Research essay WIN!
Jul. 30th, 2009 12:09 pmOkay, I've just had one of my postgrad research essays approved for this semester for the paper Greek Historians. We were allowed to change the essay questions to suit ourselves - yes! - so my topic is this: "To what extent are stories of the usurpation of power in Herodotus distictly Herodotean?"
An example of usurpation of power in Herodotus: (1.11-12)
"... He saw that he really was faced with choosing between killing his Master or being killed by others himself - and he chose to survive. So he had a question for her. "It's not as if I want to kill my own Master," he said, "but since you're forcing me to do so, please tell me how we're going to attack him."
"The place from where he showed me to you naked," she replied, "will be the place from which to launch our attack against him. The attack will happen when he is asleep."
So they made their plans. There was no way out for Gyges, no escape: eiither he or Candaules had to die. When night came he followed the woman to the bedroom, where she gave him a dagger and hid him behind the same door. And after this, while Candaules was sleeping, he slipped out and, by killing him, gained both Candaules' wife and his kingdom.
Mwhahahaha! Little did my lecturer know my TRUE motivation in choosing this topic! ^_^ And for contrast I get to study the mythology of usurpation - i.e.: Zeus eating people to devour their power/knowledge. And the idea all of this wonderful Sithly scholarship comes from![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
zigsternenstaubposting this ROTJ novel paraphrase: " Vader contemplates his seductive the emperor's presence and power... and how he wishes one day to destroy it, consume the emperor's being and make it one with his own." *is soooooo excited*
I am going to have SO much fun with this!!! Mmm... consuming other people's power... You know, in New Zealand, the Maori people used to eat enemy chieftains in order to take their mana (power) into themselves... this was still going on in the 19th and early 20th centuries. >_< I love my country.
An example of usurpation of power in Herodotus: (1.11-12)
"... He saw that he really was faced with choosing between killing his Master or being killed by others himself - and he chose to survive. So he had a question for her. "It's not as if I want to kill my own Master," he said, "but since you're forcing me to do so, please tell me how we're going to attack him."
"The place from where he showed me to you naked," she replied, "will be the place from which to launch our attack against him. The attack will happen when he is asleep."
So they made their plans. There was no way out for Gyges, no escape: eiither he or Candaules had to die. When night came he followed the woman to the bedroom, where she gave him a dagger and hid him behind the same door. And after this, while Candaules was sleeping, he slipped out and, by killing him, gained both Candaules' wife and his kingdom.
Mwhahahaha! Little did my lecturer know my TRUE motivation in choosing this topic! ^_^ And for contrast I get to study the mythology of usurpation - i.e.: Zeus eating people to devour their power/knowledge. And the idea all of this wonderful Sithly scholarship comes from
zigsternenstaubposting this ROTJ novel paraphrase: " Vader contemplates his seductive the emperor's presence and power... and how he wishes one day to destroy it, consume the emperor's being and make it one with his own." *is soooooo excited* I am going to have SO much fun with this!!! Mmm... consuming other people's power... You know, in New Zealand, the Maori people used to eat enemy chieftains in order to take their mana (power) into themselves... this was still going on in the 19th and early 20th centuries. >_< I love my country.
