And when
 +
| he had called them together, he contrived a cunning plan, and said:
 +
|
 +
|"Hearken, my friends, a Dream from heaven came to me in my sleep through
 +
| the ambrosial night, and most like was it to goodly Nestor, in form and
 +
| in stature and in build.  It took its stand above my head, and spake to
 +
| me, saying:  'Thou sleepest, son of wise-hearted Atreus, the tamer of
 +
| horses.  To sleep the whole night through beseemeth not a man that is
 +
| a counsellor, to whom a host is entrusted, and upon whom rest so many
 +
| cares.  But now, hearken thou quickly unto me, for I am a messenger to
 +
| thee from Zeus, who, far away though he be, hath exceeding care for thee
 +
| and pity.  He biddeth thee arm the long-haired Achaeans with all speed,
 +
| since now thou mayest take the broad-wayed city of the Trojans.  For the
 +
| immortals that have homes upon Olympus are no longer divided in counsel,
 +
| since Hera hath bent the minds of all by her supplication, and over the
 +
| Trojans hang woes by the will of Zeus.  But do thou keep this in thy heart.'
 +
| So spake he, and was flown away, and sweet sleep let me go.  Nay, come now,
 +
| if in any wise we may, let us arm the sons of the Achaeans;  but first will
 +
| I make trial of them in speech, as is right, and will bid them flee with their
 +
| benched ships;  but do you from this side and from that bespeak them, and strive
 +
| to hold them back."
 +
|
 +
| So saying, he sate him down, and among them
 +
| uprose Nestor, that was king of sandy Pylos.
 +
| He with good intent addressed their gathering
 +
| and spake among them:
 +
|
 +
|"My friends, leaders and rulers of the Argives, were it any other
 +
| of the Achaeans that told us this dream we might deem it a false
 +
| thing, and turn away therefrom the more;  but now hath he seen
 +
| it who declares himself to be far the mightiest of the Achaeans.
 +
| Nay, come then, if in any wise we may arm the sons of the Achaeans."
 +
|
 +
| He spake, and led the way forth from the council, and the other sceptred kings
 +
| rose up thereat and obeyed the shepherd of the host;  and the people the while
 +
| were hastening on.  Even as the tribes of thronging bees go forth from some
 +
| hollow rock, ever coming on afresh, and in clusters over the flowers of
 +
| spring fly in throngs, some here, some there;  even so from the ships
 +
| and huts before the low sea-beach marched forth in companies their
 +
| many tribes to the place of gathering.  And in their midst blazed
 +
| forth Rumour, messenger of Zeus, urging them to go;  and they
 +
| were gathered.  And the place of gathering was in a turmoil,
 +
| and the earth groaned beneath them, as the people sate them
 +
| down, and a din arose.  Nine heralds with shouting sought
 +
| to restrain them, if so be they might refrain from uproar
 +
| and give ear to the kings, nurtured of Zeus.  Hardly at
 +
| the last were the people made to sit, and were stayed in
 +
| their places, ceasing from their clamour.  Then among them
 +
| lord Agamemnon uprose, bearing in his hands the sceptre which
 +
| Hephaestus had wrought with toil.  Hephaestus gave it to king Zeus,
 +
| son of Cronos, and Zeus gave it to the messenger Argeïphontes;  and
 +
| Hermes, the lord, gave it to Pelops, driver of horses, and Pelops
 +
| in turn gave it to Atreus, shepherd of the host;  and Atreus at
 +
| his death left it to Thyestes, rich in flocks, and Thyestes
 +
| again left it to Agamemnon to bear, that so he might be
 +
| lord of many isles and of all Argos.
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+2.35
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+2.76
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 34
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| So spoke the son of Peleus, and down to the earth
 +
| he dashed the staff studded with golden nails, and
 +
| himself sat down, while over against him the son of
 +
| Atreus continued to vent his wrath.  Then among them
 +
| arose Nestor, sweet of speech, the clear-voiced orator
 +
| of the Pylians, from whose tongue flowed speech sweeter
 +
| than honey.  Two generations of mortal men had passed
 +
| away in his lifetime, who had been born and reared
 +
| with him before in sacred Pylos, and he was king
 +
| among the third.  He with good intent addressed
 +
| the gathering and spoke among them:
 +
|
 +
|"Comrades, great grief has come upon the land of Achaea.  Truly would Priam
 +
| and the sons of Priam rejoice, and the rest of the Trojans would be most
 +
| glad at heart, were they to hear all this of you two quarrelling, you
 +
| who are chief among the Danaans in counsel and chief in war.  Listen
 +
| to me, for you are both younger than I.  In earlier times I moved
 +
| among men more warlike than you, and never did they despise me.
 +
| Such warriors have I never since seen, nor shall I see, as
 +
| Peirithous was and Dryas, shepherd of the people, and
 +
| Caeneus and Exadius and godlike Polyphemus, and
 +
| Theseus, son of Aegeus, a man like the immortals.
 +
| Mightiest were these of men reared upon the earth;
 +
| mightiest were they, and with the mightiest they fought,
 +
| the mountain-dwelling centaurs, and they destroyed them terribly.
 +
| With these men I had fellowship, when I came from Pylos, from a distant
 +
| land far away;  for they themselves called me.  And I fought on my own;
 +
| with those men could no one fight of the mortals now upon the earth.
 +
| Yes, and they listened to my counsel, and obeyed my words.  So also
 +
| should you obey, since to obey is better.  Neither do you, mighty
 +
| though you are, take away the girl, but let her be, as the sons of
 +
| the Achaeans first gave her to him as a prize;  nor do you, son of
 +
| Peleus, be minded to strive with a king, might against might, for it
 +
| is no common honour that is the portion of a sceptre-holding king, to
 +
| whom Zeus gives glory.  If you are a stronger fighter, and a goddess
 +
| mother bore you, yet he is the mightier, since he is king over more.
 +
| Son of Atreus, check your rage.  Indeed, I beg you to let go your
 +
| anger against Achilles, who is for all the Achaeans a mighty
 +
| bulwark in evil war."
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+1.245
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 35
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| But the son of Peleus again addressed with violent words
 +
| the son of Atreus, and in no way ceased from his wrath:
 +
|
 +
|"Heavy with wine, with the face of a dog but the heart of a deer,
 +
| never have you had courage to arm for battle along with your people,
 +
| or go forth to an ambush with the chiefs of the Achaeans.  That seems
 +
| to you even as death.  Indeed it is far better throughout the wide camp
 +
| of the Achaeans to deprive of his prize whoever speaks contrary to you.
 +
| People-devouring king, since you rule over nobodies;  else, son of Atreus,
 +
| this would be your last piece of insolence.  But I will speak out to you,
 +
| and will swear thereto a mighty oath:  by this staff, that shall never more
 +
| put forth leaves or shoots since first it left its stump among the mountains,
 +
| nor shall it again grow green, for the bronze has stripped it on all sides of
 +
| leaves and bark, and now the sons of the Achaeans carry it in their hands when
 +
| they act as judges, those who guard the ordinances that come from Zeus;  and this
 +
| shall be for you a mighty oath.  Surely some day a longing for Achilles will come
 +
| upon the sons of the Achaeans one and all, and on that day you will not be able to
 +
| help them at all, for all your grief, when many shall fall dying before man-slaying
 +
| Hector.  But you will gnaw the heart within you, in anger that you did no honour to
 +
| the best of the Achaeans."
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+1.206
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Note 36
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
| The wrath sing, goddess, of Peleus' son, Achilles,
 +
| that destructive wrath which brought countless woes
 +
| upon the Achaeans, and sent forth to Hades many valiant
 +
| souls of heroes, and made them themselves spoil for dogs
 +
| and every bird;  thus the plan of Zeus came to fulfillment,
 +
| from the time when first they parted in strife Atreus' son,
 +
| king of men, and brilliant Achilles.
 +
|
 +
| Who then of the gods was it that brought these two together to contend?
 +
| The son of Leto and Zeus;  for he in anger against the king roused
 +
| throughout the host an evil pestilence, and the people began to
 +
| perish, because upon the priest Chryses the son of Atreus had
 +
| wrought dishonour.  For he had come to the swift ships of the
 +
| Achaeans to free his daughter, bearing ransom past counting;
 +
| and in his hands he held the wreaths of Apollo who strikes
 +
| from afar, on a staff of gold;  and he implored all the
 +
| Achaeans, but most of all the two sons of Atreus, the
 +
| marshallers of the people:  "Sons of Atreus, and
 +
| other well-greaved Achaeans, to you may the gods
 +
| who have homes upon Olympus grant that you sack
 +
| the city of Priam, and return safe to your homes;
 +
| but my dear child release to me, and accept the
 +
| ransom out of reverence for the son of Zeus,
 +
| Apollo who strikes from afar."
 +
|
 +
| Then all the rest of the Achaeans shouted assent, to reverence the priest
 +
| and accept the glorious ransom, yet the thing did not please the heart of
 +
| Agamemnon, son of Atreus, but he sent him away harshly, and laid upon him
 +
| a stern command:  "Let me not find you, old man, by the hollow ships,
 +
| either tarrying now or coming back later, lest your staff and the
 +
| wreath of the god not protect you.  Her I will not set free.
 +
| Sooner shall old age come upon her in our house, in Argos,
 +
| far from her native land, as she walks to and fro before
 +
| the loom and serves my bed.  But go, do not anger me,
 +
| that you may return the safer."
 +
|
 +
| Homer, 'Iliad'
 +
|
 +
| http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Il.+1.1
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
 +
TIL.  Truth In Literature
 +
 +
00.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-January/thread.html#1491
 +
00.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/thread.html#1522
 +
 +
01.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-January/001491.html
 +
02.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-January/001492.html
 +
03.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-January/001493.html
 +
04.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-January/001504.html
 +
05.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-January/001506.html
 +
06.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-January/001510.html
 +
07.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001522.html
 +
08.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001523.html
 +
09.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001526.html
 +
10.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001531.html
 +
11.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001551.html
 +
12.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001556.html
 +
13.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001558.html
 +
14.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001560.html
 +
15.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001563.html
 +
16.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001564.html
 +
17.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001565.html
 +
18.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001566.html
 +
19.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001568.html
 +
20.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001569.html
 +
21.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001570.html
 +
22.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001571.html
 +
23.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001572.html
 +
24.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001573.html
 +
25.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001574.html
 +
26.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001580.html
 +
27.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001581.html
 +
28.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001585.html
 +
29.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001595.html
 +
30.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001605.html
 +
31.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001614.html
 +
32.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001618.html
 +
33.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001625.html
 +
34.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001654.html
 +
35.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001655.html
 +
36.  http://stderr.org/pipermail/arisbe/2003-February/001656.html
 +
 +
o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o
 +
</pre>
12,080

edits