Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 17 minutes ago
Discussion about the many facets of Greek life from ancestral customs to heroic pollution, beginning with a focus on the role of ancestral customs in self-expression and an especially sublime way of self-expression. Professor Nagy pointed out how the art of tragedy is often art that supersedes the art of epic as public education and remains one of the greatest symbols of golden age of Athens
Discussion also turned to the theme of 'mystery' in the Ancient Greek epic not the way we understood the term today, but the notion of connection. Professor Nagy pointed out how, if you're part of the community writ large you connect—that's what a mystery is. It's not being mystified as we understand it, but being connected.
Professor Nagy also pointed out how Greek civilization 101 can be understand as all civilization is local. Trying to connect one variant with another is also a fundamental tenet. Indeed, connected-ness of myth and ritual is so local, if you're an Athenian, the first point of connection is your deme—dēmos for people.
The discussion also turned to the significance of Heroic pollution being purified. Scenes speaking to this process of purification include Agamemnon killing his daughter and the end of the Odyssey. In general, Professor Nagy notes that certain levels of violence in the heroic world have to be processed in addition to be relived evoking the notion of 'miasma.' Participants also considered heroes who are extreme—not necessarily in the negative sense. One example of this may be Agamemnon, also one of Professor Nagy's favorite villains, who nonetheless must have a lot of positive things about him if he was to feature so strongly in the city state of Argos.
Recorded in Spring 2021 during v15 of the MOOC, The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours, focusing on Hours 18 and 19, and the Discussion Questions.
With Gregory Nagy, Keith DeStone, and members of the HeroesX Team.
Discussion about the many facets of Greek life from ancestral customs to heroic pollution, beginning with a focus on the role of ancestral customs in self-expression and an especially sublime way of self-expression. Professor Nagy pointed out how the art of tragedy is often art that supersedes the art of epic as public education and remains one of the greatest symbols of golden age of Athens
Discussion also turned to the theme of 'mystery' in the Ancient Greek epic not the way we understood the term today, but the notion of connection. Professor Nagy pointed out how, if you're part of the community writ large you connect—that's what a mystery is. It's not being mystified as we understand it, but being connected.
Professor Nagy also pointed out how Greek civilization 101 can be understand as all civilization is local. Trying to connect one variant with another is also a fundamental tenet. Indeed, connected-ness of myth and ritual is so local, if you're an Athenian, the first point of connection is your deme—dēmos for people.
The discussion also turned to the significance of Heroic pollution being purified. Scenes speaking to this process of purification include Agamemnon killing his daughter and the end of the Odyssey. In general, Professor Nagy notes that certain levels of violence in the heroic world have to be processed in addition to be relived evoking the notion of 'miasma.' Participants also considered heroes who are extreme—not necessarily in the negative sense. One example of this may be Agamemnon, also one of Professor Nagy's favorite villains, who nonetheless must have a lot of positive things about him if he was to feature so strongly in the city state of Argos.
Recorded in Spring 2021 during v15 of the MOOC, The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours, focusing on Hours 18 and 19, and the Discussion Questions.
With Gregory Nagy, Keith DeStone, and members of the HeroesX Team.
