Matthew Jankowski > Recent Status Updates

Chapter 4.1: nearly 40 pages describing various origins of the scythians. Nomadic. If they don't have a bowl they take the animal meat and put iti. The animals stomach. They then burn the bones of the animal which in turn cooks the meat. Tend not to adopt the customs of others. Darius decides to invade. Starting to get a handle on how to annotate herotodus.

Chapter 3: the Persians move through Arabia and conquer Egypt. They take a stab at Ethiopia and are rebuffed. Cyrus's son proves somewhat unstable. Marries his sisters and kills his brothers. Darius and the seven rise up and kill cytambenes. Almost forgot, the Persians take over Libya along the way.

Chapter 2: everything the ancient Greeks thought of ancient Egypt. How it is between Libya and Syria. Descriptions of all animals, climate, geography, relations with the Greeks. Really a lot to take in. I'm going to need to read this book a few times before it sinks in...

Chapter 1: how the Persians grew mighty and in conflict with the Greeks. Croesus conflicted with the Ionians, eventually bested by Persian Cyrus. Hyspurges, who ate his own son, conquers the Ionians. Cyrus conquers Babylon and is eventually bested by tomyris, the massegate. Wondrous tales: Solon, Aton, Cyrus himself, hyspurges. Great and wonderful so far. Daunting.

Finished philoctenes. Honesty and friendship from Achilles son neopolytemus. Odysseus plays the role of experienced corrupt or.

Electra: same story as libations, focused on Electra. Electra faithful to the gods, ancient traditions. Did not leave much of an impression on me.

Oedipus makes a convincing case that though he did wro g he was not guilty. how can one be guilty if they did not k ow? on the other hand creon knowingly violates athens ruler. theseus sets out to save oedipuss daughters. Theseus saves Antigone and Ismene. So done from Argos arrives, it must be polynices.

Creon arrives, seizing Ismene and Antigone. Oedipus will not go to Thebes, wanting to curse his city for denying him what he wanted. Creon begins to take Oedipus, but the chorus interposed and Theseus arrives.

The chorus convinces oedipus to confirm his tale; recoiling ar his words. Theseus promises to allow Oedipus to stay at colobus, to protect him from Thebes.

Ismene arrives, Oedipus now has some power. Whichever city he settles near shall be saved. Polynices in Argos, eteocles in Thebes with creon, all might want a piece. Ismene, who snuck out of Thebes to visit oracles on oedipus's behalf. Oedipus spurns them all, asking to stay in colobus.

Oedipus enters the grove of the furires, the silent ones. Antigone by his side. A wanderer appears and orders him off the sacred ground. Seeing his piteous state the stranger goes back to Athens. I think colonous was the cities founder. The chorus soon arrives, learning he is Oedipus, they freak out, telling him to leave.

Jocasta suicides. Oedipus strikes his eyes. Creon Pities Oedipus. Ismene and Antigone are brought out. Oedipus hugs them till they are taken. The chorus laments, count no man happy, until he is happily dead.

Messenger from Corinth and shepherd from Thebes. Shepherd, on threat of torture reveals he gave messenger Laius baby. Oedipus realizes that he killed his father and slept with his mother.

A messenger from Corinth arrives. Polybus died and Oedipus is now king of Corinth. The messenger informs Oedipus that poly us was not his father, but that Oedipus was given him by another. Uh oh!

Oedipus learns Laius was killed at a crossroads, by chance Oedipus killed a man at that same crossroads at the same time. The survivor is sent for.

Oedipus and creon argue. Oedipus accuses creon of collusion with Tiresias. Creon mounts an admirable defense.jocasta joins them. Oedus sends creon away. Jocasta, seeing this feud based on prophecy starts to tell Oedipus a prophesy given to Laius.

Tiresias interrogated by Oedipus. T reveals the secret, but in riddle.

Oedipus Rex: plague strikes Thebes. The people turn to Oedipus, their great king. Creon arrives from the oracle at Delphi, Apollo told him the plague was because Laius killer had gone unpunished and must be banished. The people lament. Oedipus exhorts the people to turn in the killer, cursing himself. Tiresias, the eyes of Apollo, arrives.

Haemon kills himself falling in embrace with Antigone. Eurydice, creons wife, also suicides. Creon laments having found wisdom. Wisdom rains its heavy blows down on us all.

Antigone mocked byhe chorus. Creon imprisons Antigone. Blind Tiresias tells creon gods are upset. Creon rages. Tiresias prophesies doom of haemon, other troubles. Creon rethinks and works to set Antigone free.

Creon and his son, haemon, discuss family values. Creon makes a strong case that a man who runs his family well is qualified to ru the state. Haemon cou gets that one must bend if not to break. Creon neco es quite angry, sensing his son is with Antigone. Haemon rushes off. Creon resolves to wall up Antigone outside the city.

Sentry brings Antigone to creon, caught in the act of burying polynices. Creon accuses Antigone who does not deny. Antigone claims burial rights must not be denied anyone. She claims the chorus would agree if only they were not afraid of creon. Ismene brought in, she tries to join Antigone. Calls haemon, betrothed of Antigone. Creon thinks them all quite mad.

Creon and the sentry: polynices buried! Sentry afraid of punishment. Chorus says gods? Carson says no! Dirty money! Blames sentries!

The chorus cheers victory over the Argos. Creon gives a magnificent speech on citizenship.

Antigone and Ismene talk at the temple. Eteocles gets his heroes funeral, but polynices who led the Argos is left to the birds. A tigons resolves to bury her brother, Ismene demurs.

Urshinabi is banned from heaven. Upshanatim tells Gilgamesh how to fi d the flower of life. Gilgamesh wins the priZe but a snake steals it.

The story of the flood: shurrupak the city was noisy. Angering enlil. He sent a great flood. Upshanatim was allowed immortality so long as he remained inthe garden of the east, heaven.

The scorpion man allows Gilgamesh to pass through the mashu mountains to find upnapshtim, the only mortal allowed by the gods to become immortal. Siduri bye the sea allows Gilgamesh to pass the gates and see urshinabi, the ferryman. Gilgamesh accidentally breaks the ferrymans boat. He fashioned 12o poles and in the end served as a sail. Meeting upshanatim.

Gilgamesh spurs ishtar. The pair kill the bull of heaven. Enlil declares they must die, shamash says only one must die, enkidu. Enkidu dies, leaving Gilgamesh.