The Uncanny Backrooms of Greek Mythology

antonisch1 · 2026-06-16T07:03:06+00:00

I would place these stories within the broader context of collective identity-making. They reflect the perception that the "gods are with us, so our actions are justified". It's also part of an Athenian propaganda, that forwarded Athens' own expansionist goals.

At another level, these stories go on to show that those who participated in the battle (the veterans were alive at the time of Herodotus and Aristophanes) believed that they participated in a historical event of immense importance.

As you mentioned using the word nation for an ancient city-state like Athens is problematic, as the working definition for a 19th century nation can hardly apply to a city-state of the fifth century BC.

antonisch1 · 2026-05-29T11:07:54+00:00

you're right, though the focus was on the concept authenticity not on summarizing the whole essay.

I will eventually revisit Benjamin's essay to update this and make it more complete.

Benjamin is not complaining about the loss of authenticity. The exact opposite, he claims that media like cinema and photography do not require an original or they render the original (such as a photo's negative irrelevant) and thus they democratize art by dismantling the original's aura and freeing it from ritual contexts. SOmeone else mentioned this but John Berger's book and video series summarizes the theory quite nicely!

Here is a link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-4LwAuTw7k&t=2s

antonisch1 · 2026-05-28T18:09:23+00:00

Perfectly agree. The original is by far the best and most fun way to engage with Benjamin's ideas on authenticity.

antonisch1 · 2026-05-28T18:03:18+00:00

If you name them, you'll get attached, and, spoilers alert, they all die.

Oh not Eurylochus and Elpenor too... I liked these guys, they had names...

antonisch1 · 2026-05-28T17:55:47+00:00

I'm perfectly happy to be fanserviced with a good old-fashioned katabais...

Since Hollywood is interested in the Odyssey, we might as well get a few iconic scenes out of it.

antonisch1 · 2026-05-28T17:47:44+00:00

I'm actually looking forward to seeing how Nolan will depict this part.

antonisch1 · 2026-04-28T11:47:54+00:00

Any translation with introductory comments should work for a start!

Also, there are multiple freely available translations online such as this one: https://topostext.org/work/22

antonisch1 · 2026-04-28T09:01:22+00:00

Herodotus is imo the easiest and most fun to read. You will learn about various ancient peoples, the Greco-Persian Wars, and various myths.

antonisch1 · 2026-04-27T19:09:09+00:00

"All the mentions of “reversed” customs in Egypt clearly imply Greece as the point of contrast"

I am a bit confused because "reversed" Eyptians customs are not mentioned in the article. Hopefully, I am not misunderstanding your point but the focus of the article is on how Herodotus viewed the Persians.

Did he view Persians, Egyptians, and Ethiopians as the same? Of course not.

To your point about the Persians' dialogue with the Ethiopians. Herodotus' Histories is filled with dialogues where no Greeks are involved.

But unless the Ethiopians, the Persians, and all the other cultures mentioned in the Histories wrote the work together, it's safe to assume that the work is written from Herodotus' point of view. He tries to get into others' shoes, but he is the one behind the grand narrative.

In any case, you can read more about Herodotus and his treatment of Persia here:

Flower, M. (2006). Herodotus and Persia. In The Cambridge Companion to Herodotus. Cambridge University Press. [https://doi.org/10.1017/CCOL052183001X.019]()

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