Enraged: Why Violent Times Need Ancient Greek Myths

285 Pages·2017·1.583 MB·English

by  Emily Katz Anhalt

Enraged
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Enraged
Why Violent Times Need
Ancient Greek Myths
EMILY KATZ ANHALT
New Haven and London
Published with assistance from the foundation established in
memory of Philip Hamilton McMillan of the Class of 1894,
Yale College.
Copyright © 2017 by Yale University.
All rights reserved.
This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including
illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by
Sections107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by
reviewers for the public press), without written permission from
the publishers.
Yale University Press books may be purchased in quantity for
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e- mail [email protected] (U.S. offi ce) or [email protected]
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Printed in the United States of America.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017930760
ISBN978-0-300-21737-7 (hardcover : alk. paper)
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library.
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992
(Permanence of Paper).
10987654321
For Eduardo
ἔστιγὰρ ἡμῖν
σήμαθ᾽, ἃ δὴ καὶ νῶϊ κεκρυμμένα ἴδμεν ἀπ᾽ ἄλλων.
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
A Note on the Texts, Translations, and Notes xiii
Introduction: The Power of Stories 1
one. Passions and Priorities (Iliad1) 13
two. Them and Us (Iliad6) 29
three. Cultivating Rational Thought (Iliad9) 51
four. Violence, Vengeance, and a Glimpse of
Victory (Iliad10–24) 80
five. The Dangers of Democratic Decision Making
(Sophocles’ Ajax) 115
six. The Abuse of Power and Its Consequences
(Euripides’ Hecuba) 149
Conclusion: The Ends of Self- Government 184
Notes 197
Bibliography 233
Index 255
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Acknowledgments
For their insight, inspiration, and constructive critiques, I am
most especially indebted to Richard Garner, Donald Kagan,
Kurt Raafl aub, and William C. Scott.
This project has been percolating for a very long time. As
an undergraduate at Dartmouth College, I fi rst visited ancient
Greece under the guidance and encouragement of Edward
Bradley, Norman Doenges, Victor Menza, Christine Perkell,
William C. Scott, Stephen Scully, James Tatum, and Christian
Wolff. They introduced me not only to ancient Greek but also
and especially to modes of study and inquiry that have enriched
my life and brought me great joy and great solace. Their wisdom,
enthusiasm, and pedagogical expertise remain the gold standard.
I am similarly indebted to professors and colleagues at Yale
University, whose kindness, generosity, and exemplary scholar-
ship continue to inspire me: Robert Albis, Judith M. Barringer,
Deborah Beck, Victor Bers, A. Thomas Cole, Richard Garner,
George Goold, Judith M. Guston, John Herington, Donald
Kagan, J. E. Lendon, Elizabeth Meyer, Sheila Murnaghan, Jerome
T. Pollitt, Shilpa Raval, Joe Solodow, Gregory Thalmann,
Elizabeth Tylawsky, Heinrich von Staden, Alysa J. Ward, and
Gordon Williams. I also owe a great debt to Gregory Nagy for