The Literary Treasures of Troy
June Samaras <[email protected]> Tue, 7 Jan 2020 17:06:31 -0500
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The Literary Treasures of Troy
BY ALEX JOHNSON <https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=3Dhttp=
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C71zeLL%2F8j0PS83GhkbEdf14hcqDFe3X0%2Fc%3D&reserved=3D0> ON
DECEMBER 17, 2019
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=C2=A9 THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM
Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898), *Helen's Tears*, drawing from *The Flower
Book*, 1882-1898.
*Troy: myth and reality*
<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.br=
itishmuseum.org%2Fexhibitions%2Ftroy-myth-and-reality&data=3D02%7C01%7C=
CLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7Ca45394189e614f435f2e08d793bdfe4d%7C2b30530b69b64=
457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C0%7C637140316540507396&sdata=3Dl1Nntk8rOc%2F0=
%2BhVsojvaiEcwc1%2BB6eA7%2FT5K8iQsAIw%3D&reserved=3D0> at the
British Museum is the first major Troy exhibition in the UK. While it
concentrates on pottery, weaponry, and sculpture to tell the story of the
Trojan War and its legacy in around 300 objects, the show also features a
wealth of literary treasures associated with the well known legends as well
as the discoveries made by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in Turkey in
the 1870s.
The two oldest written pieces date to the 1st century AD, part of a papyrus
manuscript of the *Odyssey* with passages from book 3 annotated by ancient
scholars, and from the same period, again on papyrus, a school pupil has
written line 2601 from *The Aeneid* seven times in practice, =E2=80=9Cnon t=
ibi
Tyndaridis facies inuisa Lacaenae,=E2=80=9D referring to the role of Helen =
in the
downfall of Troy ("not for you the hated face of the Laconian women,
daughter of Tyndareus"). More pupil exercises are featured on a wooden
board dating back to the Roman occupation of Egypt in the 5th century AD.
These are also lines from the *Iliad* celebrating the joys of drinking. As
historian Bettany Hughes says in her book, *Helen of Troy: Goddess,
Princess, Whore*, it resembles a =E2=80=9Cswinging, Wild West saloon sign.=
=E2=80=9D
On display too is the Townley Homer from 1059 which not only includes the
text of *The Iliad*, but also has many marginal notes and interlinear
glosses. When this was last sold in auction, in 1814, it was bought for
=C2=A3620.
Among other early volumes in the exhibition are John Lydate=E2=80=99s *Troy=
Book* from
around 1457-60, telling the story of Troy in Middle English thanks to a
commission from the Prince of Wales, later Henry V; the first book ever
printed in English, *Recuyell of the historyes of Troye,* published by
William Caxton around 1474, possibly an inspiration for Shakespeare=E2=80=
=99s
"Troilus and Cressida"; and Chapman=E2=80=99s Homer c. 1616, which John Kea=
ts
memorably first looked into.
Also of interest is the English translation by John Dryden of *The Aeneid* =
from
1697. This was a very personal approach in which he made additions and
changes, claiming optimistically that these expansions of Virgil=E2=80=99s =
work
were =E2=80=9Cnot stuck into him, but growing out of him.=E2=80=9D
The exhibition runs to March 8, 2020. Visitors should remember to take
their reading glasses as the signage is rather small and frequently at
ankle height.
June Samaras
KALAMOS BOOKS
(For Books about Greece)
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : [email protected]
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June Samaras
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : [email protected]