Alexander the Great Intro: Museum & “Fire from Heaven”

So, I’ve started my final book for Capstone entitled “Fire from Heaven” by Mary Renault about Alexander the Great. It discusses his childhood up until his ascension to the throne as king. Renault discusses the influences that molded Alexander into a ruler and conqueror.

This is an appropriate book to end my experiences in a Greece. The Hellenistic era of Greece and the empire of Alexander the Great have played such a large part in the formation of the Greek culture and country. Three days ago, on Wednesday, we had the unique opportunity to visit Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great. Unfortunately, the site itself was closed, but we did explore the museum. We saw large pebble mosaics from the ancient city as well as coins from the period, ceramics and statues. One of the most interesting parts of the museum for me were the funeral and tomb “decorations”. It reminded me of information I learned in my Death and Dying course. While, we covered topics in that class like types of tombs and where people believe the soul goes, we only covered traditions like the Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic and some remote, but interesting native practices. We didn’t however discuss the Hellenistic Greek traditions, such as the rock-cut chamber tombs, funeral beds, valuable objects inside the tomb which we saw at the museum. Sometimes the tombs would even have paintings inside and the outside would be decorated with columns to look like the front of a small temple. Furthermore, a coin would be placed in the mouth of the deceased as ferry passage to the underworld. It is apparent that religion was very important to this culture. Not only was this evident in their dealings with their dead, but also in the subjects of their sculptures, mosaics and vases.

Having visited the museum, it allows me to imagine the stage and scenery of the book. To me, the buildings, the objects, the spaces become real and alive to me. Now, I’m relying on Renault to bring Alexander and his family into focus for me and to help me understand the people. Renault writes this work of historical fiction as the 3rd person narrator which is a contrast for me after reading “Cassandra” where there was 1st person narration from Cassandra during the novel and then from the author, Wolf, in the subsequent essays, and “My Name is Red” in which every chapter was a different character narrating from the 1st person. Her chapters are almost like acts in a play, 8 in total. And those chapters are broken into scenes which illustrate a different facet of Alex’s character development and childhood experiences. So far, we see Alex with somewhat distant parents, who rule the kingdom. King Philip and Queen Olympia fight constantly and even abuse Alex sometimes. This forces Alex to grow up quickly. He must fend for himself a lot and he even stands up to his parents verbally, if not physically yet at the age of 4 years. As a young boy he starts building relationships with people he admires and trusts and he even welcomes and hosts an envoy from Persia while his father is busy. Finally, there is a tension between the way in which his father and mother want to raise him. His mother is very protective and loving, whereas his father is quite harsh, disciplining and preferred “rough company” for him (18). Furthermore, his father wanted him to have “Greek schooling, reason and civility” (12). Finally, as I read this book, I see connections to the museum: Alex walks across a floor with a pebble mosaic, Alex and his mother refer to a lot of Greek myths, such as the sack of Troy and Odysseus’ encounter with Polyphemos, and they refer to the Greek gods and goddesses often, such as a bronze Apollo statue in the royal palace.

Conclusions from Cassandra: My world, Story world & Historic world

After reading Christa Wolf’s four essays at the end of the book, I now understand method and the madness behind her research and writing of the novel of Cassandra, the story of Troy from Cassandra’s perspective.

My suspicions from the beginning about the theme of gender and particularly the role of women was confirmed during my reading of Wolf’s last two essays: her work diary and her letter. Wolf talks about how the original societies in Greece were matriarchal. The main deity was Gaia, mother Earth, along with a host of other goddesses. Slowly over time, males started to dominate the social and private scene and women started to become oppressed. They became objects, defined by who they marry and confined to the home. Wolf argues that the story of Troy has been retold by male authors in order to emphasize the male dominance and patriarchy of society: “The epic, born of the struggles for patriarchy, becomes by its structure an instrument by which to elaborate and fortify the patriarchy. The hero is made to serve as a model, and still does down to the present day.” (296). In addition, “the line the narrator pursues [in Homer’s Illiad] is that of male action. Everyday life, the world of women, shines through only in the gaps between the descriptions of battle” (233). Thus, not only does Wolf strive through this book to point out the destruction of a male-dominated culture and rise women to respectability, but she also attempts to start a trend of women writing about women, something that she argues has been absent in the history of literature.

Another aspect that Wolf explores is the difference between the historical Cassandra and that of the one depicted in stories about her: “the question I am really trying to get at: Who was Cassandra before people wrote about her? (For she is a creation of the poets, she speaks only through them, we have only their view of her.” (287). For example, Cassandra in myth is a moon goddess. This makes sense because prophetic power was once linked closely with the moon deity. The historical Cassandra lived in a period of peace in between two major disasters, a volcanic eruption and an invasion by foreigners. The only occupation for a woman of high status, like Cassandra, would have been to be a seer or prophetess. And as a prophetess, she would have had to alienate herself from her family, her society and even her lovers. However, it was because of this ability to release herself, that she is able to perform her role of forseeing the future, not because of any special powers, but rather because she is able step back and see the flaws of Troy and its leaders from a realistic perspective.

Finally, Wolf demonstrates how to relate history to every part of life. As she researches and writes this book, there are two main world conflicts that headline the news in 1980. One is the Cold War and its armaments race between the United States and the USSR and the second is the war between Iraq and Iran. For example, she discusses the prospect of world destruction by nuclear weapons and especially that of Europe, her home, due to war from world powers on either side of the continent. She compares this to Troy and wonders what Cassandra must have felt to imagine the pending destruction of her home. Furthermore, Wolf mentions how England is doing nothing to prepare for a possible invasion. In the same way, Cassandra, in the novel, is astonished at the inactivity and lack of preparation of the Trojans with the Acheans on their shore. And finally, the question is posed of whether one should flee the destruction of the homeland, such as what Aeneas did. But the answer to this question for both Christa Wolf and Cassandra was no. There was no desire to flee the homeland. This style of reasoning is pertinent to my own study of history. By relating it to current events, not only do I learn more about history and more about the world I live in right now, but I also make those historic events come alive for me. Thus, one way to study history is to view it through parallel events today. For isn’t it true that history often repeats itself?

A “Traveler’s” Report

We travelers think alike. As I read Christa Wolf’s 1^st essay, in the form of a travel report, from “Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays”, I can’t help but identify with Wolf’s insights as she explores Greece as well as her journey.

This month, I too have been a traveler. I have traveled through western Turkey and am, at this very moment, wandering north through Greece from Athens to Thessaloniki. After reading Aeschyles’s Oresteia, Wolf becomes fascinated with the character of Cassandra, Apollo’s priestess during the time of the Trojan War. Not only does Wolf become curious about Cassandra’s character, but she also seeks to learn about Trojan and Greek society, the nature of the Trojan War, and the practices of ancient spirituality and religion through Cassandra’s eyes. With this narrow focus, Wolf travels to Greece and develops her own unique method of examining culture and ancient sites. Like Dr. Rhodes in his approach to examining ancient architecture at Corinth, Wolf takes a very empirical, inductive method. Through observations, she generates in her own mind questions about the culture and the people, formulates themes and hypothesis’s and then through the rest of her trip, attempts to test the validity of those hypothesis’s.

In the same way, I came to Turkey and Greece with a purpose of learning about the rich religious and cultural histories of these countries and also applying it to my understanding and appreciation of my own religion and culture, and its history. Through previous literature and classes (especially the BIC), I have developed my own focuses, just as Wolf did with Cassandra. Then, actually coming to these countries and observing the people and the sites, I have been able to develop my own style of analyzing history, similar to that of Dr. Rhodes and Wolf. Because of this, there arises in Wolf’s Travel Report many observations that I identify with and that you, if you have ever traveled (better if you’ve been to Greece), might also appreciate. So, I will leave you with some quotations of her observations, questions and themes that she generated from them:

“Did Homer and the others who handed down the cycle of legends about Troy suspect that in following the myth they were helping to conceal the actual facts?” (155). What separates story truth from happening truth? How do we determine what actually happened in history? What is truth? How do we find it? How do we separate truth from lie and half-truth?

“Not only victors but victims, too, climbed up to the Acropolis. Man and beast, they took turns on the altars of the temples which stand superimposed or side by side…It was the same with the gods: the earlier god, the earlier goddess were always sacrificed to the later.” (158).

“Something more powerful than grief has engraved itself in these beautiful cheeks [of the korai maiden statues]: acid rain, polluted air…I understand the overcrowded, hurrying, homicidal, money-chasing city that pumps out smoke and exhaust fumes, trying to catch up in a few years with what some of its Western sisters took more than a century to achieve. I understand: You, the need of the present-day city, were not compatible with the need of the stone maidens with their serene, proud bearing, who supported, for more than two thousand years, the canopy over the grave of the snake-king Cecrops, founder of Athens…Was there, is there, and alternative to this barbarism [of the modern age]?” (159). What does it mean to respect history? How do we live in the present and prepare for the future, without destroying the past? Is there a “right” way to preserve historic objects? In what way do the needs of tourists and the needs of a city contribute to the destruction of history?

“The dignity of eating, in countries where you cannot take it for granted that everyone will be able to eat his fill every day; where avarice has not yet been able completely to suppress the gesture of hospitality, which, even if it has a price, meets with a ready welcome.” (161).

“We foreigners are all the more dependent on it because here we have no command of words, are incapable of deciphering even the signs outside the shops, must rely on pictures, smells…The fact that I lack words here: doesn’t this mean that I am losing myself? How quickly does lack of speech turn into lack of identity.” (161) To what extent to language define us?

“The mere fact that I do not know the language gives me an inkling of the possible terrors of exile. When did it begin, this unfortunate habit of trying out foreign cities to see how it would feel to live there? The question is, When did the feeling of having a homeland disappear?” (162). Where is home? What does it take to accepted or alienated from a foreign society? Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish novelist (Istanbul: Memories and the City and My Names is Red) lived in Istanbul his whole life and even now lives in the same house that he grew up in. Despite all its flaws, he stayed there because it was home to him.

“The old curses seem to have lost their effect; almost suffocating in the tainted air of the overcrowded buses, fatigued, dripping with sweat, we are incapable of wishing for anything but that it be over.” (163). There have been many instances on this trip where external factors, tiredness, stress with homework, hunger and body temperature, have kept us from fully enjoying and experiencing the sites that we visited.

“So there is a man named Antonis to go with the voice on the telephone, who thinks of everything for us, arranges everything, takes care of everything. Who knows everyone here and spends his days telephoning a dozen people on our behalf.” (165). I include this quotation, because it reminds me of our tour guide Cenk who did indeed to everything for us. Have you ever had a team leader or tour guide that took care of all the details so that you could enjoy the trip?

“Before and after the tourist season he [the old man who is sitting in a shack at the entrance of the ancient Amphiareion] sits here for weeks without seeing a single person, we are told. What is he guarding? A tract of antique ruins, overgrown with greenery, surrounded by a wire fence and almost all far too heavy to be stolen…Maybe the spirit of place has molded him.” We saw these people at every site, the ones who sell and take tickets.

Mycenae, Delphi & Prophecy

The Trojan War pitted the Trojans against the Mycenaeans. Today we visit Delphi, which has significance for both camps. Originally, Delphi housed the temple of Mother Earth, which was the god of the Mycenaeans. Mythologically, Apollo established his own temple and oracle in Delphi and thus started the cult of Apollo in Delphi around the 8^th century before Christ.

A couple days ago, we had visited the ancient site of Mycenae where we saw the chamber tomb of Agamemnon,—king of Mycenae– a large cone-topped stone building built into the hillside with a massive door that had a triangular space above it. During traditional burial, the Mycenaeans would put valuable objects and offerings inside. In Christa Wolf’s book, “Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays”, Agamemnon becomes “the last in the series of men who have done her [Cassandra] violence” (150). Eventually he is killed by his wife Clytemnestra when he returns from war. Furthermore, we saw the Lion Gate in the wall of the city which Cassandra observes as she approaches the city as a slave of war. The book both begins and ends with these stone lions which seem to be watching her.

Delphi is traditionally known as the site of the ancient Pithian oracle of Apollo, which is referred to in so much of Greek mythology. The oracle was not only a prophecy, but it was a place. In the Apollo Temple, the priestesses would go and give prophecies to the people about once a month. People entering Delphi would pass through the entrance into the marketplace where thy might buy an offering to Apollo. Both individual citizens and city-states would make these offerings.  In general, even opposing city-states would be respectful of one another’s sacred space and objects because they all worshipped the same gods. In the Trojan War from Cassandra’s perspective though, Achilles of the Mycenaeans does desecrate the Apollo Temple in Troy by killing and raping people inside it. Before prophesying, the Pithia or priestess of Apollo would fast for days and then would enter the temple where she got drugged. Her prophecies would come out as broken words, shouts and ambiguous phrases which visitors had to interpret for themselves. This however does reflect the influence of women priestesses on all types of men throughout Greece.

In the context of the Trojan War, Cassandra would agree that people interpreted the oracles as they wanted. At one point she clearly states that the oracle was “made to order” by the royal family. Cassandra’s role in Troy seems to mirror the Pithia’s role in Delphi. Although it is not clear whether Cassandra gave oracles or official prophecies, it is certain, from the novel, that Cassandra has the gift of prophecy. However, she does not yield as much influence over men because Apollo has made it so that nobody believes her prophecies. Nevertheless, it is because of this role as prophetess of Apollo that makes Cassandra’s perspective of the Trojan War so interesting.

Peace

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 4:6-7

As I was reading through my book for the Capstone course, “Cassandra: a Novel and four Essays”, I came across a passage in which Cassandra describes how Troy is slowly unraveling to its demise. Her own people don’t heed her advice and she believes that the Trojans have planned their own defeat. Furthermore, she repeats themes about the oppression of women by men and the related slave trade that inevitably results from war. In the midst of all this she asserts: “Solace was what I needed. Peace that was not the peace of the grave. Living peace. Love’s peace” (123). This is not a peace that can come with dying. This is not a peace that can come from knowing the future, because she is Apollo’s prophetess. This is not a peace that comes from the oracles of the gods, because even she admits that the oracles are “made to order” by the royal family (89). So, where might Cassandra have gotten this peace. Well, in the passage she mentions “Love’s peace.” The Christian God which is referred to in Philippians 4:6-7, is often called Love in the Bible. And it is His peace which is unfathomable for the human mind and fills the heart and the mind. If Cassandra needed peace, what she needed was Christ’s peace!

We need Christ’s peace each and every day. It’s just sometimes, we don’t acknowledge our own need. Today, our study abroad group was forced to see that need. As the evening activities wound down, many of us were cold, tired and extremely stressed out from the loads of work we have to catch up. Because of that, we became quickly irritated and angry with each other, even over minor issues. Many times we pray for world peace or peace to end wars or end disease (which is good). But sometimes (oftentimes), we need Christ’s peace in our own lives. And God offers it to us. No other peace will satisfy us. Only Christ’s peace can.

The Real Olympics

Well, my wish came true! I got the opportunity to attend the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics 2011 summer games in Athens at the Kallimarmaron Stadium, the oldest stadium of the world built in 566 BC, made out of marble and holding up to 46,000 spectators today!

Athlete Procession into ancient stadium for Opening Ceremonies of Special Olympics 2011 in Athens.

After deep contemplation and uncertainty, I obtained my ticket and found myself seated in the ancient theatre taking in the opening moments of the Special Olympic games. Spectators were gathered from all over the world, donning their countries colors, waving flags and anticipating the moment when their nation would be called and the athletes representing them would process proudly into the stadium.

The ceremony oddly started off with the “Music of the Ancient Pots”, a musical performance from Minoan island of Crete which ended in a fireworks backed smashing of the pots which symbolized breaking down the walls of discrimination. Afterwards, the Parade of Athletes started in random order as to not put one country over another. Some other observations I made were that Irish fans (conveniently seated right behind us) did in fact cheer on the team from Great Britain. Many country’s athletes dressed in ethnic dress including the Haitians and the Indonesians. Recent war-torn and politically unstable countries participated, like Iraq, Iran, Cuba, Kuwait, and Palestine, which symbolized unity and peace to me. In addition, I felt pride and cheered a little louder when countries like USA, Kenya, China, Japan and Peru entered. And finally, when the Irish team entered, the boisterous Irish fans erupted in cheers, a chant of “I-re-land, I-re-land” and song: “ole-ole-ole-ole”. Over 180 teams participating in the Olympics marched in with over 7000 total athletes. By far the largest applause came when the Greek team was announced; the whole stadium stood to their feet and cheered continuously for several minutes! There was a sense of a oneness and wholeness in that stadium.

Later, 12 special Olympic athletes from different countries shared testimonies of their own “victories” including one who recently got married and another who earned a top level business job. Afterwards, there were several speeches including one from Timothy Shriver, son of Eunice Maria Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics. He said that the acts of athletes uniting for “victory” are an example for the world. He challenged the stadium (now full of athletes, coaches, family and spectators) to start a “dignity revolution” right then and there; a world with many abilities and no disabilities. Another moment of shared unity and oneness came during the live Stevie Wonder performance. That’s right STEVIE WONDER! The whole stadium was dancing and clapping and having a good time. It was like one big party. Beyond that, I admired him for his short speech which talked about humans as God’s unique creation, made with dignity and beauty.

A major portion of the ceremony was “Our Odysseus”, a 45 minute performance focused on Homer’s story of courage, strength and hope. It is a journey for the world and for the athletes of the Special Olympics. There were six scenes each with elaborate choreographed dancing and neat special effects. The first was a scene of setting sail for Ithaca, a journey of adventure and learning. The next scene featured Polyfimos, the Cyclops and spoke of overcoming impenetrable challenges with education and training. The third scene depicts a storm created by Poseidon, god of the seas, and teaches that the strength of the soul can empower us to overcome adversity. The next scene featured bird-like sirens and we gleaned that there will be distractions and temptations on the journey, but perseverance and commitment to goals is necessary to succeed. Scylla and Charybdis followed, the classic rock and hard place, which showed that while fear and self-doubt lurks within us all, it can be defeated through patience, strength and solidarity. Finally, the Island of Feakes closed the story with challenge and a rise to divinity. This tied in to the philosophy and Greek history that we’ve been reading and learning about in our classes and study abroad adventure. Furthermore, this rendering of Homer’s Odyssey not only tied in perfectly to the spirit of the Olympic games, but to life in general!

“If anything is to bring world peace, the Special Olympics will, not the Nike and Adidas Olympics.” ~ Paraphrase of a verbal quotation by Dr. Moore

The Art of stealing Art

Is it stealing? Depends on which side you ask.

Already, we have encountered two examples of this. First was in the Zeus Alter of Pergamum which now resides in the Pergamum Museum in Berlin, Germany. The second is the mosaics of Cos, which now decorate the floors of the Grand Master’s Palace in Rhodes. And the third and perhaps most infamous example which we encountered was that of the Parthenon Marbles, a collection of classical Greek marble sculptures, inscriptions and architectural artifacts that originally decorated the Parthenon and other buildings of the Athenian acropolis, which are now housed at the British Museum. Apparently, this happens all the time.

There are many questions that arise from this issue with respect to the preservation of history and culture. For, example, it is said that the Lord Elgin, who obtained controversial permission from the Ottoman Empire to remove  pieces of the Acropolis around 1800, protected the marbles from later destruction due to the arms and ammunition that was stored in the Parthenon under Ottoman rule. Eventually, Lord Elgin sold these marbles to the British Museum where they are now housed. The questions remains who’s property these marbles are, were they obtained legally or illegally and should they be returned to Athens? Greeks insist that they want the marbles in order to completely restore the Parthenon and keep two parts of the same historical monument together. While the British museum has previously offered to give Athens the marbles on permanent loan, Athens has refused it, contesting that they want ownership of the marbles. This is a continual debate that is unlikely to be solved soon.

The Zeus Alter brings up larger ethical questions about preservation of history. When the German’s removed the complete alter and flew it to Berlin, they cut up the reliefs into arbitrary sections. Unfortunately, these portions of the alter when pieced together displayed how these cuts divided stories and people and faces. The German’s literally defaced history (pun intended)! The German’s don’t look like they’ll be giving back the alter any time soon.

Finally, the mosaics of Cos in the Grand Master’s Palace of Rhodes. One of the large floor mosaics was from the early Byzantine Empire, made around the 5^th century AD, and taken from the St. John’s Basilica on the Greek island of Cos. Another one shows the nine muses. All of these mosaics are exquisite and I wonder how the people of Cos feel about these missing mosaics, and how they were transported to Rhodes, without destroying it.

While there are many more questions that are left unaddressed and many more examples of this “art stealing”, I have seen enough to present my own opinion. I believe that if possible, the artifacts should be returned to their original locations. It shouldn’t matter how much it costs or what it takes. These pieces do not belong to one country or another, but rather they belong to history. They must be reunited not only with the other ancient artifacts that they once stood with (the Parthenon for the marbles, the alter base for the Zeus alter, and the floors for the mosaics), but also the historic ground where they once lay.

Hehe…this begs another questions though…to what extent have these artifacts become part of the new history of its present possessors?

Loyalty to family versus Loyalty to Religion

Who do you love more, God or family? What if these two loyalties of yours conflicted, which one would you choose? What if a family member asked you to do something contrary to your religion? Or what if God told you to do something that might harm your family?

This is something that comes up both in ancient Greek literature as well as the Bible. In the Bible, Abraham is commanded by God to sacrifice his one and only son, Isaac, despite God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would number the stars (Genesis 15). Abraham responds with loyalty to God and proceeds to sacrifice Isaac according to God’s will before God sends an angel to stop Abraham. Abraham’s loyalty to God is tested during this incident and Abraham’s faithfulness to God, even above family, is proven.

In the story of Troy, which is accounted in the novel that I’m reading, “Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays”, there are surprisingly two similar examples of this, each occurring on a different side of the war. First, Agamemnon, of the Greeks, is directed by the goddess Artemis to sacrifice his daughter Iphiginea before his fleet crossed the water, in order to ensure safe passage. Agamemnon, like Abraham sacrifices his daughter, showing loyalty to his God over his family. However, he does display regret about his decision, blaming the pressure of his superstitious men and the word of the priest. On the Trojan side, King Priam is pressured to sacrifice his son Paris because he has been fated to be the fall of Troy. However, for Priam, family loyalties prevail and he spares Paris’ life, which eventually does lead to Troy’s fall.

We see that for the Greeks and Trojans both of their decisions ended poorly. However, the account about Abraham had a happy ending! I know that the God I serve has been faithful to me and His people in the past, and that  God’s will is always for my good. Thus, I will remain faithful and loyal to Him no matter what, even if that means superseding my loyalty to family.

Characteristics of a Priestess: Cassandra

Coming from a Protestant Christian background, I really don’t know what it means to be a priestess, as Cassandra was. After completing the first 50 pages of Christa Wolf’s novel “Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays”, I have a better understanding of what it takes to be a priestess of a Greek deity, in this case Apollo. There’s no better way to explain it than to take some of Cassandra’s own quotations, so that is what I’ve extracted here for you!

1. Ability to understand emotions with wisdom:

“I realized that a person’s attitude to pain reveals more about his future than almost any other sign I know.” (31)

“Yes, it’s true, fear too can be set free, and that shows that it belongs with everything and everyone who is oppressed…fear is weakness and weakness can be amended by iron discipline.” (35)

“Tears clouded one’s reasoning powers.” (37)

2. Ability to discern one’s own character and way in which others perceive you:

“It took me a long time and much labor to distinguish between qualities in ourselves that we know and those that are inborn and virtually unrecognizable. Affable, modest, unassuming—that was the image I had of myself, which survived every catastrophe virtually intact…Did I gravely wound the self-esteem of my family in order to preserve my own—because to be honest, proud, and truth-loving was a part of this image?” (11)

3. Ability to ask deep philosophical questions:

“What was happening? What kind of place did I live in? How many realities were there in Troy besides mine, which I had thought was the only one? Who fixed the boundary between visible and invisible? And who allowed the ground to be shaken where I had walked so securely?” (20)

At one point, she had “zeal to impart new questions to mankind” (29).

4. Ability to escape society and commune with the divine:

According to Panthous, Cassandra possessed the “ardent desire to be on familiar terms with the deity” and “aversion to the approaches of mortal man” (26).

“I did not want the world the way it was, but I wanted to serve devotedly the gods who ruled it.” (40)

5. Ability to influence people (well kind of…):

According to Panthous, Apollo’s priest, Cassandra was a good priestess because of her “desire to exercise influence over people” (26).

However, she is told that “you have the gift to predict the future. But no one will believe you.” (22).

So, how much influence can the priestess Cassandra actually have?

* Ability to foresee the future:

She declared that Troy would fall. She objected to bringing the Trojan horse into the city, which would doom Troy. She predicted that she would die along with Agamemnon at the hands of Clytemnestra. She foreshadowed that Clytemnestra would be blinded by power and that she too would fall.

Introduction to Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays

How fitting it is that we arrived in Rhodes today, an island in Greece, and I started reading the third of four novels that I must read for Capstone: “Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays” by Christa Wolf. The reason for my amazement is that this book retells the story of the Trojan War from the perspective of Cassandra, who is the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, priestess of Apollo who can foretell the future and mistress of Agamemnon of Macedonia. Thus, this book is a perfect link between my travels and learning about Turkey, location of ancient Troy, and Greece, formerly known as Macedonia.

Just over thirty years ago, German author Christa Wolf traveled to Greece which inspired her to write this novel. Two years later in 1982, she presented five lectures at the University of Frankfurt. The fifth lecture is the prototype for the novel of Cassandra. The other four lectures follow the novel as essays in this book which illuminate the background and implications of the novel. Interestingly, the essays come in the form of two travel reports, a work diary and a letter.

The first theme that arises in this book is the distinction and tension between men and women, which seems to be more prevalent because of the unique narrating voice of a woman, Cassandra. Early on, she praises Penthesilea, “the man-killing warrior woman” who was the only to arm herself in preparation for the attack from the Trojan horse (7). Furthermore, she respects strong-willed women leaders like Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon, and her own mother, Queen Hecuba. She recognizes the way that men exploited women during wartime: “the women…as the war dragged on came to fear their increasingly savage menfolk as much as the enemy” (17).

Besides the theme of men versus woman, there is also a perhaps obvious theme of war in this novel, which is a huge contrast to the theme of painting that my last reading “My Name is Red” centered around. Cassandra, as with others, knew that Troy was expected to win the war because of their militaristic society. Nevertheless, she predicts Troy’s fall, mentioning that Troy had remained long enough. This leads her to ponder how the world will indeed go on, even with the fall of Troy, and that there are realities outside of hers that exist. We must inquire about these questions along with Cassandra and look beyond our secluded personal worlds to see the bigger picture and world around us.

Finally, as a prophetess, Cassandra broaches the topic of dwelling on the past, present and future with us. This book is “an urgent call to examine the past in order to insure a future”. She is a priestess who can foretell the future, but unfortunately, no one will believe her. Knowing that she will soon be executed, she states that there is “nothing left to describe the world but the language of the past. The language of the present has shriveled to the worlds that describe this dismal fortress. The language of the future has only one sentence left for me: Today I will be killed” (14). As prophetess to Apollo is her office, I’m sure that this topic of past, present and future will again arise in the book.