Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death (March 23, 1775)

Patrick Henry.  Basically a response to the members of the Virginia Convention who urged restraint, patience, and prudence in dealing with the English.  Henry claimed that the English continually offered platitudes of concession while strenghening their grip on the colonies more and more.  Worse, this pattern had continued for ten years now, with no end in sight.  Worse yet, it was now obvious that the English were preparing militarily to put a stop to any colonial uprising once and for all.  With any delay, English subjugation of the colonies would be permanent.

Essentially, Patrick Henry is the hawk to end all hawks, and he's had it with the doves.

Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace.  The war is actually begun!  The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms!  Our brethren are already in the field!  Why stand we here idle?  What is it that gentlemen wish?  What would they have?  Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?  Forbid it, Almighty God!  I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

 Of course, he had practiced that line before.

Herodotus 7.34-35

It was from Abydos to this promontory, then, that the bridges were built by those assigned to this task, the Phoenicians working on the white flax bridge and the Egyptians on the papyrus bridge.  The distance between Abydos and the opposite shore here is about 1,350 yards.  But in fact after these bridges had been built, a violent storm descended upon them, broke them up, and tore apart all that work.

Xerxes was infuriated when he learned of this; he ordered that the Hellespont [river] was to receive 300 lashes under the whip, and that a pair of shackles was to be dropped into the sea.  And I have also heard that he sent others to brand the Hallespont.  In any case, he instructed his men to say barbarian and insolent things as they were striking the Hellespont: "Bitter water, your master is imposing this penalty upon you for wronging him even though you had suffered no injustice from him.  And King Xerxes will cross you whether you like it or not.  It is for just cause, after all, that no human offers you sacrifice: you are a turbid and briny river!"  Thus he ordered that the sea was to be punished, and also that the supervisors of the bridge over the Hellespont were to be beheaded.

Xerxes tried to arrest, and then physically and emotionally abused, the river.  Xerxes was nuts.

And a fantastic photo, by "Amy":

The Odyssey, Book 12

Return to Aiaia.  Burial of Elpenor.  Circe takes Odysseus aside and prepares him for his next adventures.  First, he must stop the ears of his companions with wax to avoid the lure of the Sirens, while they lash him to the mast to keep him from following the song.

Next, they must sail through the Roving Rocks, between the monsters Skylla-- a six-headed man-eating she-beast-- and Charybdis-- a great sucking whirlpool offering no escape.  Circe advises to err on the side of Skylla, for it is better to lose six men than all.

Finally, they will come to the island of Thrinakia where Helios keeps his immortal cattle.  If they resist feasting on the cattle, all might return to Ithaka.  If not, only Odysseus may make it home.

They sail.  The waters are calm by the Sirens, and the men row as Odysseus is tempted by their song.  Only the lashings hold him.

The storm rises as they approach the Rocks.  Odysseus warns them to avoid falling into Charybdis's maw, neglecting to tell them of Skylla's appetite.  Six are killed.

Next they near Thrinakia, while Odysseus begs them not to land there.  Eurylochos convinces them to stay overnight.  They land; Zeus sends up a storm and strands them on the island for a month.  They eat their reserves of food while Odysseus instructs them not to kill the cattle.  But while he is out and falls asleep, Eurylochos leads them to kill the best of the cattle.  Odysseus learns of this, and knows they are doomed.

Helios complains (threatening to shine on Hades instead of the world) to Zeus, who promises to avenge the loss on the open sea.  The dead meat groans as the men eat it.  A week later, the storm calms, and the ship sets sail again.  Away from all land, the mast is struck by lightning and the men drown.  Odysseus climbs on the wreckage and drifts toward Charybdis.  He holds onto a branch while the wreckage is sucked down, waits all day for the waters to return, then drifts again, saved from Skylla.  He lands finally on the island of Ogygia, home of Kalypso.

"But you've heard that one already."

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Song of the Sirens, xii.184-191:

"Come this way, honored Odysseus, great glory of the Achaians,
and stay your ship, so that you can listen here to our singing;
for no one else has ever sailed past this place in his black ship
until he has listened to the honey-sweet voice that issues
from our lips; then goes on, well pleased, knowing more than ever
he did; for we know everything that the Argives and Trojans
did and suffered in wide Troy through the gods' despite.
Over all the generous earth we know everything that happens."

Was Odysseus tempted by their beauty, or by their promise of knowledge?  Surely after a ten-plus-year siege of Troy, he would ask himself what purpose it served, what meaning the gods took from the sacrifice of so many good men, whether it was all a cruel joke or a mistake, or whether his and the others' deeds would be remembered for good.  "Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God."  Clever, clever Sirens.

And even if it's mostly unrelated, I can't pass up linking this:

The Odyssey, Book 7

Odysseus waits, then follows Nausikaa to the palace.  Athene appears and escorts him there, shrouding him in fog from the people.  Upon arrival, she withdraws to Athens.  Description of the palace.  Odysseus throws himself at the feet of Arete the queen.  Alkinoos the king feeds him, gives him his son's seat.  They plan to set him off on his voyage in the morning (much as Menelaos did for Telemachus).  But first, Arete notices his clothing (from Nausikaa) and asks frome where he comes.  Odysseus explains his loss of his companions at sea, his capture by Kalypso on the island of Ogygia for eight years, and finally his release and the details of his voyage from there to the island of the Phaiakians, all the action of Book 5.  Alkinoos wishes that Odysseus could be a husband to Nausikaa, but instead he must finish his voyage home.  They send him to bed.

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Another really short book.  Where's all the action?

The vivid description of the palace reminded me of the description of the shield that Hephaistos forged for Achilleus in The Iliad.  Once again, it has been turned into artwork.  A sample:

The Iliad, Book 18

Achilleus recognizes that Patroklos is dead, finally confirmed by Antilochus.  Thetis arrives to console him.  Achilleus is despondant-- sees his own prophesied death coming, for he no longer even wishes to live after Hektor is killed.  Thetis leaves to obtain new armor.  Iris sent by hera to Achilleus, pushes him to make an appearance at least so that Patroklos's body will be saved.  Athene enhances his appearance-- at the sight of him from afar, Trojans are driven back-- some commit suicide.  Poulydamas urges Trojan retreat behind city walls-- death is coming.  Hektor prefers final charge-- senses imminent victory.  Body of Patroklos is honored, saved for burial until after Hektor is killed.  Thetis calls in a favor from Hephaistos.  Builds new armor, including glorious elaborate shield.

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Me: At first reading, it seemed that the shield of Achilleus will be a universal icon throughout the rest of literature.  It has been re-created in artwork throughout history.  A good collection.  One example: