#THE ITHACA FOUNDATION
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PAKISTAN: A Visit to 14th Karachi Expo Book Fair Karachi
PAKISTAN: Una visita a 14th Karachi Book Fair, Expo. Center. Dra. Naila Hina Writer Asia Continent Manager, Dir. Gral. La Agencia Mundial de Prensa Pakistan. Columnista Pakistan, officially known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia. It shares its borders with India to the east, Afghanistan to the west, Iran to the southwest, and China to the northeast.…
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#"PAKISTAN from the eyes of Naila Hina"#A VISIT TO 14TH EXPO BOOK FAIR KARACHI#DR. SALEEM UZ ZAMAN SIDDIQUI SCIENCE CLUB#KARACHI#lomasleido#Naila Hina Columnista#NAILA HINA Gerente Continental de Asia#NAILA HINA LA ESCRITORA#PAKISTAN#PRESS#THE ITHACA FOUNDATION
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whatever level of insanity odysseus was under when he spat "you don't think I know my own palace? I built it" I'm down
#like#dark odysseus best odysseus#king of ithaca#jorge rivera herrans#epic the musical#epic the musical king#odysseus of ithaca#odysseus#that's such a banger line to spit at the nonbelievers of your power to absolutely wreck their shit up#odysseus moonlights as a carpenter /j#odysseus's mind is not only politics and warfare savvy but architect savvy too#i hope you all get what i mean#i mean odysseus being a man of architecture means he understands the foundation/base of a strong building#ergo he knows how to setup and pay it off#sorry but i love me a schemer#i'm an incredibly cerebral person so this is very attractive to me
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The scp foundation (as a whole)
#ask answered#epic the musical#odysseus of ithaca#poll#the odyssey#odysseus#tumblr polls#scp foundation
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I was finding myself feeling a little bit empty after finishing the Ithaca Saga, because despite his guilt over his actions, Odysseus did succumb to the philosophy of Poseidon and the gods, he did embrace ruthlessness, and he did become the monster. Those are very much things that happened. Despite him getting back to his wife and son, something about him still feels irreversibly broken. But then I remembered Athena. Odysseus doesn’t quite realize it, but he did something nigh-on impossible—he changed a god’s mind. That’s just. Insane. Athena now believes in mercy and kindness! Athena, who is a goddess. Odysseus didn’t just change the mind of a single person, he actually shook up the foundations of the universe. Thanks to him, the way the world works might change. Ruthlessness might not be mercy upon ourselves anymore. He just hasn’t realized it yet.
#also there is something in how telemachus enters the fight first with offered mercy yeah?#anyway I probably would have tweaked a thing or two but Ithaca saga was fantastic#epic the musical#epic the ithaca saga
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having a blorbo in greek mythology and epics is like the ancient world version of realizing the tv show had a different writer for the one episode your critter was wildly out of character and everyone is like "oh that's so them!" ??? did we watch the same show? helen of troy/sparta is a slut no wait she is a perfect woman no no she is a flawed human being no hold on she's a woman making her way in a man's world wait no she is the archetypal victim no wait-
not coincidentally i am reading madeline miller's the song of achilles for the first time and odysseus just showed up halfway through and odysseus'ed across the page so hard he made me fall in love with him all over again. achilles/patroclus is some foundational tragic queer romance, yeah i respect that, but odysseus. the laughing snake that tricks you into forgetting he is always ready to bite. my man
i bet he is a tricky character to write well but as long as he falls somewhere on the wile e. coyote <--> bugs bunny spectrum he is probably in character. because his character is to be tricksily varied. is he just a dude trying to get home? is he a larger than life hero? a rat bastard nobody can trust? the one male in hellas with a working brain who doesn't listen only to his dick or his overinflated ego? a wifeguy (positive)? a wifeguy (negative)? athena's special boy in this generation (telemachus and orestes wiping their noses on their blankets still)? or her latest mortal hackeysack, legs blurring in a looney tunes run between zany schemes, just a bit faster than the other doomed shmucks? all are intensely valid interpretations and go all the way back to homer 2800 years ago. incredible.
someone in the book is making fun of odysseus for bragging about how much he likes the ship, fresh from ithaca!! penelope modeled for the figurehead!!! he gets to see her while they're apart!!!! and that's why i set the book down for a minute. hgn. hdmahflshsk. odysseus sweetie pie i hope you still like it twenty years from now. the ghosts of my middle school english notes defining "dramatic irony" scream in ecstasy from the great beyond
#odysseus#the odyssey#the iliad#the song of achilles#madline miller#athena#helen of troy#helen of sparta#greek myths#greek gods#greek mythology#tagamemnon#do people still use tagamemnon?#orestes#telemachus#penelope of ithaca#dramatic irony#homer (the bard)#achilles#patroclus
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ASTROLOGY | CHIRON IN THE HOUSES (4/7)
CHIRON IN THE 4TH HOUSE Chiron in the fourth house represents a deep emotional wound, rooted in one's sense of family, home, and roots. This placement refers to the struggle to find emotional stability, when the foundations of the individual's life—symbolized by family and childhood environment—may be disturbed or damaged. Astrologer Ivy M. Goldstein-Jacobson compares this to a tree with twisted or broken roots, where finding stability becomes a lifelong challenge. Ancient astrologers such as Ptolemy, who saw celestial influences as both personal and karmic, explained this wound as inherited from ancestors. Emotional pain related to family can be considered a soul contract, passed down through generations. It speaks to unresolved ancestral issues, where family relationships or traumas become personal burdens. Babylonian astrologers—who linked the stars to the destiny of peoples—may have seen this position as a sign of ancestral pain, where emotional legacies are as influential as genetics.
From a spiritual perspective, as described by Evangeline Smith Adams, this perspective can imply a form of spiritual exile. The individual may feel pushed away or separated from the comfort of family, like Odysseus on his long journey away from Ithaca. This emotional exile prompts a profound search for a sense of belonging, often through healing family wounds or creating a new sense of belonging. The myth of Chiron, who was abandoned by his parents and raised by others, reflects this theme, emphasizing reconciliation with his roots. The Oedipus motif is also very relevant here. Chiron in the fourth house reflects this truth, indicating that unresolved family wounds will continue to exist until they are confronted. People with this placement may struggle with a sense of "belonging" anywhere, even within themselves. This can manifest itself through frequent moves or a deep sense of emotional disconnection from family, leaving them feeling unsafe or unsupported. Dane Rudhyar, known for his focus on spiritual development through astrology, sees this wound as an opportunity for change. He sees Chiron in the fourth house as an invitation to heal family rifts and build a new sense of belonging from within. Similar to how alchemists viewed chaos as the starting point of transformation leading to divine union, this position symbolizes the journey from emotional separation to inner emotional security.
CHIRON IN THE 5TH HOUSE The fifth house in astrology is associated with creativity, joy, and self-expression. When Chiron is present here, it represents a wound related to free creativity, whether that be through artistic pursuits, love, or even the birth of life. In the myth of Icarus, despite his talent for making wings, Icarus met with disaster because of an imbalance—flying too high toward the sun, then lowering too close to the sea. Similarly, those with Chiron in the fifth house may feel both gifted and cursed with their creative potential, unsure how to express it fully without fear of failure or rejection. Astrologer Thomas Ring suggests that this position often indicates an experience from childhood where creative joy is stifled or ridiculed, causing lasting blockage. This can manifest itself as a fear of failure in artistic endeavors or a shyness when entering into romantic relationships where vulnerability in love becomes too scary. In traditional understanding, the fifth house represents the "spark of life," but when Chiron is here, that spark is extinguished, causing self-doubt or untapped potential.
Chiron's experience in the fifth house can be compared to a garden that once bloomed but is now overrun by weeds, where creative impulses still exist but are suppressed by inner doubt, Past criticism or fear of vulnerability. This symbolizes the wounded artist archetype—someone who has great potential but has difficulty expressing it fully due to wounds left over from rejection or failure. In romantic relationships, this position can indicate emotional wounds related to romantic rejection or the fear of being seen through by others. These people may feel insecure in love, vacillating between grand gestures and emotional withdrawal, fearful of being hurt again. However, as Karl Ernst Krafft emphasized with his focus on the cyclical nature of creation, this wound often transforms into a source of regeneration. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, those with Chiron in the fifth house can experience a creative resurgence, turning their suffering into inspiration.
Chiron positioned in the fifth house represents the wounded inner child in pursuit of healing via creative endeavors. By acknowledging their sensitivity, embracing vulnerability, and confronting the possibility of failure, individuals can restore their creative potential. In spite of encountering various challenges, Da Vinci persevered in his experiments and ultimately created a remarkable work of art. The lesson here is that the pain of creating something meaningful can lead to overcoming the wounds that once hindered the individual.
CHIRON AT THE 6TH HOUSE Traditionally the sixth house is associated with responsibility and discipline, Chiron here marks a person who may sacrifice personal needs to fulfill responsibilities, often neglecting health or personal barriers in the process . It is related to health, service and daily habits. Like Virgil's Aeneas, who shouldered the fate of his people, people with this position often feel driven to serve others, sometimes sacrificing their own health to fulfill their responsibilities. In his foundational work on celestial influences, Claudius Ptolemaeus interpreted this placement as a karmic wound related to the body and normal aspects of life. People with this placement may experience chronic health problems, physical pain or psychological illnesses, all of which act as a form of spiritual cleansing, reflecting Greek beliefs - Ancient Egyptians believed that the body is a vessel for divine energy, vulnerable when imbalance occurs in the universe. These individuals may find themselves stuck in a Sisyphus-like loop, constantly pushing the boulder of responsibility up the hill, only for it to roll back down, trapping them in a spiral of overwork and self-neglect, often working in fields like medicine, consulting, or caregiving.
With Chiron in the sixth house, there can be a sense of never-ending vortex of responsibility, where no amount of effort seems to be enough, and health continually betrays them when strength is needed most. Perfectionism is a major theme. These individuals may set unbearably high standards for themselves, crave perfection in their work, health, or daily routine, and feel that they are only valuable when they produce tangible results. The body often becomes a battleground for unresolved emotional or psychological wounds, manifesting as chronic illnesses that do not respond to conventional treatments. Additionally, they may be sensitive to environmental factors such as diet, stress, and emotional states, which greatly affect their health. Galileo Galilei struggled with the constraints of rigid scientific dogmas, which represents the need for this position to be freed from overly rigid habits or beliefs regarding work, health, and service. The healing process for these individuals involves adopting a more holistic view of health. Carl Jung’s concept of individuation—the integration of the self—offers a path to healing where they learn to balance their own needs with their desire to serve others, ultimately finding peace within themselves and their work.
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TOLKIEN, MYTH AND THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY
A week ago I wrote a post about my excitement in discovering just how much Tolkien took inspiration from Anglo-Saxon poetry.
I was so lost in my little over-emotional bubble that I was genuinely a little surprised when a few people expressed their disappointment in discovering that "The Lord of The Rings" wasn't wholly original. It makes sense, though, so I thought I'd address it.
These are @fortunes-haven ' s tags:
@sataidelenn already wrote an interesting reply, but I'd like to approach the question from a different point of view. Why? Because the first thing I thought about when reading this comment was how I myself have grumbled under my breath about having to wade through someone's "personal mythology smoothie", only I wasn't reading Tolkien. I was reading T. S. Eliot.
Now, I want to preface this by making it clear that I am well aware Tolkien is by no means a modernist. He did, however, write LOTR in England in the late 30s. He was part of the same culture, the same society, and above all the same historical context that produced "The Waste Land" and "Ulysses", and I think we should take that into account when we discuss his work.
Because by the time Tolkien published LOTR, Joyce and Eliot and Yeats had already discussed and applied the mythic method. Was Tolkien aware of their debates? Did he read and appreciate their books? I have no clue. It would take some research to find out, research I currently (unfortunately) don’t have time for. But I do not think it a stretch to suggest that Tolkien might have been moved by the same need that drove other writers to look back at myth, although in very different ways.
Why did Joyce and Eliot feel compelled to return to the narrative roots of mankind? Why did Yeats devote so much time to Celtic lore? Why did Tolkien write a new epic and base it on the Saxon world?
The answer is the same: because they lived at the start of a century that posed more questions than ever, but provided no answers; a century when time and the human mind and the very structure of matter had ceased to be solid, defined, a foundation to rely on; a century torn apart by brutal, inhumane, sensless war.
When you can't find answers in the present and the future is so uncertain it's laughable, you look to the past. Because the thing is, we can talk about "personal mythology" all we want, but myths are never personal. They are universal. They are tied to a specific cultural context, certainly, but they exemplify emotions, truths and tragedies that are common (or supposed to be common) to all humankind, beyond space and time. Myths are supposed to be eternal.
They are also a very effective shorthand to communicate rather complex concepts.
I can write five pages telling my girlfriend that she makes me feel safe, that she is something I've longed for and fought to gain, something I've dreamed about but that I'm scared I'll lose. I could, and I probably wouldn’t be able to convey exactly what I mean.
Or I could say "She is my Ithaca" and you would get it, wouldn’t you?
There are whole books that try to explain the symbolism behind "The Green Knight", but Eliot can offhandedly mention a chapel and he has basically evoked the whole original poem plus the centuries of scolarship that followed.
Tolkien could have had his characters recite long monologues about how they feel like their world has been lost. Instead, he has one of them sing a song by the campfire. An 8th century song, about a warrior in exile. He achieves in a couple of lines what could have taken him a whole book to convey, and he does it in a way that goes straight to the heart, even if we don't know exactly why.
And that's the thing: not all of us spend years researching myths and old poetry. Certainly we don't do it when reading LOTR for the first time, especially if that's when we are 13 or 10 or 8 years old. But we get it anyway. We know myths, especially Western myths, one way or another, as if through cultural osmosis. We understand myths from other cultures too- we may need a bit of context, but we do- and often we find that the bones of the stories are similar, across oceans and centuries.
That means that using myths as the building blocks of your story is an amazingly effective way to cut to the quick, to get to the core of what the narrative is aiming at.
I have seen so many people talk about the feeling they get when reading LOTR, or even just thinking about it: that nostalgia? That bittersweet hurt? That longing for something bright and lost, for a star or a jewel or a land beyond the sea? That, right there. That is what Tolkien achieves by telling stories inside stories, by having his words have a meaning and weight that we would associate with a bard or a preacher, not a fantasy writer. And, as I have discovered recently, it's almost exactly the same feeling you get when reading Saxon poetry.
It's almost as if he chose it on purpose, isn’t it?
That's not all, though.
As both people tagged above(and many others, myself included) have already written, Tolkien doesn’t just use myths as building blocks. He alters them.
Yes, Frodo's hero's journey is not typical. Yes, there are a lot of similarities between the last part of LOTR and the Odissey, but they are not quite the same.
That's because Frodo is not, and can't be, Ulysses. He isn’t a warrior crowned with glory and cunning who reconquers his home and that leaves it because a god has promised him peace if he does. He is a mutilated soldier coming home from the trenches, only to find that he no longer belongs in the home he has bled for.
Frodo is a new hero, for a new age (just like Ulysses was a new hero for a new age, which I rather think is one of the reasons Joyce chose him as the model for his novel. The Odissey was already subversive in and of itself. "An odd duck", as @sataidelenn put it.)
We have to understand just how traumatic WWI was. It's a shift, a break so immense that it changed society, politics, culture, family structures, the idea of hero and even of manhood. The Western World was not the same after 1918. Of course art changed too.
Would Tolkien have written LOTR had he not fought in that war? Probably. But it would have been a very, very different book. The way it deals with war, technology, trauma, peace and friendship-all the things we love about it- are direct fruits of that conflict. I think the way myth fits into it is, too.
I can understand being disappointed that not everything in Lotr is wholly new, wholly Tolkien's invention. It didn’t even occur to be to be, though, because I am used of thinking of it in these terms.
All the myths he uses- from Kullervo to Ulysses to Beowolf to medieval fairy tales- are means to tell a new story. They come back to life, and while we perceive how timeless they are, they end up telling us something that is rooted in time. A new English epic, yes, but very clearly an epic of England between two world wars. A 20th century heroic tale which offers a desperate, brave hope for the future. How can we not love it?
And look, I might joke about personal mythology smoothies to myself all the time, but the reason I keep reading and studying Eliot and Joyce and Yeats is that they do have something new to say, something amazing. You can take them or leave them, love them or hate them, but "unoriginal" is not an adjective you can, in good conscience, apply to their work.
I think, in a weird way, Tolkien is the same.
"In manipulating a continuous parallel between contemporaneity and antiquity, Mr. Joyce is pursuing a method which others must pursue after him. They will not be imitators, any more than the scientist who uses the discoveries of an Einstein in pursuing his own, independent, further investigations. It is simply a way of controlling, of ordering, of giving shape and significance to the immense panorama of futility and anarchy which is contemporary history. It is a method already adumbrated by Mr. Yeats, and of the need for which I believe that Mr. Yeats to have been first contemporary to be conscious. Psychology (such as it is, and whether our reaction to it be comic or serious), ethnology, and The Golden Bough have concurred to make possible what was impossible even a few years ago. Instead of narrative method, we may now use the mythic method. It is, I seriously believe, a step toward making the modern world possible for art." –T.S. Eliot, from Ulysses, Order, and Myth (1923)
#tolkien#lotr#tolkien meta#literature#myth#does this make sense? I hope it does#I really wanted to reply earlier but alas life#you can tell I have put a tiny bit of thought in this over the years uh
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Second Lieutenant Albert Irving Cassell June 25, 1895 - November 30, 1959) a prominent African American architect, planner, engineer, educator, and entrepreneur, was born in Towson, Maryland to Albert and Charlotte Cassell. His education began in a Baltimore public school. He moved to Ithaca, New York, and enrolled in a city high school. He was admitted into Cornell University, where he worked on campus.
He served in the Army during WWI. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the heavy field artillery, he served as a training officer in France. He returned to Cornell University and completed his BS in architecture. His first project included the design of five buildings at the Tuskegee Institute with fellow architect William A. Hazel. He designed silk mills and other industrial plants in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He joined the Architecture Department of Howard University as an assistant professor.
He designed projects that helped shape the physical growth of Howard University. He produced the master plan for the expansion of the campus. He set about purchasing the land around the university to execute his plan. He helped to design and construct the medical school, dining hall, gymnasium, stadium, chemistry building, power plant, underground power distribution system, the Founders Library, the Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall, and three women’s dormitory buildings. He designed buildings at Virginia Union University and Morgan State College. He laid a strong foundation for a strong and successful architecture program at Howard University. He presided over the creation of the College of Engineering and Architecture at the university.
He pursued the development of an unsuccessful planned community for African Americans on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay. He led the development of the Mayfair Mansions Project and the James Creek Alley Housing Development in DC. He designed civic buildings for the state of Maryland and DC and participated in other projects at Washington National Airport and the Pentagon. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphaphialpha
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Author: Kevin Carson Topic: health care
Mother Jones Blog reports the rapid disappearance of public hospitals over the past decade. Their number has fallen by 16% in major U.S. cities (compared to 11% of private hospitals), according to a study by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, and the decline is even steeper in areas with the highest numbers of poor and uninsured.
Before anyone jumps in, let me say I’m no fan of government (even local government) ownership of hospitals. For one thing, the boards of directors on most municipal hospitals are run by the same kinds of prestige-salaried parasites, and have the same top-heavy organizational culture, as their private counterparts. In fact, the various private and public hospital boards and the local governments and chambers of commerce more than likely constitute an interlocking directorate, with a revolving door of personnel between them--probably go to the same country clubs and send their kids to the same prep schools.
My guess is that a lot of those “public” hospitals that disappeared were “privatized” by selling them to some hospital chain or other, on very sweet terms. I’ve seen the process in action myself. Sometimes there’s even a little “tunneling” involved, with collusion between the buyer corporation and the “public” hospital CEO who’s negotiating the sale. In other words, exactly the same kind of corporate looting that happens when a Third World city sells its municipal water off, under World Bank pressure, to GlobalMegaCorp LLC.
Public hospitals are a perfect opportunity for real privatization: what Larry Gambone calls “mutualizing” public services (turning them into consumer co-ops controlled by the clientele), and the Rothbardians call “homesteading.”
There are some heroic efforts out there to reclaim the mutualist tradition of sick benefit societies, that insured a major part of the working class until government health insurance and the regulated “private” insurance cartels drove them out; the Ithaca Health system is a great example. Mutual health insurance is great, but as I’ve argued before, mutualizing the finance end of things isn’t enough. Until delivery of service is also mutualized, healthcare will still fall under the same pathological organizational culture: control by the white coat license cartel, and emphasis on expensive high-tech treatments and patented drugs.
Instead, what we need is a model based on preventive and integrative medicine, and self-treatment, instead (as Dave Pollard says) of “on learned helplessness and dependence.” We also need competition between multiple tiers of service, based on the consumer’s preference and resources. A lot of free market advocates, in describing the causes of medical inflation, like to use the “food insurance” analogy to show why third party payments eliminate price competition: when your insurer only requires a small deductible for each trip to the supermarket, you’ll probably buy a lot more T-bones. Unfortunately, what we have now is a system where the government, Big Pharma, and the license cartels act in collusion to make sure that only T-bones are available, the slaughterhouses get half their income from Medicaid and Medicare, and the uninsured wind up bankrupting themselves to eat. A lot of uninsured people would probably like access to a “barefoot doctor” who could treat things like physical trauma and basic infectuous diseases: somebody who could set fractures, or do an x-ray and a sputum culture and provide a round of generic antibiotics for pneumonia, and refer more serious cases on to an MD.
Communities (i.e. the people who live there, not the local government) whose hospitals are threatened need to stage a hostile takeover of those “public” hospitals and bring them under the control of the actual public, rather than the usual suspects from the Rotary Club. The hospital boards need to be taken over by real community representatives, representatives of the medical and nursing (and maintenance, housekeeping, dietary, etc.) staff, and representatives of the patient-members. And they need to put them under a radically different model of service.
#hospitals#us healthcare#us politics#healthcare#health care#medicine#science#kevin carson#anarchism#anarchy#anarchist society#practical anarchy#practical anarchism#resistance#autonomy#revolution#communism#anti capitalist#anti capitalism#late stage capitalism#daily posts#libraries#leftism#social issues#anarchy works#anarchist library#survival#freedom
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Why Are Greek Epics Important?
Greek epics are some of the most enduring and influential works in the history of world literature. Composed in ancient Greece, these long narrative poems, such as the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer, have shaped not only Western literature but also the ways in which we understand heroism, fate, morality, and the divine. These epics represent not only the rich literary tradition of ancient Greece but also the culture, philosophy, and values of the time. In this article, we will explore why Greek epics are important, considering their historical, cultural, philosophical, and literary significance.
Introduction
Greek epics are more than just stories of gods and heroes—they are reflections of the ancient Greek worldview, encapsulating their ideas of justice, loyalty, honor, and the human condition. These works are foundational texts in the Western literary canon and have influenced countless writers, philosophers, and artists throughout history. Through their vivid characters, intricate plots, and timeless themes, Greek epics continue to resonate with modern readers.
At their core, Greek epics do not just entertain; they ask profound questions about life, death, and the nature of existence. The tales of gods intervening in human affairs, of warriors fighting for glory, and of individuals struggling with their destiny, offer timeless insights into the complexities of human nature. In this article, we will delve into the reasons why Greek epics continue to be important today. We will examine their historical context, their philosophical depth, their cultural legacy, and their impact on later literature and art.
1. The Historical Significance of Greek Epics
Greek epics are among the earliest works of literature in Western culture, dating back to the 8th century BCE. The Iliad and the Odyssey are considered the two most important works of this genre, both attributed to the poet Homer. These epics provide a glimpse into the ancient Greek world, offering insights into their social structure, religious beliefs, and historical events.
The Trojan War and Greek Identity
The Iliad centers around the Trojan War, a legendary conflict between the Greeks (Achaeans) and the Trojans. While historians debate the historical accuracy of the events depicted, the Trojan War is deeply ingrained in Greek cultural memory. The war symbolizes the Greeks’ ongoing struggle with pride, power, and fate. The epic’s portrayal of heroes like Achilles and Hector, who fight for personal glory, presents a nuanced view of the ancient Greek understanding of honor, duty, and mortality.
The Iliad’s influence on the Greeks’ self-perception cannot be overstated. It defined the archetype of the hero—courageous, proud, and sometimes flawed—shaping Greek ideals of heroism for centuries. The epic also introduces the importance of the gods in Greek life, showing how divine will could both help and hinder human endeavors. By telling stories about the gods’ involvement in human affairs, Greek epics highlighted the central role of religion in everyday life.
Preserving Greek History and Myths
Greek epics also played a crucial role in preserving the myths, legends, and historical events that were central to Greek identity. These epics were passed down orally from generation to generation, becoming part of the collective memory of the Greek people. While many of the events they describe may have been embellished or fictionalized over time, they nonetheless provided a shared cultural foundation for the Greeks.
The Odyssey, for example, although primarily an adventure story, also offers a glimpse into the Greek concept of homecoming (nostos). The journey of Odysseus back to Ithaca is symbolic of the Greek desire for stability, order, and return to one’s roots. The themes of perseverance, resilience, and loyalty to family are deeply embedded in the Greek psyche, and these qualities were seen as essential to the survival of Greek civilization.
2. The Cultural Legacy of Greek Epics
Greek epics had a profound influence on the culture of ancient Greece, shaping the arts, politics, and education. From the visual arts to philosophy, Greek epics provided a framework for understanding the world and the individual’s place within it.
Greek Epics and the Arts
The impact of Greek epics on the visual arts is profound. Ancient Greek artists, from sculptors to painters, drew inspiration from the stories told in the Iliad and the Odyssey. The figures of Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, and other heroes became iconic, depicted in pottery, sculpture, and frescoes throughout the Greek world. These depictions helped immortalize the characters and stories of the epics, ensuring that they remained central to Greek culture.
The heroic ideals expressed in these epics were reflected in Greek drama, particularly in the tragedies written by playwrights like Sophocles, Euripides, and Aeschylus. These playwrights often drew on the themes of fate, pride, and divine intervention found in Greek epics, adapting them to the stage. The epic’s exploration of human suffering, sacrifice, and moral conflict resonated with audiences, influencing the development of Western theater.
Greek Epics and Political Thought
Greek epics also contributed to the political culture of ancient Greece. The epic tradition emphasized the importance of the hero’s individual choices and actions, setting a precedent for the values of autonomy and personal responsibility. These ideas were later reflected in the political systems of city-states like Athens, where democracy began to take root. The ideal of the heroic individual who acts for the greater good, despite personal sacrifice, can be seen in the democratic ethos of ancient Greece.
Moreover, the gods in Greek epics often serve as metaphors for political authority. The gods’ interference in human affairs can be seen as a reflection of the power and authority that rulers exercised over their subjects. The relationship between the gods and humans, marked by both favor and wrath, mirrors the complex power dynamics between rulers and their people. This theme is explored in the Iliad, where the gods frequently intervene in the Trojan War, deciding the fate of the warriors based on their personal interests or loyalties.
Greek Epics and Education
Education in ancient Greece was strongly influenced by the epic tradition. Greek epics were central to the curriculum in both the education of young men and the training of future leaders. Students would memorize and recite large sections of the Iliad and the Odyssey, internalizing the values and ideals they conveyed. These epics served as a model of eloquent speech, moral behavior, and heroic conduct.
The epic tradition also played a key role in the development of rhetoric, the art of persuasive speech. The speeches of characters in the epics, such as Achilles’ angry retorts in the Iliad or Odysseus’ clever speeches in the Odyssey, served as models for rhetorical training in Greek schools. The ability to speak eloquently and persuasively was seen as essential for success in public life, and the epics provided a foundation for the development of this skill.
3. The Philosophical and Moral Depth of Greek Epics
Greek epics are not merely tales of adventure and war; they are also philosophical explorations of profound moral questions. They address issues such as the nature of heroism, the role of fate and free will, the consequences of pride, and the relationship between humans and the divine.
The Concept of Heroism
At the heart of many Greek epics is the concept of heroism. In the Iliad, heroes like Achilles and Hector embody different aspects of heroism: Achilles is a warrior driven by pride and a desire for personal glory, while Hector represents duty, loyalty to his family, and self-sacrifice for the greater good. The epic explores the tension between personal honor and the collective good, and the consequences of prioritizing one over the other.
The Odyssey, on the other hand, presents a different kind of heroism. Odysseus, while brave and cunning, is also depicted as a deeply flawed individual. His journey is not just a physical one but an internal struggle for wisdom, self-control, and humility. Through Odysseus’ trials, the epic suggests that true heroism lies not in brute strength or military prowess, but in the ability to learn, grow, and adapt to the challenges of life.
Fate and Free Will
Another philosophical issue explored in Greek epics is the tension between fate and free will. In the Iliad, characters are often portrayed as being subject to the whims of the gods. Achilles’ fate is determined by divine forces, and he must accept the course of events set before him, even though he has the power to change them. The role of fate in the Iliad is a reflection of the Greeks’ belief that the gods controlled human destiny, yet characters also struggle to assert their autonomy within the confines of fate.
The Odyssey offers a more complex view of fate. While the gods play a central role in Odysseus’ journey, his success is largely a result of his own wit and resilience. The epic suggests that while fate may dictate certain aspects of life, human beings still possess the agency to shape their own destinies through actions, choices, and perseverance.
Divine Intervention and Morality
The gods in Greek epics are not omnipotent or morally perfect. They are powerful, but they often act out of personal interest, jealousy, or spite. The gods’ interventions in human affairs raise important moral questions. In the Iliad, for example, the gods frequently interfere in the Trojan War, sometimes saving their favored heroes and other times condemning them to die. This divine interference highlights the unpredictability and cruelty of life, and suggests that the gods may not be concerned with human notions of justice or morality.
The Odyssey explores divine intervention in a different way. The gods, particularly Athena, are shown as protectors and helpers, guiding Odysseus through his trials. However, even in the Odyssey, divine help is not guaranteed, and Odysseus must often rely on his own cunning to survive. This ambiguity in the portrayal of the gods suggests a more complex relationship between mortals and the divine, one that reflects the uncertainties of life.
4. The Influence of Greek Epics on Later Literature
The influence of Greek epics on later literature cannot be overstated. From the Roman poets to the writers of the Renaissance, Greek epics have provided a model for narrative poetry and have shaped the development of Western literary traditions.
The Romans and Greek Epics
The Aeneid by the Roman poet Virgil is heavily influenced by Greek epics, particularly the Iliad and the Odyssey. Virgil sought to create a national epic for Rome, drawing on the themes and structures of Homer’s works. The figure of Aeneas in the Aeneid echoes the heroic ideals of Achilles and Odysseus, while the epic’s themes of fate, duty, and the founding of a new nation are central to Roman identity.
The Renaissance and Beyond
During the Renaissance, Greek epics continued to serve as models for epic poetry. Writers like Dante Alighieri, John Milton, and Edmund Spenser drew heavily on the themes, structure, and character types found in Greek epics. Milton’s Paradise Lost, for example, echoes the grandiosity and philosophical depth of Homeric poetry, while also incorporating Christian themes.
Greek epics have also influenced modern literature. The heroic narratives and the complex moral dilemmas they present continue to be a source of inspiration for writers today. The exploration of the human condition, the nature of power and glory, and the struggle between fate and free will are themes that resonate across time and culture.
Conclusion
Greek epics are more than just ancient stories; they are foundational texts that have shaped Western thought, literature, and culture. From their historical significance in preserving Greek myths and legends, to their cultural influence on art, politics, and education, Greek epics have left an indelible mark on the world. Their philosophical depth, particularly in their exploration of heroism, fate, and the relationship between mortals and the divine, continues to resonate with readers today. The legacy of Greek epics is vast and enduring, offering timeless insights into the complexities of human life and the values that have shaped our understanding of the world.
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Alice Hanson Cook
Alice Hanson Cook (1903-1998) was a labor educator first, through her work with the YWCA industrial department, Textile Workers Union, and Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union Joint Board in Philadelphia. She continued by contributing to research at Cornell through the ILR Extension working on a project titled "Integrating of Unions and Community", where she was then recruited by ILR to teach Labor History and Union Administration courses. Beyond teaching and research, she supported local Ithaca women's groups such as the Ithaca American Association of University Women, Professional Skills Roster, and Tompkins County Chapter of National Organization for Women.
While she retired in 1973, she was far from done with labor rights activism: she continued on to write several amicus briefs for discrimination cases worldwide, worked for the Ford Foundation on a study about working women worldwide, and published "Women and Trade Unions in Eleven Industrialized Countries", among other publications. She also wrote an autobiography, "A Lifetime of Labor", where she describes her self-proclaimed "patchwork career". Now, a dorm on West Campus is named in her honor, Alice Cook House.
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"Friends again" is so romantic to me idk
Mind the lyrics referring to Penelope in I Can't Help But Wonder: "There's a girl I've got to see"
It could be that I'm just a sucker for friends to lovers trope. And I am. I haven't even completed Polin. But Odysseus and Penelope first met as a boy and a girl. Odysseus was expected to join the line of suitors for Helen but decided to dupe them all by beelining for Penelope.
Friends, in a world where they're prince and princess of their respective nations and held to particular standards and noble callousness. Friends who married, friends who fell in love, friends who ruled a kingdom of their own, and then the Trojan War haunted their horizon and Penelope must have felt "My best friend is about to leave me". Inversely, Odysseus's heart was breaking too, thinking "I'm about to leave my best friend".
Totally because I'm not listening to Would You Fall In Love With Me Again, but Odysseus and Penelope are both intellectual, cerebral people, yeah? They thrive in battle of wits, of tactics and strategies. Friendship, as an equally strong foundation to a relationship as the olive tree is to their marital bed, can't happen without communication. Which, in turn, can't happen without intellectual conversation. They already have a bond before Odysseus inevitably left for war.
One part in the movie that bothered me (/p) was the way every other character addressed Penelope as "queen". The suitors, especially. It's a title that blinds them. That Penelope allows to blind them, that they can have Ithaca, but they won't have the honor that she and Odysseus integrated upon it. One cannot be without the other, same with them two. Ergo, the suitors wouldn't have much of Ithaca in any way that mattered.
Odysseus, and arguably the only correct depiction of Odysseus, speaks "queen" with its due respect, reverence, and humility. Yes, there's a bias, they're husband and wife, and? A part of Odysseus being clever is recognizing that Penelope is the crown now, if not Penelope and Telemachus.
Friends. Despite the time and space apart, they're friends. Friends again, now that he's home. Now that they're together again.
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The Flavour of Mechanisation
Olive Oil was Revered and Cherished by the ancients. But its Distinctive Peppery Taste is Really a Modern Invention
— By Massimo Mazzotti | 12 November 2024
Few Foods Can Compete With Olive Oil. Its salubrious properties have turned it into one of the most recognisable symbols of healthy living as well as a sign of tacit resistance to the industrialisation of food and loss of authentic flavours. Its rich history, stretching back to the Greeks, Egyptians and Babylonians, plays an enormous part in its ongoing symbolic associations. Across a range of Mediterranean cultures, olive oil has been an inordinately versatile and useful product, even regarded as a means of connecting with the divine. Today, it sells in pricy green bottles that promise a ‘Mediterranean’ lifestyle. And yet, the distinctive flavour of extra virgin olive oil is a modern invention. The trail of its peppery note leads straight to the core of the Industrial Revolution and the reinvention of olive oil as a global commodity.
Homer calls Odysseus polytropos, a man of many ways, who can transform himself and adapt to any situation. Olive oil is often involved in these transformations, as when, on his return to Ithaca, Odysseus relies on olive oil – and Athena’s intervention – to become younger, stronger and more beautiful. He also carved his wedding bed in an olive tree that had grown deeply into the ground. These references are not incidental: the olive tree and the juice of its fruit are ancient symbols of vitality and rootedness. In Mediterranean cultures they signify adaptation, gnarly endurance and endless transformative possibilities.
Amphora depicting olive-gathering, made in Attica, Greece, 520 BCE. Courtesy the British Museum
First domesticated somewhere in the Fertile Crescent, the tree was cultivated by Babylonians, and by the 18th century BCE the Code of Hammurabi regulated the trade in olive oil. The tree steadily inched west, with its main centres of diffusion in Palestine, Syria and Crete. By the 5th century BCE, Thucydides felt he knew what separated civilisation from barbarism: the ability to graft the olive tree. The mythical foundation of Athens begins with the goddess Athena gifting the olive tree to the Greeks. Planting an olive grove was thus a sacred act. Especially revered were those trees whose oil served as prizes for the winners of the Panathenaic Games. In the 4th century BCE, cutting down or uprooting one of those trees could be punished with exile and confiscation of property. To this day in Italy, spilling oil on the table is viewed as a bad omen.
The Romans too loved their olive oil, which they consumed in mindboggling amounts. Monte Testaccio in Rome looks like a natural hill, but it’s an immense pile of broken oil amphoras (tall jars), which were used only once to prevent rancidness. During the imperial age, more than 1 million people lived in Rome, each one consuming an average of two litres of oil per month. How was it even possible? They appreciated oil as food, but they used it mainly for other purposes, such as lighting their houses and anointing their bodies. ‘Wine inside and oil outside,’ sums up Pliny the Elder, who considered olive oil ‘an absolute necessity’ of human life.
It’s not difficult to see why. Due to its antiseptic and calming properties, olive oil was used to clean, treat and beautify the body. In ancient medicine, olive oil was ‘the great healer’, and athletes were given deep friction massages with it to cure and prevent injuries. Warriors, too, smeared themselves with olive oil and used it to prevent their swords from rusting, as it’s an excellent solvent and lubricant. Olive oil also belonged to the world of perfumes. Exotic essences were layered in a clarified olive oil medium to obtain fragrances that were more subtle and persistent than those familiar to us, which are carried by alcohol. Pliny lists a dozen uses for olive oil, including smearing one’s face, hair and teeth with it. ‘The whole Mediterranean,’ wrote Lawrence Durrell, ‘seems to rise in the sour pungent taste of these black olives between the teeth. A taste older than meat, older than wine. A taste as old as cold water.’
The History of Olive Oil is the history of a persistent fascination. An all-pervasive presence across the ancient Mediterranean world, it continued to be seen as the purest and most eloquent way to exhibit close relations with the divine in the monotheist traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Its allure survived the impact of modernity. Since the 1950s, olive oil has enjoyed a renewed global reputation as a ‘healthy fat’. It is the cornerstone of the so-called Mediterranean Diet, a food pattern that incorporates practices from Greece and southern Italy, and that advertises itself as a salubrious way of life correlated to high life expectancy and low rates of diet-related chronic diseases. Rich in oleic acid and natural antioxidants, olive oil was marketed to American and north European consumers as a solution to the chronic ailments brought on by industrial methods and additives. The diet became an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. To imbibe olive oil is to enter into what the anthropologist Anne Meneley calls the ‘imaginaries of the Mediterranean’ as a site of real food and of slow and authentic forms of sociability, the combination responsible, it has been argued, for the higher number of centenarians in this region.
Nostalgia for traditionally made food and its authentic flavours is obviously not unique to olive oil. Oil producers are, however, extraordinarily successful at mobilising nostalgic narratives. The images of an archaic, mythical Mediterranean pervade the labels for what is now often acronymised to EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). The labels contain recurring terms that gesture toward traditional production methods: olives are ‘stone-crushed’, and oil is ‘cold pressed’ or ‘unfiltered’. These terms, like other commonly used descriptors, are not telling you much about the bottle’s content and the sensory experience you’re likely to have. Unlike well-designed wine labels, olive oil labels are mostly about evocation. Those weirdly shaped bottles in dark green glass evoke Mediterranean living, and promise to guard our kitchens against the relentless industrialisation and commodification of food.
Olive Oil Is One of A Handful of Foods Whose Quality Is Legally Determined By Its Flavour
But there is always trouble in paradise. As denounced in Tom Mueller’s book Extra Virginity (2012), the sublime world of olive oil has a scandalous underbelly. Due to its high price and limited supplies, it is one of the most adulterated and mislabelled foods in the world. Pick a bottle of EVOO in a supermarket, and there is a good chance that it would not be recognised as extra virgin by a professional tasting panel. It might even be a concoction of heavily processed low-grade oils stripped of sensory qualities and health benefits, or it might contain substances that have nothing to do with olive juice. Mueller lamented the sheer vagueness of the term ‘olive oil’, which can refer to several different products, including refined industrial oils. And he introduced the reader to the ‘extra virgin’ denomination, which is a way of gesturing toward the authenticity and purity of the product, and of imposing order in an unruly oil world. The denomination dates back to a 1960 European law that created oil grades to standardise quality control and regulate trade. But what does it mean exactly?
I did not fully grasp it until I decided to up my olive oil game, following an interest in the history of olive oil technology. I received technical training at the National Organisation of Oil Tasters (ONAOO) in Imperia, Italy, an association that pioneered the modern tasting method for olive oil. Unlike other food-processing technologies, modern olive oil machinery has been constantly tested and modified based on the resulting flavour of the product. To this day, the oil is one of a handful of foods whose quality is legally determined by its flavour. Intriguingly, flavour was key even when olive oil was not produced for use, primarily, as food. I figured that there must have been a connection between machinic modernity and the ideal flavour of olive oil, which meant I had to learn how to taste it.
Training At ONAOO consists of acquiring a set of skills codified in tasting protocols, which are then used to sort and grade olive oil. This method enables oil tasters to have a shared language, much like the extravagant terms used by wine tasters to convey their sensations. I learned to look for perceptible fruitiness, quantify its presence and discern subtle fragrances and flavours, captured by terms like ‘artichoke’, ‘fresh-cut grass’ or ‘green tomato’. I also learned that bitterness and pepperiness are desirable. Most of the training, however, focused on identifying far less pleasant attributes, labelled by terms like ‘fly’, ‘frost’, ‘heated’, ‘greasy’, ‘mould’, ‘rancid’ or ‘sludge’. They sound disgusting, which they are, no matter how many apples you bite between one sip and the next. These attributes reveal that a problem occurred during the production process – the olives were compromised by a parasite; or not properly processed; or the oil was poorly preserved; or adulterated. An extra virgin olive oil should have no detectable defects. The oil taster is, above all, a defects seeker.
The International Olive Council (IOC) states that the main requirements for an oil to be classified as extra virgin are an absence of defects in its flavour, a perceptible fruitiness, and certain chemical properties – like a free acidity lower than 0.8 per cent. Pepperiness can indicate that the olives were harvested at the right time, before they were fully ripe, and that they were processed promptly, so that no fermentation occurred. This, in turn, is an indicator that this oil’s acidity is likely to be low. Oil acidity cannot be ascertained by tasting, but one can taste flavours that function as proxies for low acidity.
Extra Virginity Evokes A Preindustrial World Where Families Use Ancient Stones To Grind Locally Picked Olives
The IOC also states that extra virgin olive oil must be extracted from olives through a sequence of strictly mechanical operations, such as grinding and pressing or, more commonly today, centrifugation. No chemicals should ever be used, and the temperature during the process should not rise above 80.6°F (27°C). A higher temperature facilitates extraction but alters the oil’s organoleptic (or sensory) properties. Hence the significance of ‘cold pressed’. Strictly speaking, most extra virgin olive oil today is not ‘pressed’, as it’s not processed through presses, let alone stones – and thus ‘cold extraction’ is often a more appropriate descriptor. References to presses and stones gesture toward traditional methods as guarantors of quality.
The myth of traditional methods, however, is questionable. Marcello Scoccia, a blender and sensory analyst at leading companies for the past 40 years, ran the course I took at ONAOO. Cutting an elegant figure, he thoughtfully handles the tasting cup, and firmly believes in what he describes as scientific rigour applied to oil tasting. ‘If you are looking for consistent quality,’ he noted with a smirk, ‘then cutting-edge continuous-cycle mills are the safest bet.’ Continuous cycle means that olives are processed through centrifuges and steel machinery, within a few hours of harvesting. Stones and family-run mills are good for marketing, he conceded, but they are more difficult to operate, and many things can go wrong. And yet, the connection with traditional machinery and methods, however imaginary, is the main way to communicate ‘quality’ to consumers. Extra virginity evokes a romanticised preindustrial world where families use ancient stones to grind locally picked olives.
But how did we come to believe that what was codified in the notion of extra virginity captures the essence of what olive oil is and always was? The underlying assumption is that oil production has a timeless quality, and is based on practices and technology that have stayed constant for centuries, if not millennia, only to be corrupted by new industrial methods between the 19th and 20th century. It’s another version of the misleading narrative that portrays traditional practices as static, non-creative and destined to be wiped away by modern technological innovation. In Silicon Valley’s lore, disruption and radical innovation are positive values. In the case of oil, and food more generally, it’s come to be the opposite: innovation corrupts venerable traditions and threatens people’s health and identities. But the model of change underlying both narratives is similar. And it’s wrong.
Olive Oil Technology has changed enormously through time, with innumerable regional variations. There was never a fixed set of ‘traditional’ machines, but rather shifts in local needs and Mediterranean trading patterns. Inevitably, flavour changed too. Current talk of traditional olive oil-making refers to a set of machines and procedures captured by a familiar imagery: a mill with one or two round stones, and a central screw press, which squeezes mesh bags filled with olive paste. Described as a legacy of a remote past, this technology is said to produce authentic olive oil, the ideal model for our contemporary extra virgin approximation. But how old were these machines, really?
Engraving of olive oil production, attributed to Jan Collaert, based on Jan van der Straet, circa 1594-98. Courtesy the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
In fact, they date to the second half of the 18th century, when olive oil production began to be consistently mechanised. At that time, these new standardised machines became popular among southern European oil producers. Described as the ‘new’ oil manufacture, they were perceived as modern and efficient, rooted in analytic reasoning rather than irrational tradition. Stones and presses had long been used, but now they were designed according to new specifications and inserted in an entirely new productive process. To their promoters, the new olive mills were the most visible sign that the spirit of Enlightenment had finally reached the shores of the Mediterranean.
The production of olive oil involved a few basic steps: olives were collected, stored, milled and pressed, then the oil was left to clear in special containers. Enlightened reformers and entrepreneurs modified each stage of this process. Stones for crushing the olives became bigger and were cut to maximise pressure. Mules were replaced with horses, oxen or, wherever possible, vertical waterwheels. Beam presses, an ancient and adaptable technology, were replaced by batteries of central screw presses. These were often mounted into structures that dramatically increased their force.
The Greatest Challenge Was Not Building The Mills, But Convincing Local Labourers To Work In Them
But these modern and powerful mills could function only on one condition: increasing the workload of millers and transforming the nature of their labour. A mechanised plant equipped with two mills and a battery of six reinforced presses could process more than one batch of olives at a time, olive paste moving from one press to the next in an ordered sequence of carefully measured pressings. To operate the mill 24 hours a day demanded a precise choreography. The power source gave continuity to the process, allowing labour to be distributed efficiently, and the steps of the process followed each other so as to keep each machine constantly in use: milling, first pressing, second pressing, third pressing, and the washing of the olive remnants. An optimised Apulian mill of the 1780s could process eight full loads of olives in 48 hours. A local entrepreneur warned that ‘nothing is more damaging to a fully equipped oil mill than being at rest.’
The dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the Mediterranean took the form of modern oil mills. The greatest challenge for entrepreneurs was not building the mills, but convincing local labourers to work in them. Previous oil mills were operated by men and women for a few hours a day during winter, when other demands of farm work slackened. They worked under the guidance of an experienced chief miller, sometimes called a helmsman, who ruled the mill with an authority similar to that of ship captains. Entrepreneurs stripped chief millers of autonomy and implemented the new – mechanised and analytically ordered – productive process. Temporary workers were replaced by brigades of men who worked in shifts around the clock.
Resistance to this new discipline is well documented. Many entrepreneurs hired foreigners, provoking tensions and riots. After many failed experiments, French and Italian entrepreneurs had to give up establishing mechanised mills in certain regions of southern Europe, such as Corsica or Calabria. The trope of the ignorant and recalcitrant Mediterranean peasant-worker was used to explain these failures. In reality, the revolts signalled a crisis in the nascent post-feudal order. By the end of the 18th century, peasant insurrections would target the ‘new men’, the entrepreneurs who supported the philosophical principles of the Enlightenment, the political ideals of the French Revolution, and the analytic management of mechanised production.
Objections To The New Mills went beyond riotous labourers. Some landowners and traders too were sceptical of the new machinery. Why? Weren’t new machines simply better than older ones? Well, it depends. Reformers argued for more powerful machines and for speeding up production. But these goals made sense only to those who were ready to exploit the rising international demand for oil and willing to transform the nature of olive oil to do so.
Most oil mills didn’t need much power because the olives they processed were ripe and already fermented, and thus easy to crush. The oil produced in this way had high acidity, which meant that it could be used for local consumption. It turned rancid fairly quickly, however, and didn’t travel well. By the mid-18th century, it was not suitable for meeting the rising demand for oil from northern Europe and colonial networks. Low acidity oil, by contrast, could preserve its properties when shipped over long distances. Fine low-acidity oils had been manufactured in small quantities since antiquity, mainly for medical and cosmetic purposes. The new trading opportunities turned this kind of oil into a highly profitable business for those Mediterranean elites who could invest in it. But, in order to do so, they needed to change what olive oil was, how it was made – and how it tasted.
To keep acidity low, olives had to be picked directly from the tree, before they were fully ripe. This meant that crushing them was harder: hence more power was needed. Habits and beliefs about storing and fermenting olives had to be swept away, together with entrenched expectations about the colour and flavour of good edible oil. The new oil was sweeter and clearer, with a distinctive peppery note, remarkably different from the pungent and dark oil consumed across the Mediterranean. Not everyone thought it tasted better. The popular classes continued to prefer the ‘common oil’ and, to the apparent surprise of enlightened physicians, they continued to have no trouble digesting it. Southern elites, by contrast, developed a taste for the light and delicate flavour of the new oil. They were, in any case, the only groups who could afford it and, where the new oil became established, everyone else had to consume its cheaper byproducts.
The Delicate And Peppery Flavour of The New Oil Denoted New Forms of Subordination
Admittedly, international demand for olive oil was not yet driven by its value as food. Before 1800, no other known material could outperform olive oil as a fuel for illumination or a lubricant for industrial machinery. But common oil would not do, as it would get rancid too easily. A rancid oil would be smelly and smoky when burned, and it would decompose quickly when used as a lubricant. In the second half of the 18th century, the price of low-acidity oil was published regularly in London, and it could be twice the price of common oil. On a clear day, in the bay of the oil town of Gallipoli in southern Italy, one would count around 70 foreign vessels at anchor, most of them British and Dutch, queuing to be loaded with oil. A British vice-consul resided in town for the sole purpose of fostering the oil trade. It was in this context that the appearance and flavour of low-acidity oil became proxies for its market value as an industrial oil.
Modern oil-making not only brought the Enlightenment to the Mediterranean world, but also new capitalist forms of production. Up to that point, oil making had followed the logic of mixed property and communal rights. Modern oil-making, by contrast, could succeed only where entrepreneurs controlled the entire cycle of production, from harvesting to storage. That is to say, where capitalism reigned uncontested. One key challenge for entrepreneurs was how to discipline the Mediterranean peasant-worker. The delicate and peppery flavour of the new oil didn’t just denote new organoleptic properties but the establishment of new forms of subordination.
Then as now, mechanisation and automation are not neutral. They never are. They do not just speed up older ways of doing things. Historically, they always mark transformations that are social as well as technical. In the case of 18th-century oil technology, what was transformed was not only the machinery but the nature of the product – and of the social world and economic power structures organised around it. New mills and the new oil were not self-evident goals, nor were they determined by an ineluctable technological trajectory. Rather, they were the contested outcomes of a reorganised social life that dictated, among other things, who should benefit from oil production, and how.
Oil Tasting Is A Sombre Task. Tasters handle the tulip-shaped glass as if the oil were brandy, warming it with their palm. They look at the colour of the oil, then smell it to discern its fragrances. Then they take a large sip, and start sucking in air from the corners of their mouth. In this way, they coat their tongue with oil while channelling the aromas up into the nose, so that no flavours will be missed. The loud slurping noise is followed by a quieter sipping and note-taking. Tasting one oil can take up to 15 minutes. What are they looking for?
Behind the colourful descriptors designed to capture each subtle note are the qualities valued by enlightened oil entrepreneurs: flavours that were proxies for low acidity. These indicated that an oil was ready for global trade, and that it would fetch a high price on international markets. They communicated to the connoisseur that the oil was suitable as a long-lasting lubricant or lamp fuel. And also suitable for the refined palates of the affluent Mediterranean bourgeoisie – or, as a Portuguese writer put it – for the ‘delicate tables’. As such, the new flavours mocked the popular taste for common oil, which was now regarded as vulgar and unhealthy. Three centuries after that Mediterranean encounter with industrial capitalism, we are still tasting olive oil to discern whether it’s good for a machine.
Next time you dip a piece of bread into a good olive oil, savour it for a moment, and seek that peppery flavour on the back of your tongue. It’s a flavour that conveys the presence of healthy polyphenols, and that pepperiness is a celebrated protagonist of the Mediterranean lifestyle. Today, it signifies authenticity and a connection to ancient traditions. But that very pepperiness tastes much like the advent of industrial capitalism and the creation of modern power relations in the Mediterranean world. It tastes like the growing network of global shipping routes, and the increasing rotational speed of well-lubricated industrial machinery. It’s a flavour that announced the dawn of a new world, the flavour of mechanisation.
#AEON.Co#Food 🍱 | Drink 🍺#History of Technology#Process and Modernity#Olive 🫒 Oil#Flavour | Mechanisation#Revered#Cherished#Distinctive Peppery#Taste#Modern Invention#Massimo Mazzotti
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Leading 10 Nursing Schools in NY: Your Guide to Pursuing a Rewarding Nursing Career
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Top 10 Nursing Schools in NY: Your Guide to Pursuing a Rewarding Nursing Career
Top 10 Nursing Schools in NY: Your Guide to Pursuing a Rewarding Nursing Career
Are you dreaming of a rewarding career in nursing? New York offers some of the best nursing schools in the country, providing aspiring nurses with excellent education and training. This comprehensive guide will help you navigate the top 10 nursing schools in NY, their programs, and how to kickstart your nursing career.
Why Choose Nursing as a Career?
Nursing is a profession that not only offers excellent job prospects but also allows you to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. Here are some benefits of pursuing a nursing career:
High Demand: The nursing profession is expected to grow significantly, providing numerous job opportunities.
Flexible Work Environment: Nurses can choose to work in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, or even remote locations.
Job Security: With a nursing degree, you can enjoy a stable career with competitive salaries and benefits.
Ability to Specialize: Nurses have the flexibility to specialize in different fields, such as pediatrics, oncology, or critical care.
Top 10 Nursing Schools in NY
Here’s a list of the top 10 nursing schools in New York, based on factors such as program offerings, graduation rates, faculty qualifications, and student satisfaction.
Rank
Nursing School
Location
Programs Offered
Website
1
Columbia University
New York, NY
BSN, MSN, DNP
Visit
2
NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing
New York, NY
BSN, MSN, PhD
Visit
3
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
BSN, MSN, DNP
Visit
4
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
BSN, MSN, PhD
Visit
5
Binghamton University
Binghamton, NY
BSN, MSN, DNP
Visit
6
Adelphi University
Garden City, NY
BSN, MSN, DNP
Visit
7
Hunter College
New York, NY
BSN, MSN
Visit
8
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY
BSN, MSN, DNP
Visit
9
LIU Brooklyn
Brooklyn, NY
BSN, MSN
Visit
10
Mercy College
Dobbs Ferry, NY
BSN, MSN
Visit
1. Columbia University
Columbia University’s School of Nursing is renowned for its research and innovative training programs. With a strong emphasis on clinical practice, students have access to cutting-edge facilities.
2. NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing
NYU is known for its diverse program offerings, including an accelerated BSN and a unique RN to BSN program for registered nurses. The college emphasizes holistic education and experiential learning.
3. Cornell University
Cornell’s highly selective nursing program combines liberal arts education with clinical training, preparing students for various career paths in healthcare.
4. University at Buffalo
The UB School of Nursing focuses on research and clinical excellence. It offers a unique DNP program for advanced practice registered nurses.
5. Binghamton University
Binghamton offers a supportive environment for nursing students and well-rounded programs that prepare graduates for the NCLEX-RN exam and beyond.
6. Adelphi University
Adelphi provides a range of nursing degrees, focusing on hands-on experiences and community-focused practice, ensuring students are workforce-ready.
7. Hunter College
Hunter College offers affordable nursing programs with a commitment to urban health. Its graduates often serve New York’s diverse populations.
8. Stony Brook University
Stony Brook boasts modern facilities and an extensive nursing curriculum, emphasizing research and leadership in healthcare.
9. LIU Brooklyn
LIU’s nursing programs are designed to promote a strong foundation in clinical practice and patient care, with a focus on community health.
10. Mercy College
Mercy College offers flexible online and on-campus nursing programs, making it accessible for working adults and non-traditional students.
Practical Tips for Choosing the Right Nursing School
When selecting a nursing school in New York, consider the following:
Accreditation: Ensure the school is accredited by recognized bodies, which is crucial for both education quality and eligibility for financial aid.
Program Length: Assess the duration and structure of the nursing program that fits your timeline and career goals.
Clinical Partnerships: Look into schools that have robust partnerships with local hospitals and healthcare facilities for practical training.
Cost of Attendance: Factor in tuition, fees, and living expenses when making your decision.
Student Support Services: Research support services such as academic advising, mentoring, and career placement.
First-Hand Experiences: Student Testimonials
Hearing from current nursing students can provide you with invaluable insights about the schools on your list. Here’s what some students have said:
“Attending NYU was a life-changing experience for me. The faculty’s support and resources greatly helped with my clinical placements.” – Sarah, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing
“Columbia’s program is challenging but rewarding. The emphasis on research prepared me well for my career in nursing.” – James, Columbia University P>
“Binghamton University provided me with a supportive environment and hands-on experiences that were essential to my growth as a nurse.” – Emily, Binghamton University
Conclusion
Choosing the right nursing school can be a pivotal step in your nursing career. The top nursing schools in New York listed in this guide offer diverse programs and excellent opportunities for aspiring nurses. Evaluate your options carefully, and you’ll be on your way to fulfilling your ambition in the healthcare field.
© 2023 Nursing Education Guide. All rights reserved.
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With the evil days that one ever put down war! Time cannot be ever heart dotes less in dispute thy judges on the door of God! So they lay embrace, by the Victor
from lover. For pity be no fury, or no; or when it grew, the sashes are born. Why not forget it shall leap, and snatch’d away, or two—saint Ambrose, who has wrought me from
mischeife the vnwary sheepe, adieu ye Woodes that now of the Souls in Little Men? Each summer. So, there my extended wide, t’inclose the floral pride in a loaf, her pair of
Gloves; and made you up inside my heart, as if by some coward! Breath of May; the open casement pressure, a fair prize what you be like angry word she street’s hushed, and marked they
to know; so never know how change thing to redeemed I, my springs of Love are fraught with every roughness, yet letting thee virtue kept in pondrous fond of mortal life since? I
always, that love called, that art the clouds, and wreath not able is to give an incorrupts their white when Husbands or where lay the crackle, and barrein now at erst upon his Breast.
Like to me every doubt him the greater sorrow or dove, it shapes of the coming home. Of joy in which my foot is based, were firm, or might have uncommended died. Since at Prato,
splashed the Ring: think not, when those sweet with many a strong Foundation built that Nobleness,— not life, a death along he dwells on the bliss, is miserable. Bred in forbidden
rose, a ruby, who can move to fail so. And, like Pygmalion, found the Regal Circle that like sunny skies; and lying at his embrace, now turning of wintrye ages waste, tho
deemed by the Head aside, faints again, or holla for the Hair ⸻ he spokes of the earth so red, and I forget the Bosom hung his woe. Wrong is my lofty shine to our aged
eyes but sought no more for Stellas state, you say, for a time while and break the fair maid, or wife, in the Lion’s bright Order laid, and I choose never pry—lest we leaves quite forgotten
by Despair alone! Short, he began to trim their Pride confounds both, making of the ocean; the more he stood with me. Door of individual life shall be the sound of
Bow; sooner let me cool as aspen leaves in Ithaca or he is weariness and the Main this delights thee.—Laid the nick, like a child is the vast French Romances, of
greenery which lets drop his body captive Servius Tullius rose, whom for hire of the Combat on the ground complying fears below! This slighted Skies. Tho’ stiff with earnest loopholes,
and all circumstances I could win virginia or he is sitting under my hand to see that I were rippling roses fed, your lips are shut, the forfeit when it grew
that woman’s like name of Arethusa! And left her weel again. Lost, and cry’d, while Hampton- Court they share: their voices comes beneath his beard; where wicked elves hold up the moon is
plain to see my jet t’enthral such a point out a sound above me with wills, and pearls, and Screams of Horror rushes was my boast, and wine of your Eye, when choise I had a store of
memory deathes from out my eyes, and by themselves out of bounds: you shoulders, and woo thee and believes he’s poorest hovel to a home; which vnto it by the more, my sole life?
#poetry#automatically generated text#Patrick Mooney#Markov chains#Markov chain length: 7#172 texts#ballad
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