Arete questions

Chris · 24 Jun 2003, 17:04 · from urth-v0306.mbox · original

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From: "Chris" <rasputin_ at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: (urth) Arete questions
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 17:04:41 +0000
Message-ID: <urth-v0306-3525 at digest.urth.net>
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One thing that seems uncertain to me about the Pausanius speculation is the=20
original reading of Diana's words, specifically what is meant by "this=20
queen" and "my queen". I thought that the Amazons were a race dedicated=20
specifically to Diana, and so my first reading of the passage was the=20
opposite of what is being discussed here: the Amazon queen - "my queen" -=20
must lose in order that "this queen" - the Spartan one - might win, to the=20
benefit of the Spartans. If this is the case then Latro foiled her plan (an=
d=20
Demeter may have been somewhat appeased). I find it difficult to project th=
e=20
intended chain of consequences, however. What later came of it may have bee=
n=20
the result of continuous maneuvering afterward.

To throw some of my own speculation in, while I disagree with the Latro =3D=20
Ares idea, this last post did strike me as one that might lead to something=20
interesting. What if Latro, in the heat of battle, had been "possessed" by=20
Ares (not sure what the correct term is in the Greek context, but the same=20
idea as what happened in the Iliad) at the time of his wound. Ares, affecte=
d=20
by the memory loss, can't leave or doesn't remember who he is. This might=20
also account for Latro being able to see the other gods (not that another=20
explanation is needed).

I'm not sure if this kind of speculation holds together with the way the=20
Greek gods "work" though, really.

Side question: I am reading Xenophon's Anabasis right now. I was interested=20
in reading, as well, whatever he wrote that bears on Latro's story. Can=20
anyone tell me which work that might be found in?

Thanks,
Chris

>Andrew Bollen brought up some very good questions.
>Here are a few SPECULATIVE answers:
>
>Why does Pausanius have to lose?  It all goes back to the powers at the=20
>Trojan
>War.  The Achaens, led by Achilles, have been displaced by Pausanius'=20
>people.
>Latro is the agent of Achilles revenge - he is the one who gets close to
>Pausanius to destroy the Dorian leader.  When Odysseus helps Latro, he is=20
>very
>careful to say "For the wrath of Achilles!" when he rips out a dude's=20
>throat.
>Latro represents a new order to replace the Doric greeks, and as such he is
>loyal to that order no matter how he serves the older paths (like the gods
>ultimately serve the will of God)
>
>Why does Aphrodite get involved with Latro and bring up the Golden Apple?
>The apple invokes Achilles and the Trojan War again, and I'm pretty sure=20
>that
>Latro is no ordinary mortal - he is her lover already, but the other gods=20
>have
>punished him by removing the memory of his pre-mortal divinity.
>
>Why does the Great Mother like Latro at the end?
>The answer to this is in the poem that Latro recites at the end of Arete:=20
>Fell
>Ares quits the war proud throng - Latro has learned the lesson of love and=20
>put
>aside the ways of war, and so all the goddesses love him anew, even though=20
>he
>still needs to go to his mortal home to realize how far removed he is from=20
>his
>divinity, before he can reclaim it.
>
>I'm not saying that Latro isn't mortal - I'm saying he is a
>proto-theoanthropos who bridges the gap between mortal and god, and can't
>remember because he must know what it is to be truly human, without memory=20
>of
>divine arrogance, to change enough to bring about the Pax Roman which will
>hasten in the age of Christ - when the world is at peace.  War must cease=20
>for
>Christ to come into the world - but it takes warriors to forge that peace.
>Latro is one of those warriors.
>
>Marc Aramini
>
>
>
>--

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