Invited lecture for a Symposium on the goddess Hekate.
Description: The oldest known Hymn to Hecate was composed by the epic poet Hesiod, a close contemporary of Homer who claimed to have received the stories of the birth of gods from the Muses themselves. His Theogony contains valuable clues as to the ancient understanding of the gods, since he recorded what was already being practiced in his time. His work sparked the idea of pan-hellenism – all who shared in, and passed on those stories, could be said to be Greek through playing their part in preserving the memory of the Muses’ teachings. Though the Greek language has evolved, like all languages, since Hesiod’s time, it remains a living language, and modern Greek culture retains many direct survivals from antiquity in its folklore, lay customs, and artistic traditions.
In this richly illustrated lecture, Dr Sasha Chaitow, a cultural historian, artist, and native of Greece, sheds light on the meaning and context of Hesiod’s hymn. She narrates the evolution of the Greek dialects that eventually converged in the Koine lingua franca – at one time used, like English today, as a common tongue across much of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. She provides insider knowledge of the culture, mythology, landscape, and history of the birthplace of Hecate and other Hellenic deities. She will demonstrate the scholarly evidence to clarify common misconceptions, demonstrate correct pronunciation and use of Greek terms, and offer insight into the continuity of Greek culture across three millennia.
The full recording of this lecture is available to registered symposium attendees only. This excerpt provides a flavour of what was covered. Some elements from this lecture will be revisited in my upcoming course on Hesiod’s Theogony starting in October 2021.
