At the beginning of Plato’s Republic, specifically at 328b-c, the elderly Cephalus is wearing a wreath upon his head because he had just finished offering divine sacrifices in the courtyard. In addition to generic ritual wreaths, ones that use specific materials — laurel, bay, rosemary, olive, oak, and so on — have been used for millennia … Continue reading An Etiquette of Crowns, Floral and Verdant
Tag: plato
A Miscellany of Quotations — Reading Proclus’ Essays 7-10 on the Republic in French
In January 2020, I read the first volume (of three planned) that contains essay-style commentaries that Proclus had written on the Republic of Plato. I am reading the Republic, so it seemed useful to read both simultaneously. Essays 4, 5, and 6 are lovely things; I recommend reading the new translation, which was done by … Continue reading A Miscellany of Quotations — Reading Proclus’ Essays 7-10 on the Republic in French
Passing Down
While commenting on quotations a few days ago, I said that my head was working out a poem about Platonism, Late Antique schools, and the prevailing circumstances. This poem happened last night while I should have been cleaning citation data. The next thing I knew, it was time for bed. Originally, I didn't want to … Continue reading Passing Down
Strawberry Shortcake got me thinking about Gods
My girlfriend and I watched a clip from Strawberry Shortcake last weekend. While it came out before I was born, Strawberry Shortcake reruns aired on television in the late 1980s and early 1990s when I was a baby/toddler. I had a VHS recording that I watched and rewatched frequently. What struck me the most about watching … Continue reading Strawberry Shortcake got me thinking about Gods
On Reading Plato
The first time I read Euthyphro, I downloaded the LibreVox audiobook, loaded it onto my old LG Touch, and went out on the trail near my mom's house for a walk. That walk taught me one thing — namely, that regardless of whether something is called a dialogue, philosophy is best when read. It's hard to … Continue reading On Reading Plato
