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Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature, Christian History Literature Book on Reading Pagan Classics, Biblical Books
Leithart analyzes the grand classics of ancient literature—The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, and others—commenting on each and contrasting their pagan worldview to the biblical worldview. If you fall asleep in your English classes, this book is like drinking ten cups of coffee. Maybe eleven, depending upon your body weight. For high school students and up.
"The most obvious virtue of Leithart's book is its scope. In a single volume he provides a defense for the value of reading classical literature, a methodology for integrating that literature with the Christian faith, and a reader's guide to the works of classical literature that a contemporary reader would most benefit from reading." -Leland Ryken, Wheaton College
"[A]nyone can read this volume and expect to gain a heightened awareness of the importance of Christian thinking to all of life and the great void that exists in societies that are not undergirded by such thinking." -Byron Snapp, Calvary Herald
"The most obvious virtue of Leithart's book is its scope. In a single volume he provides a defense for the value of reading classical literature, a methodology for integrating that literature with the Christian faith, and a reader's guide to the works of classical literature that a contemporary reader would most benefit from reading." -Leland Ryken, Wheaton College
"[A]nyone can read this volume and expect to gain a heightened awareness of the importance of Christian thinking to all of life and the great void that exists in societies that are not undergirded by such thinking." -Byron Snapp, Calvary Herald
394 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 1999
89 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Peter J. Leithart
130 books364 followersPeter Leithart received an A.B. in English and History from Hillsdale College in 1981, and a Master of Arts in Religion and a Master of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 1986 and 1987. In 1998 he received his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in England. He has served in two pastorates: He was pastor of Reformed Heritage Presbyterian Church (now Trinity Presbyterian Church), Birmingham, Alabama from 1989 to 1995, and was founding pastor of Trinity Reformed Church, Moscow, Idaho, and served on the pastoral staff at Trinity from 2003-2013. From 1998 to 2013 he taught theology and literature at New St. Andrews College, Moscow, Idaho, where he continues to teach as an adjunct Senior Fellow. He now serves as President of Trinity House in Alabama, where is also resident Church Teacher at the local CREC church. He and his wife, Noel, have ten children and five grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
May 8, 2019
In terms of introductions and outlines to the various classical texts, this book is a resounding success. I have used it in my own classroom. His various chiastic outlines are worth the entire reading of the book.
Thesis: the ancient polis was one of ontological violence. There could never really be peace on earth since there was war in heaven. The Greek worldview was not one of stasis, pace descriptions of Plato. It was both stasis and frenzied violence. The latter was just as necessary. The problem was that this make violence necessary to the ideal world.
If Hesiod is correct, then warfare and violence is part of the natural order (Leithart 20). What governs man: petty gods, an autocratic god, or blind Fate?
Ancient Epic
Dactylic hexameter (L = long; S = short)
L-S-S, L-S-S, L-S-S, L-S-S, L-S-S, L-S-S
Homer, though, ends each line with two long syllables, a spondee.
Hesiod
A. The Hundred-Handers, allies of Zeus
B. The Titans and their prison
C. The roots of earth and sea
C’ The sources of earth, sea, sky, Tartarus
B’ The Titans and their prison
A’ The Hundred-Handers
Homer, Iliad
The point of life is the heroic ideal. The tragedy is that Hector and Achilles can avoid “disastrous consequences only by renouncing heroism entirely. Neither is willing to do that” (89). Leithart suggests a useful practice would be to contrast Hebrews 11 with the “heroes” in the Iliad. The following chiasms structure the book:
A. Trojan priest demands his daughter be returned (Book 1)
B. The armies gather for battle (Book 2)
C. Duel (Paris and Menelaus); Book 3
C’ Duel (Hector and Achilles) Book 22
B’ Greek Armies engage in funeral games (Book 23)
A’ Trojan king, Priam, asks Achilles to return his son’s body (Book 24).
A. Book 1
B. Books 2-7: 3 days; one of fighting, one of burial; one for building wall.
C. Book 8: one day of fighting
D. Book 9: Embassy to Achilles
C’ Books 11-18: one day of fighting
B’ books 19-23: 3 days; one day of Achilles; one of burial; one for funeral
A’ Book 24.
For the Greeks, virtue is timeless and motionless. Stay in your place forever. The Christian view is obedience to God; grow from glory to glory (103).
The two themes warring in this epic are furor and pietas. Aeneas’s destiny is not simply to found Rome, but to suppress furor by embracing pietas. Understanding furor--rage and passion--(shades of Achilles!) provides a motif for several scenes. Carthage is dedicated to Juno, Aeneas’s enemy, who is “smarting over Paris’ wound.” Carthage’s queen, Dido, ends her life in an enraged suicide. Juno and Carthage are the embodiment of furor.
Peter Leithart (1999: 226) suggests the following outline:
A. Book 1: Juno, Storm, Calm
B. Book 2: Defeat of Trojans
C. Book 3: Wandering of Aeneas
D. Book 4: Tragedy of Dido
E. Book 5: Funeral Games
F. Book 6: Journey to the Underworld
A. Book 7: Peace, Juno, war
F’ Book 8: Aeneas and Evander
E’ Book 9: Night Raid of Nisus and Euryalus
D’ Book 10: Death of Pallas
C’ Book 11: War with Latins
B. Book 12: Victory of Trojans
A. Juno’s Reconciliation
Aeneas’ descent into the underworld is not only important for the narrative, but is typological for much of later Western literature. It is reading too much into it to see it as a death-resurrection, though the pattern is certainly there. In any case, Aeneas emerges a changed man. He is able to leave Troy behind (and furor) by focusing on his destiny (pietas).
Thesis: the ancient polis was one of ontological violence. There could never really be peace on earth since there was war in heaven. The Greek worldview was not one of stasis, pace descriptions of Plato. It was both stasis and frenzied violence. The latter was just as necessary. The problem was that this make violence necessary to the ideal world.
If Hesiod is correct, then warfare and violence is part of the natural order (Leithart 20). What governs man: petty gods, an autocratic god, or blind Fate?
Ancient Epic
Dactylic hexameter (L = long; S = short)
L-S-S, L-S-S, L-S-S, L-S-S, L-S-S, L-S-S
Homer, though, ends each line with two long syllables, a spondee.
Hesiod
A. The Hundred-Handers, allies of Zeus
B. The Titans and their prison
C. The roots of earth and sea
C’ The sources of earth, sea, sky, Tartarus
B’ The Titans and their prison
A’ The Hundred-Handers
Homer, Iliad
The point of life is the heroic ideal. The tragedy is that Hector and Achilles can avoid “disastrous consequences only by renouncing heroism entirely. Neither is willing to do that” (89). Leithart suggests a useful practice would be to contrast Hebrews 11 with the “heroes” in the Iliad. The following chiasms structure the book:
A. Trojan priest demands his daughter be returned (Book 1)
B. The armies gather for battle (Book 2)
C. Duel (Paris and Menelaus); Book 3
C’ Duel (Hector and Achilles) Book 22
B’ Greek Armies engage in funeral games (Book 23)
A’ Trojan king, Priam, asks Achilles to return his son’s body (Book 24).
A. Book 1
B. Books 2-7: 3 days; one of fighting, one of burial; one for building wall.
C. Book 8: one day of fighting
D. Book 9: Embassy to Achilles
C’ Books 11-18: one day of fighting
B’ books 19-23: 3 days; one day of Achilles; one of burial; one for funeral
A’ Book 24.
For the Greeks, virtue is timeless and motionless. Stay in your place forever. The Christian view is obedience to God; grow from glory to glory (103).
The two themes warring in this epic are furor and pietas. Aeneas’s destiny is not simply to found Rome, but to suppress furor by embracing pietas. Understanding furor--rage and passion--(shades of Achilles!) provides a motif for several scenes. Carthage is dedicated to Juno, Aeneas’s enemy, who is “smarting over Paris’ wound.” Carthage’s queen, Dido, ends her life in an enraged suicide. Juno and Carthage are the embodiment of furor.
Peter Leithart (1999: 226) suggests the following outline:
A. Book 1: Juno, Storm, Calm
B. Book 2: Defeat of Trojans
C. Book 3: Wandering of Aeneas
D. Book 4: Tragedy of Dido
E. Book 5: Funeral Games
F. Book 6: Journey to the Underworld
A. Book 7: Peace, Juno, war
F’ Book 8: Aeneas and Evander
E’ Book 9: Night Raid of Nisus and Euryalus
D’ Book 10: Death of Pallas
C’ Book 11: War with Latins
B. Book 12: Victory of Trojans
A. Juno’s Reconciliation
Aeneas’ descent into the underworld is not only important for the narrative, but is typological for much of later Western literature. It is reading too much into it to see it as a death-resurrection, though the pattern is certainly there. In any case, Aeneas emerges a changed man. He is able to leave Troy behind (and furor) by focusing on his destiny (pietas).
February 5, 2011
Heroes from the City of Man, by Peter Leithart ***
I have long disliked the contemporary habit of trying to force post-modern sensibilities on any literature that pre-dates the advent of Derrida. The practice of reading the classics from a Marxist/feminist/queer perspective to milk from them some evidence of white European male repression of everyone and everything is abominable and the accompanying theories garbage. I feel almost defiled anytime I come in contact with them. Reading Peter Leithart, therefore, is a refreshing, even a cleansing experience.
Leithart, a professor of English at New St Andrews College, has written a number of books analyzing the works of different authors. He is unapologetically Christian, but he does not try to force a Christian reading on the literary works he analyzes. Like C.S. Lewis in his “Experiment in Criticism”, Leithart sets aside his prejudices to enter into the world of the author to see what the author is trying to say. He analyzes the evidence first, arriving at conclusions only after a thorough and careful reading.
In “Heroes of the City of Man”, Leithart turns his attention to the poetry and drama of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The model for his analysis is derived from Augustine, in that he posits two cities, Jerusalem and Athens, the cities of God and Man. He writes as a citizen firmly established in Jerusalem and views the literature of the ancient Greeks and Romans as products of Athens. He has no desire or intention to build a bridge between the two, and is content to observe Athens from a distance. From this vantage point, he examines the theology and morals of the Greeks and Romans, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, contrasting them overall with Christianity. He discovers some parallels, but the differences are far more numerous and striking.
He begins with the “Theogeny” and “Works and Days” by Hesiod, which form a creation narrative and body of wisdom literature that parallel Genesis and the book of Proverbs. In the “Theogony”, Hesiod recounts the creation of the universe and the first tales of Greek mythology by tracing the lineage of the gods from their beginning. It is a tumultuous tale filled with every kind of violence and perversion. The Greek gods are a capricious, bloodthirsty and licentious group, murderous, adulterous and incestuous. Any system of morals or ethics derived from these myths could only be expected to follow suit. This is born out in “Works and Days”, which at its best could only be called the “anti-beatitudes”. Though both Genesis and Theogeny account for the creation of the world, Leithart demonstrates that the two could not be more different in their meaning.
After Hesiod, Leithart examines the Trojan trilogy comprised of the Iliad, Odyssey and Aeneid. Greek and Roman heroism is the dominant theme running through these works, but their understanding of heroism is not what we might imagine. An ancient Greek hero placed his reputation as a hero as the highest good. It was to be pursued at the cost of all else. Even Hector, possibly the most noble of the heroes in these books, prizes his valor above the security of Troy. In the scope of the Iliad, it is his duel with Achilles more than any other factor that seals the fate of his home, even as it secures his status as a hero. Contrasted against the acts of Christ, whose death on the cross forever secured the safety of His beloved, such heroism becomes empty and meaningless.
From poetry, Leithart moves to the drama of the Greeks, beginning with that most famous of Greek tragedies, the Oedipus cycle. In this, as well as the Oresteia, Bacchae, and Clouds, he discovers a world in which the gods are capricious, where justice is a matter of expedience, revenge a justifiable end, and education and philosophy empty, self-serving pursuits.
It may seem from what I say that Mr. Leithart has nothing good to say about the ancient classics, but that is not completely accurate. His analyses are thoughtful and respectful, and he gives credit where credit is due. It is not that he finds nothing noble or admirable in the ancient classics. But as with the contrast between Hector and Christ, all of the nobility and beauty of the ancients pales in comparison with the great true myth of Christianity. As rewarding and fulfilling as it may be to read the ancient classics, perhaps the best they can ultimately do is stand as a negative example of the best that man can accomplish apart from the one true God.
Having said that, I cannot give "Heroes" my wholehearted recommendation. Too often, Leithart appears to give the beauty of these great works short shrift. He writes as though he is suspicious of their aesthetic merits, as if someone might be seduced by their beauty and tempted to abandon Jerusalem for Athens. This view may not be completely baseless, but if someone were to make such a jump I would be more suspicious of their commitment to Jerusalem to begin with rather than the persuasiveness of the literature. It is for this reason that I can only award “Heroes of the City of Man” three stars. As a guide for Christians who are unfamiliar with the classics it is not without merit, but you would be better served by simply reading the classics for yourself.
I have long disliked the contemporary habit of trying to force post-modern sensibilities on any literature that pre-dates the advent of Derrida. The practice of reading the classics from a Marxist/feminist/queer perspective to milk from them some evidence of white European male repression of everyone and everything is abominable and the accompanying theories garbage. I feel almost defiled anytime I come in contact with them. Reading Peter Leithart, therefore, is a refreshing, even a cleansing experience.
Leithart, a professor of English at New St Andrews College, has written a number of books analyzing the works of different authors. He is unapologetically Christian, but he does not try to force a Christian reading on the literary works he analyzes. Like C.S. Lewis in his “Experiment in Criticism”, Leithart sets aside his prejudices to enter into the world of the author to see what the author is trying to say. He analyzes the evidence first, arriving at conclusions only after a thorough and careful reading.
In “Heroes of the City of Man”, Leithart turns his attention to the poetry and drama of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The model for his analysis is derived from Augustine, in that he posits two cities, Jerusalem and Athens, the cities of God and Man. He writes as a citizen firmly established in Jerusalem and views the literature of the ancient Greeks and Romans as products of Athens. He has no desire or intention to build a bridge between the two, and is content to observe Athens from a distance. From this vantage point, he examines the theology and morals of the Greeks and Romans, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, contrasting them overall with Christianity. He discovers some parallels, but the differences are far more numerous and striking.
He begins with the “Theogeny” and “Works and Days” by Hesiod, which form a creation narrative and body of wisdom literature that parallel Genesis and the book of Proverbs. In the “Theogony”, Hesiod recounts the creation of the universe and the first tales of Greek mythology by tracing the lineage of the gods from their beginning. It is a tumultuous tale filled with every kind of violence and perversion. The Greek gods are a capricious, bloodthirsty and licentious group, murderous, adulterous and incestuous. Any system of morals or ethics derived from these myths could only be expected to follow suit. This is born out in “Works and Days”, which at its best could only be called the “anti-beatitudes”. Though both Genesis and Theogeny account for the creation of the world, Leithart demonstrates that the two could not be more different in their meaning.
After Hesiod, Leithart examines the Trojan trilogy comprised of the Iliad, Odyssey and Aeneid. Greek and Roman heroism is the dominant theme running through these works, but their understanding of heroism is not what we might imagine. An ancient Greek hero placed his reputation as a hero as the highest good. It was to be pursued at the cost of all else. Even Hector, possibly the most noble of the heroes in these books, prizes his valor above the security of Troy. In the scope of the Iliad, it is his duel with Achilles more than any other factor that seals the fate of his home, even as it secures his status as a hero. Contrasted against the acts of Christ, whose death on the cross forever secured the safety of His beloved, such heroism becomes empty and meaningless.
From poetry, Leithart moves to the drama of the Greeks, beginning with that most famous of Greek tragedies, the Oedipus cycle. In this, as well as the Oresteia, Bacchae, and Clouds, he discovers a world in which the gods are capricious, where justice is a matter of expedience, revenge a justifiable end, and education and philosophy empty, self-serving pursuits.
It may seem from what I say that Mr. Leithart has nothing good to say about the ancient classics, but that is not completely accurate. His analyses are thoughtful and respectful, and he gives credit where credit is due. It is not that he finds nothing noble or admirable in the ancient classics. But as with the contrast between Hector and Christ, all of the nobility and beauty of the ancients pales in comparison with the great true myth of Christianity. As rewarding and fulfilling as it may be to read the ancient classics, perhaps the best they can ultimately do is stand as a negative example of the best that man can accomplish apart from the one true God.
Having said that, I cannot give "Heroes" my wholehearted recommendation. Too often, Leithart appears to give the beauty of these great works short shrift. He writes as though he is suspicious of their aesthetic merits, as if someone might be seduced by their beauty and tempted to abandon Jerusalem for Athens. This view may not be completely baseless, but if someone were to make such a jump I would be more suspicious of their commitment to Jerusalem to begin with rather than the persuasiveness of the literature. It is for this reason that I can only award “Heroes of the City of Man” three stars. As a guide for Christians who are unfamiliar with the classics it is not without merit, but you would be better served by simply reading the classics for yourself.
April 9, 2024
I enjoyed the book immensely though I had a harder time tracking when he got to the plays. Not sure if that’s because I’d read fewer or if it was the voice he used to go about his explanation. His journey through the Greco Roman epics was beautiful, however. Opened my eyes to a lot of insights I missed on my first readings of those works, makes me look forward to my next journeys with Odysseus and Aeneas.
August 28, 2023
This is a wonderful introduction to Classical literature from a Christian point of view. But this isn't just a shallow "Christian worldview" take on pagan literature--each page is full of perceptive insights into the context, structure, and symbolism of the texts. Leithart is an expert reader, and reading this book helps us to grow in our abilities to read and interpret any text.
June 12, 2012
QUESTION: Should Christian young people be exposed to classical works depicting other religious worldviews? If they are not, how will they be prepared with a ready answer and be well-educated of culturally important works?
ANSWER: Peter Leithart
Leithart enters the debate with an excellent resource for the education of Christian young people. He takes "important" classical works and examines them by practically contrasting them against the Biblical worldview. I use the word "important" as a term meaning that the philosophies in these works dramatically impacted worldview shifts in the course of history. By contrasting these thoughts to the Biblical truths, Leithart assists in preparing young adults to give a defense for the "hope that is within them."
Leithart also brings excellent literary information, as well. He examines literary devices and references other well-known works as part of the study.
ANSWER: Peter Leithart
Leithart enters the debate with an excellent resource for the education of Christian young people. He takes "important" classical works and examines them by practically contrasting them against the Biblical worldview. I use the word "important" as a term meaning that the philosophies in these works dramatically impacted worldview shifts in the course of history. By contrasting these thoughts to the Biblical truths, Leithart assists in preparing young adults to give a defense for the "hope that is within them."
Leithart also brings excellent literary information, as well. He examines literary devices and references other well-known works as part of the study.
January 27, 2024
Very fun, and surprisingly relevant.
June 18, 2021
There are many similarities between the Bible and other ancient literature. For instance, they both often use chiastic patterns. The differences are just as notable. The biblical heroes are heroes of faith (Hebrews 11). The Greek heroes seek immortal fame, like the builders of the tower of Babel (Gen 11:4).
Among the Greeks is found:
"...the notion that law is merely a matter of agreement. If that is true, then the law can be changed from moment to moment, and if this is true, then the city is a site of “open warfare between fathers and sons.” Each new generation will tear down the achievements of the previous generation, the sons will reject the customs and logic of their fathers, and the city will become a pit in which cocks fight for control, like the contest between Philosophy and Sophistry." Kindle loc. 1717
Among the Greeks is found:
"...the notion that law is merely a matter of agreement. If that is true, then the law can be changed from moment to moment, and if this is true, then the city is a site of “open warfare between fathers and sons.” Each new generation will tear down the achievements of the previous generation, the sons will reject the customs and logic of their fathers, and the city will become a pit in which cocks fight for control, like the contest between Philosophy and Sophistry." Kindle loc. 1717
April 23, 2017
This book was extremely helpful to me in understanding The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, and several of the Greek dramas in a Christian light. Now I can better decide if I really want to read the actual texts (or not, as in the case of some). I would then read this book again alongside as a guide. It defined many important Greek and Latin terms and had study questions at the end of each section.
May 25, 2024
Listened to as audiobook (Canon+). Highly recommend Leithart’s analysis both as a before and after reading of the classics.
July 14, 2024
If you are anything like me, you missed out on the classics of ancient literature in your schooling. For some that might seem like a blessing, but it is really far more important than you might believe. Leithart walks the reader through authors such as Homer, Virgil, Hesiod, Aristophanes, and others - pointing out the importance of the writings and the impact they had on Western Civilization. A needed lesson for people like me.
February 25, 2024
A fantastic analysis of the Classical works, highly recommended for any parent who desires a classical education for their kids and wants to be informed on the topics they will be reading, as well as for those kids if so desired!
January 7, 2020
Pretty good set of short commentaries on a variety of Roman/Greek (mostly Greek with the Aeneid thrown in for good measure) Epics and plays. Leithart provides some astute literary analysis with a bunch of helpful structural insights ( <3 chiasms!) throughout this book. I disagreed with him on several aspects regarding Homer’s aspects and felt like his “Christianity > Pagan Greek” bias (one I do share myself) hindered his ability to recognize some of the profound insights in those books. However, his section on Greek dramas was excellent along with most all of his other insights.
In the introduction, Leithart seems to take an overly negative take on the value of Greek literature with a “I suppose it /might/ be helpful for Christians, but it’s really not anything special” sort of mindset that surprised me (I would posit higher values to these works). However, this negative outlook surprisingly didn’t pervade much of his analyses of these books. In addition, the “Christian” aspect of his analysis seemed to be surprising paltry—limited to a page or so at the end of each section. Most of the book was just literary criticism with slight Christian leanings. I didn’t mind that, but I did feel like the introduction was in tension with the rest of the book.
Overall, though, this was a quite helpful book to read—and it even persuaded me that there is more value and more going on in Aristophanes’ The Clouds than I had previous seen in it. So I may have to reread that with Leithart’s insights in mind at some point. Recommended to other students and teachers of classical antiquity and its literature!
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars (Good).
In the introduction, Leithart seems to take an overly negative take on the value of Greek literature with a “I suppose it /might/ be helpful for Christians, but it’s really not anything special” sort of mindset that surprised me (I would posit higher values to these works). However, this negative outlook surprisingly didn’t pervade much of his analyses of these books. In addition, the “Christian” aspect of his analysis seemed to be surprising paltry—limited to a page or so at the end of each section. Most of the book was just literary criticism with slight Christian leanings. I didn’t mind that, but I did feel like the introduction was in tension with the rest of the book.
Overall, though, this was a quite helpful book to read—and it even persuaded me that there is more value and more going on in Aristophanes’ The Clouds than I had previous seen in it. So I may have to reread that with Leithart’s insights in mind at some point. Recommended to other students and teachers of classical antiquity and its literature!
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars (Good).
August 26, 2017
I joined the Pillar reading group this year in part because one of their selections was this book by Leithart. I have read many of his books by now and find him a reliable teacher. This book is an insightful walk through some of the crucial classics of modernity including the Hesiod's Theogony, Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, and Virgil's The Aeneid, as well as a section on Greek drama. I had read all of the works covered in this before but this was a chance for a deeper dive with a teacher I respect.
"Gordon Wenham… has shown that the entire flood narrative in Genesis 6-9 is arranged concentrically, with Genesis 8:1 ('And Yahweh remembered Noah') at the center. Up to that verse, the waters are rising, everything is being covered, and all living things are dying: after that verse, the waters begin to recede, the mountains begin to appear, and new life begins to arise in a new creation." pg. 48-49
Even an unbeliever should be able to see an intricacy in the Genesis flood story. In addition to the above there is also Enoch's prophecy of the flood by naming his son Methuselah ("After me it comes") with the dates in the genealogy calculable, so that is can be pieced out that Methuselah died the year of the flood.
"Homer's sympathies are evenly divided between Greek and Trojans; there is no hint that the Trojan War is a struggle od civilized Greece against barbarian Troy. For Virgil, however, the universe revolves around Rome." pg. 261
"According to Aeneas's father, the vocation of Rome is to beat down the proud and establish the peace of good order." pg. 260.
Here is Virgil on the Roman vocation:
"Others will cast more tenderly in bronze
Their breaching figures, I can well believe,
And bring more lifelike portraits out of marble;
Argue more eloquently, use the pointer
To trace the paths of heaven accurately
And accurately foretell the rising stars.
Roman, remember by your strength to rule
Earth's peoples - for your arts are to be these:
To pacify, to impose the rule of law.
To spare the conquered, battle down the proud."
-The Aeneid, 6. 1145-1154
Yet, "According to St. Augustine's account in his City of God, Rome rose to dominance out of lust for dominion, their sinful desire for supremacy…In Augustine's view…In Augustus , Aeneas and Augustus, far from putting down the proud, were themselves among the proud; far from triumphing over madness, they themselves were mad." pg. 270
Mankind's fallen nature is often a web of contradictions and deceits.
Another example of the paradoxical or hypocritical on a civilizational stage is the following (drawing on Ryszard Legutko's The Demon in Democracy). Both communism and liberal democracy exhibited a paradoxical approach to politics in which they promised to reduce the role of politics in human life, yet induced politicization on a scale unknown in previous history. What explains the egregious spectacle of liberal democracy and communism politicizing modern society while at the same time proclaiming loudly that they are pushing humanity to a politics free-world? The paradoxical concept of socialist politics, where everything is political while everyone dreams of a world free from politics, is rooted in a paradox of the modern mind. On the one hand, modern man believes that making everything political is the highest form of manifestation of his dominion. Politicization is a consequence of his belief that everything that happens depends on his decision and that only his decision assigns meaning and value to things. It was assumed that man's growing power over life, society , knowledge, morality and everything else would be concordant with the increasing presence of politics: more politics meant more instruments to make use of this power.
Do classicists, Christians included, when approaching the classics, fall under the suasion of the libido dominandi, interpreting Roman writings and their Greek forebears in the Roman imperial self-imaging terms?
"Agamemnon's original choice0 between the public duty of attacking Troy and the private duty of protecting Iphigeneia- is one variation of this conflict: To fulfill his 'civic' duty, Agamemnon transgresses his household 'duty."" pg. 286.
Her sacrifice was regarded as for the sake of "civic duty."
"Strikingly, the Bible is more savage and 'primitive' than Aeschylus, for the Bible is more insistent on the necessity of vengeance. For the Bible, 'blood will have blood' is true without qualification. Mercy is not offered by setting aside this principle, by changing the rules. Instead, mercy is offered on the basis of a once-for-all final shedding of blood that will, when all is said and done, bring an end to every cycle of blood vengeance." pgs. 302-303.
Reasons for Christians to read the literature of nonbelievers include:
"…by wrestling to evaluate these books biblically, we are led to discover biblical truth that we might otherwise have overlooked. Pagan literature can, rightly used, give us an important entry into the mind and culture of fallen humanity, and even sharpen our understanding of the Christian worldview."
pg. 22
"…the Bible teaches that God reveals His character in creation, in history, and in Scripture. If we wish to know God, we have to seek Him as He has revealed Himself through these media. We cannot know God by peeking 'behind' the screen of history and Scripture; we come to know Him through His words and works. History, Scripture, and creation are the 'books' of God, and if we would know Him we must open the books. There is a fuller revelation in one or another of God's books."
-Ibid., pg. 34
"Gordon Wenham… has shown that the entire flood narrative in Genesis 6-9 is arranged concentrically, with Genesis 8:1 ('And Yahweh remembered Noah') at the center. Up to that verse, the waters are rising, everything is being covered, and all living things are dying: after that verse, the waters begin to recede, the mountains begin to appear, and new life begins to arise in a new creation." pg. 48-49
Even an unbeliever should be able to see an intricacy in the Genesis flood story. In addition to the above there is also Enoch's prophecy of the flood by naming his son Methuselah ("After me it comes") with the dates in the genealogy calculable, so that is can be pieced out that Methuselah died the year of the flood.
"Homer's sympathies are evenly divided between Greek and Trojans; there is no hint that the Trojan War is a struggle od civilized Greece against barbarian Troy. For Virgil, however, the universe revolves around Rome." pg. 261
"According to Aeneas's father, the vocation of Rome is to beat down the proud and establish the peace of good order." pg. 260.
Here is Virgil on the Roman vocation:
"Others will cast more tenderly in bronze
Their breaching figures, I can well believe,
And bring more lifelike portraits out of marble;
Argue more eloquently, use the pointer
To trace the paths of heaven accurately
And accurately foretell the rising stars.
Roman, remember by your strength to rule
Earth's peoples - for your arts are to be these:
To pacify, to impose the rule of law.
To spare the conquered, battle down the proud."
-The Aeneid, 6. 1145-1154
Yet, "According to St. Augustine's account in his City of God, Rome rose to dominance out of lust for dominion, their sinful desire for supremacy…In Augustine's view…In Augustus , Aeneas and Augustus, far from putting down the proud, were themselves among the proud; far from triumphing over madness, they themselves were mad." pg. 270
Mankind's fallen nature is often a web of contradictions and deceits.
Another example of the paradoxical or hypocritical on a civilizational stage is the following (drawing on Ryszard Legutko's The Demon in Democracy). Both communism and liberal democracy exhibited a paradoxical approach to politics in which they promised to reduce the role of politics in human life, yet induced politicization on a scale unknown in previous history. What explains the egregious spectacle of liberal democracy and communism politicizing modern society while at the same time proclaiming loudly that they are pushing humanity to a politics free-world? The paradoxical concept of socialist politics, where everything is political while everyone dreams of a world free from politics, is rooted in a paradox of the modern mind. On the one hand, modern man believes that making everything political is the highest form of manifestation of his dominion. Politicization is a consequence of his belief that everything that happens depends on his decision and that only his decision assigns meaning and value to things. It was assumed that man's growing power over life, society , knowledge, morality and everything else would be concordant with the increasing presence of politics: more politics meant more instruments to make use of this power.
Do classicists, Christians included, when approaching the classics, fall under the suasion of the libido dominandi, interpreting Roman writings and their Greek forebears in the Roman imperial self-imaging terms?
"Agamemnon's original choice0 between the public duty of attacking Troy and the private duty of protecting Iphigeneia- is one variation of this conflict: To fulfill his 'civic' duty, Agamemnon transgresses his household 'duty."" pg. 286.
Her sacrifice was regarded as for the sake of "civic duty."
"Strikingly, the Bible is more savage and 'primitive' than Aeschylus, for the Bible is more insistent on the necessity of vengeance. For the Bible, 'blood will have blood' is true without qualification. Mercy is not offered by setting aside this principle, by changing the rules. Instead, mercy is offered on the basis of a once-for-all final shedding of blood that will, when all is said and done, bring an end to every cycle of blood vengeance." pgs. 302-303.
Reasons for Christians to read the literature of nonbelievers include:
"…by wrestling to evaluate these books biblically, we are led to discover biblical truth that we might otherwise have overlooked. Pagan literature can, rightly used, give us an important entry into the mind and culture of fallen humanity, and even sharpen our understanding of the Christian worldview."
pg. 22
"…the Bible teaches that God reveals His character in creation, in history, and in Scripture. If we wish to know God, we have to seek Him as He has revealed Himself through these media. We cannot know God by peeking 'behind' the screen of history and Scripture; we come to know Him through His words and works. History, Scripture, and creation are the 'books' of God, and if we would know Him we must open the books. There is a fuller revelation in one or another of God's books."
-Ibid., pg. 34
May 6, 2019
Leithart’s companion guides are condensed, insightful, and robust without being redundant or didactic. I probably like this one a bit more than his Shakespeare one, just because the classics are so often ignored or condemned by Christians, and his viewpoint approach is marvelously refreshing. He mixes in some good criticism that helps readers digest the poetry with discernment while exalting and helping the reader to scope out all the truth and beauty to be found in Homer and beyond. Definitely a worthy possession for any in-depth study of the classics, and a good introduction to some of the deeper analysis out there.
April 5, 2023
I got my college degree in Classics, but since I attended a large state university, all of the material was presented from a secular point of view. It was really fun for me to go back and revisit these works from a Christian point of view. Leithart is knowledgeable about the material and skillful in his analysis. His introduction alone is worth reading, as he explores the question of whether Christians should study the pagan classics, and if so, how they should go about it. I think he is spot on with his reasoning and approach. The book can be used as a high school text, or simply enjoyed by classics nerds like myself.
Want to read
October 3, 2023Leithart’s commentaries on various Ancient literature.
Hesiod’s Theogony:
Homer’s Iliad:
Very good. Discussion of the chiastic structure of the epic as a whole, centering on the shield. Discusses the animality of the fighters and their discarding of life for their own glory.
Homer’s Odyssey:
Also very good. Leithart shows that the story is one of a trial of wits. The cunning and deceptive Odysseus must out deceive everyone in order to get home. Chiastic structure centers on Odysseus’ death and resurrection.
Virgil’s Aeneid:
Aeschylus’ The Eumenides:
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus:
Euripides’ The Bacchae:
Aristophanes’ The Clouds:
Hesiod’s Theogony:
Homer’s Iliad:
Very good. Discussion of the chiastic structure of the epic as a whole, centering on the shield. Discusses the animality of the fighters and their discarding of life for their own glory.
Homer’s Odyssey:
Also very good. Leithart shows that the story is one of a trial of wits. The cunning and deceptive Odysseus must out deceive everyone in order to get home. Chiastic structure centers on Odysseus’ death and resurrection.
Virgil’s Aeneid:
Aeschylus’ The Eumenides:
Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus:
Euripides’ The Bacchae:
Aristophanes’ The Clouds:
May 14, 2020
I read this in conjunction with reading ancient literature for the first time. I found it pretty informative in helpful, in understanding the world views of the authors / characters and understanding some of the themes. I would have floundered through the ancient literature much more without this helping me see the themes better. :) I definitely recommend this as a companion to reading the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid.
February 18, 2024
Not the easiest intake via audio but still profitable. A walk through significant Greco-Roman stories like the Odyssey, Iliad, etc. with an eye towards what actually has lasting value. Impressive work from Leithart, and worth having as a sort of worldview companion when engaging with the Classics of antiquity. Particularly enjoyed the Athenian play-writes’ satirical criticism of sophistry at the end. Useful in our day.
February 27, 2024
Was a helpful appetizer to many of the great books that are looming on my remedial education list. I look forward to re-reading this after completing the classics I was deprived of as a public school kid. Reading this book also made me want to revisit another Leithart book I read last year called "Deep Comedy," for another pass through the many themes and big pictures that Greek mythology contains and their fuller fulfillment in the true comedies of the Christian West.
December 12, 2022
Read selections from this book and found it very helpful. Certainly falls into the “Reader’s Guide” category rather than a more scholarly treatment of the works considered. Frankly, this is probably more accurate/helpful/truthful anyways…
May 25, 2023
So ends my two-year guided journey through the Greek and Roman classics. Leithart's commentary is valuable for any of the works featured here, but especially for the Greek dramas. I would have gotten much, much less out of them without this book.
April 27, 2024
Excellent. Definitely a recommended work, especially to those with kids in classical schools.
May 20, 2024
Leithart argues for the usefulness of reading the pagan classics, then frames them in the Christian worldview one by one. A good read and summary of books I had forgotten I enjoyed.
October 30, 2024
I found this book theologically sound and intellectually fascinating. Leithart is a careful reader of these ancient texts, and brings a keen biblical evaluation to each of them. Highly recommended.
March 2, 2025
Third time through!
March 5, 2025
A worthwhile orientation read before diving into ancient literature.
April 16, 2025
Audio on Canon+
So many insights, but I'll have to read it in print to better grasp them all.
So many insights, but I'll have to read it in print to better grasp them all.
June 17, 2025
This was a wonderful companion guide to ancient literature my son read this year!!! Highly recommend students read this alongside classics such as The Iliad, The Odyssey and The Aeneid.
September 5, 2010
This is one of three books Peter Leithart has written on the classics. This one is on ancient literature, the other two are on Dante and Shakespeare respectively. All are well worth reading to shed light not just on the background of the particular work he's analyzing but to put that piece in a broader context of a Christian worldview. Whereas Dante and to a little lesser extent Shakespeare have Christianity embedded into them (it's not overt in Shakespeare), ancient literature lacks this scope. That's why I found this one in particular the most interesting. He tells us that as Christians we need not be afraid to read literature just because it's pagan in origin. If read well it can be enlightening. To quote
"If we cannot help but manifest God's characterin our creations,
and if the character of God manifested in our creations is known
through a story, it follows that we cannot help but tell his
stories in our own...This does not mean that every writer is
self-consciously and deliberately writing Christian allegory. It
means that, every writer tells stories that reflect in some way
God's story."
Just like the painter who, when he paints something beautiful (although unconsciously) he is reflecting God's beauty. All three of Leithart's books are recommended.
"If we cannot help but manifest God's characterin our creations,
and if the character of God manifested in our creations is known
through a story, it follows that we cannot help but tell his
stories in our own...This does not mean that every writer is
self-consciously and deliberately writing Christian allegory. It
means that, every writer tells stories that reflect in some way
God's story."
Just like the painter who, when he paints something beautiful (although unconsciously) he is reflecting God's beauty. All three of Leithart's books are recommended.
October 29, 2009
An excellent guide to select ancient literature. The author addresses the problem of the meaning that rests behind the intent of the authors of such literature. In this book the author insists on gaining the insight into the subject he addresses simply because without it one is left flouting and detached from understanding in general, in this matter. On the other hand , the moment the reader starts gaining the insight into the problematic of this kind of fundamental literature, everything falls into its proper place and the point of view becomes incomparably clear.
Frank Dragash
Frank Dragash
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