Are they intrinsic, succession and independence; politics and mythology? What can we learn from Ancient Greek myth for application in Modern Greek politics…
On the eve of the Greek Referendum vote, called by the current P.M. Tsipras and his ruling Syriza Party, amidst the escalating debt-crisis, political Greek-European stalemate and potential GRexit, what is the need-to-know in the Homeric epics, today for tomorrow? In this inverted reality, should we perceive Greece as Odysseus and Helen, the monetary prize, the connective glue that units or divides?
Below is a verse except from Philosophy and Poetry, co-authored by E. Moutsopoulos and published by the Library of Alexandria. It is representative of a philosophical analysis of Odysseus and the human nature of things…
O-dyss-epic
I.
It’s complicated getting back –
After a long journey that burns.
Life seems different on the round turn
Now you have vision; hindsight at last
…
II.
…
Was it all just a grand illusion like
The beauty of a woman: Helen
Your fate and ours, of Greece; Hellas
Who started all this business, to decide
Or rather was it man’s greed for gold
She the allusion; fair excuse that sold
The idea that twisted both your hands
Politics, honor; reason with a plan…
III.
…
One must then earnestly ask –
Who is the real monster, behind the mask?
…
Sonnet cycle excerpt from Philosophy and Poetry
© G.F. Zaimis (2014). All rights reserved.
It would be wise to remember why Odysseus initially, identified himself as "Nobody" to the Cyclopes, Polyphemus, son of Poseidon after blinding him with his sword and why less is more.
The post-defacto wound that Odysseus inflicted upon himself was wielded when he choose vanity above reason by further ensuing a fate of antagonism by challenging the cyclops as he left the island. Hence, shouting to Polyphemus as he sailed away, “I am Odysseus”, thus, provoking a fate to be decided by the wrath of Poseidon, Polyphemus' father. His ego-centric action of 'mouthing-off' single handedly perpetuated a series of actions fueled by re-action that thronged Polyphemus’ vengeance reverberated by Poseidon which prevented Odysseus, his ship and his crew safe-passage back to Ithaka for ten more years…!
In foresight, if the Greek-European stalemate is a direct metaphor of cause and effect pre-defacto, then can/will Greece and her people embrace reason (“YES” vote) over vanity (“NO” vote) in the forthcoming referendum as we teeter on-off the brink of bankruptcy, a non-Euro currency and Europe? Can we perceive Odysseus as Greece, Polyphemus as a trigger-event or catalyst instrumental in paving the road of fate, Poseidon as consequences to be reckoned with or Ithaca as Europe? If so, can Greece embrace this philosophy today for tomorrow...
Image: "Greek Flag"
Gouache on paper
Copyright 2011