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Final Thread Y Bronze Age: the epics. The Iliad in particular is 1 of 2 founding texts that form the foundation of Western Civilization. Comparing Epics may give insight into Y Bronze Age and move discussion into one of BAPs most important and original concepts: “owned space”
Thoughtout western history several rocks or foundational tests have come to prominence, the most important being the Bible. Lesser works are as follows:
Iliad/Bronze age, Mycenaean dark age + Classical Age, The Aeneid/Rome, Bible/western Christendom, Beowulf/Dark Age Europe, Song of Roland/Medieval Europe. What distinguishes the Iliad from these and why might “Bronze Age Mindset” be superior? Must consider “owned space”
The Aeneid is the most unique of these texts for it was composed when the Civ. that produced it was fully up and running, while the others were penned during a “dark age” and several originated as spoken or sung epic (hence the lyric form)
The Aeneid is particularly noteworthy because Augustus commissioned Virgil to write it, to give Rome it’s own epic. And as with much else with Roman culture, it was wholly contrived from Greek culture
Aeneid was a character in the Iliad and Virgil has him wandering to eventually found the city of Rome, thus tying the empire into a revered and ancient lineage, putting Augustus on equal footing with Achilles et al. this is not heroic conquering but derivative (Tho great) story
The Bible was of course collected accounts and deserves a different thread via Nietzsches Gen. of Morals. The message in New Testament is polar opposite of Iliad: the meek shall inherit the earth? This message more fit for czimp out than conqueror
If the New Testament has an direction, most was given to it by Paul and was wholly after the “fact” from the “hero,” Christ. Who is a lamb, and who addresses yeast, and his super power is making bread. A womon job. Much beauty in Bible, little inspiration.
Paul attempts to infuse power into it, he was a soldier, some scholars believe he invented the line “I bring a sword” for Christ, is a very out of place statement. The Bible is in stark contrast to message of Iliad and would never have had impact it did if not for other factors
Beowulf is great tale second only to Iliad imho but has very different message. Achilles goes to Hectors home, goes to owned space and kills the hero of the Trojans. The Trojans come to home of Menalaus and steal his wife. Greeks go take her back
Message is one of assertion, domination, protecting your owned space and encroaching on another’s. Displaying honor and defending it. Beowulf is about civilization vs nature
The Danes are beset upon by monsters from the forest, stymieing their efforts to get their culture going. They call on hero to kill monsters. First kills Grendel from their midst, then goes out into nature to kill his mother. This is about *establishing* space, creating order
Is not the myth we need today, for we now have over abundance of civilization and nature is completely counted out. Song of Roland (chanson de geste) is similar in theme
Song of Roland about a real life read-guard battle fought in the Pyranees by Frankish forced against Muslims in Spain. It is the basis of all Chivalric Romance and the crusader equivalent of what the Iliad was to Alexander
This epic, unlike Beowulf which established culture against nature, is about establish one culture against another, it’s about setting up owned space, demarcating cultural boundaries. Of note: the Greeks invade another’s space, the Franks *retreat from* another’s space
So we see the conquering, heroic, + assertive theme of the Iliad and may have better insight into why it should inspire us for how to proceed into future, as opposed to other western epics. Iliad will get own thread, as will Bible in future. Next, owned space will be theme
disclaimer: Gilgamesh, Koran, Mahabharata not western, and we can consider Dante and Milton *christian* epics and less inspirational to the shape of western culture as a whole (literarily of utmost importance)
