Thinking about the two interesting similes in book 12 (154-161; 277-289) comparing thrown stones to snowfall.

Very peculiar… and what’s really wild to me is that two other passages involving stones similarly echo each other: when both Hector and Ajax throw stones such as “men of today” are too weak to even pick up (384, 489).

Nothing to say about this really but one obvious thing is that the snowfall comparison suggests the lightness of the stones while the Ajax/ Hector passages suggest their extreme heaviness.

Notable: all four of these instances use a different word for ‘stone.’

Also: we might remember that Ajax and Hector threw stones at each other in Book 7.

In general, must say that Book 12 is a surprising book!

Trite to say but I wonder if the main “character” of Iliad’s book 12 is the wall of the Achaeans: the book starts with a discussion of its ultimate fate, its destruction by Poeseidon et al., the book ends with Hector bursting through its gates, not destroying but compromising the wall.

Another unusual theme of Iliad 12 is of thrown stones, which are twice evocatively described as falling like snow. Hector and Ajax are specifically described as throwing stones and it was they who threw stones at each other during their duel in book 7.

Like in book 7, the implication is that Ajax is stronger than Hector; for while both Hector and Ajax are described in the same language as throwing stones greater than a person of today could, we’re told Hector requires Zeus’ help to effect this. (Again we’re reminded that the first best of the Trojans is less than the second best of the Achaeans; meaning, the Trojans are doomed.)

ngrams: dog’s breakfast

Re: Dawn, Reestablishing Space and Time, I’m noticing how dawn is mentioned again at line 50, and a succession of “shouts” that intervene between the two mentions.

Dawn produces light; Zeus sends down Strife; Strife positions herself where you can hear a cry (γεγωνέω) from one end of the fleet to the other — and shouts (αὔω); Agamemnon shouts (βοάω) and commands the soldiers; the soldiers themselves (after a long discussion of Agamemnon’s armor) shout (ἄσβεστος δὲ βοὴ) “before the dawn”; finally Zeus produces a “din of battle” (κυδοιμός) and sends a morning dew of blood (???) down.

The general impression I get is of a scene growing more clamorous as it grows brighter…. What, though, to make of that involved description of Agamemon’s armor?

This is thought provoking on “the galloping hypocrisy of the educated class” — Noah Smith: “Non-college Americans were failed by progressivism, because they followed what college-educated progressives *said* rather than what they *did*. Thus, they are turning to a rightist movement that rejects what progressives *say*.”

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Passions are often engendered by their opposites. Greed sometimes produces prodigality, and prodigality greed; one is firm through weakness often, and audacious by timidity.

La Rochefoucauld [11]

Les passions en engendrent souvent qui leur sont contraires. L’avarice produit quelquefois la prodigalité, et la prodigalité l’avarice ; on est souvent ferme par faiblesse, et audacieux par timidité.

Iliad 10.246-7. τούτου γ᾽ ἑσπομένοιο καὶ ἐκ πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο
ἄμφω νοστήσαιμεν, ἐπεὶ περίοιδε νοῆσαι.

ngrams: typing,typer,typist,typed … Would guess this shows that at the same time as typing, as an activity, flourished, it declined as a profession.

“… for I wept up to a great age, never having really evolved in the fields of affection or passion, in spite of my experiences.” Beckett, Malone Dies.

Bienheureuse la cloche au gosier vigoureux…

Seems that it would take a thousand years for the Mediterranean Sea to evaporate were the Straight of Gibraltar blocked.

Internet: there is a glut of people of precisely your type. Well known early 20th century author: technological progress has killed the spiritual man. Car: drive it with its underinflated tire slowly down to the gas station on Macarthur. Gas station: there’s no room in the lot, bring it back after five — so I drive it creepingly back. Myself: drive it slowly back after five, park it, and run home and keep running past my home, it’s such a lovely, perfect night.

ngrams: kakistocracy (1922 — 2022)

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Greater than To
m Jones

Eritrea, Liberating Dekemhare then to Asmera 1991

I read Bostock v. Clayton County after someone recommended it as an example of a well-written Gorsuch opinion. It concerns whether or not sexual orientation is protected against discrimination by Title 7 of The Civil Rights Act of 1964.

At first blush, I would have said that Title 7 does not cover sexual orientation — that the clear meaning of “sex” was biologically male or female — and the law is intended to prevent discrimination against women.

Yet you have to concede Gorsuch’s point: that if you fire a man for having sex with men but not a woman for having sex with men, then that termination of employment is based on the employee’s sex.

I feel like the intent of the Civil Rights Act is that you ought not fire someone based on the type of person they are, but must consider them as individuals, and that the Gorsuch opinion is consistent with that.

Alito’s dissent, which I skimmed,  struck me as emotional and testy. I noticed that both Alito and Gorsuch referred to the dictionary a fair amount and was reminded this court has somewhat of a reputation for hair-splitting. 

τέλος μύθων Maybe: “the whole story”? οὐ τέλος ἵκεο μύθων = “you haven’t told the whole story”?

Thermostatic (political sense): “Reacting to change by attempting to move in the opposite direction.”

Melisma: A passage of several notes sung to one syllable of text.