Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
How does the poetry of Sappho affect our understanding of Achilles? A discussion of Ares and Aphrodite as a model for a bride and a groom; Ares and Apollo as divine antagonists of Patroklos/Achilles; the complexity of Achilles. Charioteers, chariot-drivers, and therapōn as a second-millennium BCE loan from Hittite; the necessity of a mental connection between the rider and the driver; charioteers taking a hit for chariot-riders; the sacrifice of a ritual substitute; the motif of twins riding a chariot; Krishna the charioteer instructing Arjuna.
Recorded in Spring 2020 during v13 of the MOOC The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours, focusing on Hours 5 and 6, and responses to the Discussion Questions.
With Gregory Nagy, Keith DeStone, and members of the HeroesX Team.
How does the poetry of Sappho affect our understanding of Achilles? A discussion of Ares and Aphrodite as a model for a bride and a groom; Ares and Apollo as divine antagonists of Patroklos/Achilles; the complexity of Achilles. Charioteers, chariot-drivers, and therapōn as a second-millennium BCE loan from Hittite; the necessity of a mental connection between the rider and the driver; charioteers taking a hit for chariot-riders; the sacrifice of a ritual substitute; the motif of twins riding a chariot; Krishna the charioteer instructing Arjuna.
Recorded in Spring 2020 during v13 of the MOOC The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours, focusing on Hours 5 and 6, and responses to the Discussion Questions.
With Gregory Nagy, Keith DeStone, and members of the HeroesX Team.
