Agamemnon: The Names Have Changed but the Players Remain the Same

Greek philosophers, literature and history... who studies this stuff any more? I'd have to admit that Greek lit and history had little interest to me much of my life. I do remember studying the Odyssey at some point in high school, but it wasn't until much later that its significance struck a chord.

Many of the names from these ancient stories have glittered across pop culture, from Achilles to Zeus, Ulysses to Sysiphus, Poseidon to Prometheus, and Aphrodite to Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships. (See; Backstory on the Trojan War.)

It was Andre Gide's Two Legends: Oedipus and Theseus that first brought to life in a seriously new way for me. In 2017 Harvard professor Richard Thomas, in his book Why Bob Dylan Matters, made many of us aware of how Bob Dylan had been immersed by or influenced by the Greek classics.

When I say "Greek classics" do you yawn? You might think, "What does a play written 2500 years ago have to do with life in the 21st century?" 

Let's start with who was Aeschylus? 

Aeschylus was a renowned ancient Greek playwright who lived from roughly 525 BC to 455 BC. He was widely regarded as the "father of tragedy." He's credited with introducing significant innovations to the genre, including the addition of a second actor to the stage, the development of dialogue between characters, and the incorporation of choral songs that explored themes of justice, fate, and the relationship between humans and the gods.

In his play Agamemnon there are four main characters plus a chorus. If you're familiar with. the Trojan War, you would know that Agamemnon was the brother of Menelaus, king of Sparta, whose wife Helen was abducted by Paris and taken to Troy. Agamemnon responded by assembling a coalition of Greek kingdoms to avenge this insult and ransack Troy.

So... here are the characters in the play. Do any of these sound familiar or resonate with people in our own time frame? ("If the shoe fits...")

Chrysus appeals to Agamemnon (ancient urn)

Agamemnon 
The highest-ranking official at the beginning of the play, he is its tragic hero. He's proud of his rank and accomplishments. Yet despite Agamemnon's leadership, he is less admired now by his subjects for fighting an unpopular war. He is portrayed as less intelligent and less forward thinking than his wife, believing prosperity will shield him from misfortune. Agamemnon attempts humility, saying he does not want to be treated as a god. But like other Greek tragic heroes, he is fatally flawed by hubris (pride).

Clytaemnestra 
Driven by the desire for vengeance and power, the shrewd, audacious Clytaemnestra is the play's most developed and complex character, even if her name is the most difficult to pronounce. She professes loyalty to Agamemnon and praises him at the same time as she plots his death. She also is argumentative, defending her thoughts and opinions to the Chorus when they disagree

Cassandra
Agamemnon's war captive, Cassandra is emotional and distraught by the destruction of her homeland. Given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, she can see accurately into the past, present, and future. However, after Cassandra refused to bear his child, Apollo cursed her so no one would believe these prophecies. (How much wisdom and insight is lost today because the voices of those most prescient are ignored?)

Aegisthus 
There's a sense in which Aegisthus is like Clytaemnestra. Both crave power and payback. Aegisthus, driven by the need to avenge some family wrongdoing, has this whole authoritative and menacing vibe. He's all about establishing a firm, in-control government, and he's not afraid to throw out threats about enslaving anyone who doesn't see eye to eye with him. Total power move, right? 

Chorus 
The Chorus represents the townspeople of Argos. They have a stake in whatever goes down and tend to drop some moral wisdom based on what the central characters decide. Aeschylus gives these Chorus folk their own opinions, throwing in a line or two, but it doesn't change how the drama unfolds. While they're generally Team Agamemnon, the big boss of Argos, they're not too keen on his war plans. When Agamemnon bites the dust, it makes an impact on the Chorus in a deep way.

The murder of Agamemnon

* * * 

See any parallels to what's happening today? I see plenty.

* * * 

For a full list of characters visit:
https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Agamemnon/characters/

If interested, read the plot summary here:
https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Agamemnon/plot-summary/

The character analysis above is based on this:
https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Agamemnon/character-analysis/

The deed is done.

John Evans and the Medicis

John Evans had always been fascinated by history, and the city of Florence in Italy seemed the perfect vacation destination for him. He had planned his trip for months, reading every book he could find on the city and its rich cultural heritage. From the first moment his feet touched the pavement he felt he was home.

On the morning of his second day in Florence, John woke up feeling disoriented. He sat up in bed at the AirBnB he'd found two blocks from the Duomo, and rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the grogginess. But as he looked around the room, he realized that something was very wrong. The furniture was different, the walls were made of stone, and there was no electricity. When he looked for his iPhone it wasn't anywhere to be found. In fact, he couldn't even find the outlet he'd plugged it into the night before. A chill run down his spine.

He stumbled out of bed and bolted to the window. To his amazement, he saw a bustling city street below. Instead of squads of tourists he saw the narrow street alive with people dressed in clothes from another era. His first thought was that he'd awakened somewhere in Hollywood and was on a film set. Could he actually have been transported back in time?

John was wide awake now as he went outside. He began to wander the streets while trying to make sense of his situation. As he walked, he noticed that people were staring at him, puzzled by his strange appearance and unfamiliar clothing. "Mi scusi," he said to the first few people he encountered. "Parla inglesi?" 

Their replies made no sense to him. He couldn't understand the language and wished he'd been better prepared for this trip to Italy. (He'd wisely memorized a few essential words.) Each and every one spent half their time glancing up and down his attire in bafflement. A few asked where he was from but they spoke so quickly he couldn't understand a word.

Eventually, John found himself in the Piazza del Duomo where he saw a group of well-dressed men in an animated discussion. He approached them tentatively and asked for their help. To his surprise, they welcomed him warmly and offered to take him in, but he couldn't grasp what they were saying. 

"No copisco," he said with a shrug, his face conveying that universal expression of confusion.

The men laughed heartily at this. One extended his hand and said, "Venire. Unisciti a noi." (That is, "Come. Join us.") The shortest of the four men made several quick commands to the others, citing one of them by name.

John couldn't believe it. "Medici?"

At this, all four stared at him, their eyebrows raised.

"Conosci i Medici?"

John suddenly realized he'd traveled back to the time of the Medicis. "Do you know Machiavelli?" he blurted out, not realizing he'd spoken in English.

The short man glared at him. "Niccolò Machiavelli?"

The American hesitated before answering. 

"Sono Niccolò Machiavelli. Cosa vuoi?" (Trans. "I am Niccolò Machiavelli. What do you want?")

John bowed deeply. "I studied your book when I was in school," he said. 

Their blank stares indicated he'd spoken in English again. And that's when the real remarkable thing began to happen. Words were forming in his mouth before he spoke them. In Italian! "Ho studiato il tuo libro quando ero a scuola."

The Medici turned to face his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Niccolò? You've written a book?" (He said this in Italian, of course.)

Machiavelli now stared into John's eyes with suspicion. "How did you know this? No one has yet seen a word of it."

"Chiedo scusa." ( Trans. "I beg your pardon.") "One day people all over the world will be reading this book. Even in America."

"What! Did Amerigo put you up to this?"  

John again looked perplexed. 

"Amerigo Vespucci. He lives down by the Arno." (For those unfamiliar, the Arno is a river that runs through Florence.)

John sighed. He didn't know whether to tell them that one day two continents would be named after that man... North and South America. 

Having finally realized that he had traveled back in time to the era of the Medicis, one of the most powerful and influential families in Italian history, he was prepared to accept his fate. He was amazed by the beauty and splendor of the city, with its magnificent cathedral, bustling markets, public art and vibrant energy.

Over the next few weeks, John immersed himself in this birthplace of the Renaissance, learning about their art, architecture, politics, and daily life. He heard about Booksellers Row and was given permission to handle a Greek manuscript and ancient scrolls from the time of the Greeks. He made new friends and also fell in love with a young woman named Maria who was equally fascinated by this stranger from the future who told them stories about Galileo ("He's a crazy old buzzard from Pisa," she said.) and Da Vinci and flying machines and World Wars, though he was stumped when it came to trying to describe the Internet and Social Media.

 

As days turned into weeks, John began to realize that he didn't want to leave this world. He believed he was home when he first arrived in Florence, but now he thoroughly felt himself to be home. After a couple months he began courting Maria and eventually, with a new sense of purpose, started a new family.  

Shortly before his son was born he had an unsettling dream. Though strange in its particulars, he took it as an omen. In his heart he knew he couldn't stay here forever. Maria's love was strong, though, and when he saw the infant for the first time he wept. "Can we call him Leonardo?"

Maria said, "Sì, lo chiameremo Leonardo."

He knew that life is a miracle and a gift, but this was something he had not been prepared for. 

In the end, John did find his way back to the present day. It happened like this. As he was walking with his friend Niccolò, Machiavelli began telling him that the world is more strange than he'd ever considered. "As crazy as it sounds, I'm starting to believe you're not really mad. And you'll never guess the dream I had last night."

"I'm sure I won't," Evans said. "Tell me." 

"Well, it happened right over here behind this chapel."

Uncomprehending, John Evans stared down a narrow street there and realized something. He had been here before.

Niccolò clasped his hand with two hands and said, "Grazzi." The full weight of his words struck John as he realized the man was saying goodbye. Niccolò then pointed to the door. 

John was overcome with a sense of foreboding. Unable to resist the pull he stepped through the door and found himself in the foyer of the AirBnB he'd rented a year before. Or rather, four centuries in the future.

Listlessly he walked up the staircase and found the room, with his iPhone still plugged into the outlet. After checking his travel pouch--yes, his passport was still there--he looked outside his window and saw a batch of tourists following a man carrying a flag who while herding them along that historic ancient path. John's eyes became moist as he thought of Maria and little Leonardo.

He never forgot his journey to the past, and the lessons he learned about love, friendship, and the enduring power of human connection. And whenever he returned to Florence, something he would do every spring for the rest of his life, he always felt a sense of nostalgia and wonder, remembering that time when he had lived among the Medicis, and felt truly alive.

* * * 

In 2023, during his eighth trip to Florence to pay homage he did as he always had done, reflected on that strange chapter which seemed increasingly unreal. While in the airport in Paris Evans purchased a copy of The Atlantic to read on the plane. One of the articles was about a surprising revelation that Leonardo DeCaprio had come across while doing genealogical research. 

The story began with a museum administrator who had discovered a folio of unpublished writings by Machiavelli. The author of The Prince had gone into great detail describing a man from the future named John who lived for a season with the Medicis and talked much about the future. Experts at first dismissed the papers as a hoax because they were uncannily accurate about so many things. North and South America were mentioned. So, too, were many names of famous 20th century Italians including Enrico Fermi, Mussolini, a tenor named Luciano Pavarotti and an actor named Leonardo DiCaprio.

The Atlantic reprinted one of the pages from this folio and a page from the original manuscript for The Prince to show how identical the handwriting was. By using the latest forensic technology to examine the paper and ink, a pair of scientists from Milan confirmed that not only was the paper identical but the ink as well.

The main point of the article, however, was not simply that something inexplicable had happened. The lengthy article was a story of DeCaprio's own personal quest to trace his genealogical roots. To his astonishment, he found that his family not only lived in Florence during the time of the Medicis, but that during that time he had a mother named Mary and a father named John who, according to Machiavelli's notes, said he was an American.

* * * 

On the flight from Paris to Florence, Evans reflected on the incredible tale he'd just read. Then a niggling thought entered his brain. He tried to push it away but it wouldn't leave him. Evans was a writer and a researcher. In the early 1990s he had completed an incredibly detailed outline of the many branches of his family tree for his mother, brother and sisters, going all the way back to 12th century England, seeking to prove a family legend of royal roots. Despite failing in this, he found the whole process satisfying nevertheless. 

In 2004 Evans heard a couple friends talking about new genetic tools that people were using to learn more about their roots. "I found out that I have German and Spanish roots that I never knew about," said one. 

"I have roots that go back to Africa and a branch from the Netherlands," said another.

When John Evans got his results from Ancestry.com he learned about an Italian line he'd never uncovered before. You can guess where this is going. When he pursued his past looking for where this Italian line entered, it turned out to be a sailor during the time of Napoleon who had shipwrecked off the coast of Dover. And yes, as you've already guessed, while tracing that man's roots, John Evans learned that he was descended from himself.

* * * 

Michelangelo's David... A Showstopper

"Did you see Michelangelo's David?""

That is a question I was asked several times after my return from Florence last month. It's an interesting question because it seems to imply that if you hadn't then you hadn't really been to Florence. Or, to put it another way, that David is the reason to go to Florence in the first place, as if the Uffizi, the Bargello, Palazzo Pitti and everything else is as nothing.

If you plan to go to Florence, it's useful to know that Michelangelo's David--the authentic one, not the replica--resides at the Galleria dell'Accademia. The Accademia is home to many treasures, but for certain David has the place of centrality here, and it is breathtaking.

There are a variety of stories that swirl about in my head when I think on this statue. First, there is the story about how it came to exist. Then there are the stories of what it means as a symbol. Why David? And finally, the stunning magnificence of young Michelangelo's David as a work of art in and of itself.

Here's a little backstory. Michelangelo was only 26 when he carved this statue out of a single block of marble. The 17-foot-high block was considered to be of inferior quality with little value according to the master craftsmen of his day. "Give it to the kid," you can imagine one of them saying as peers laughed.

When they saw what the young artist had produced with this throwaway stone, no one was laughing. To this day, people stop in their tracks when the David comes into view. They draw near with eyes wide, mouths agape. With well-defined muscles, expressive face, perfectly proportioned body, the David captures something of the Renaissance spirit of determination and courage, strength and resilience. When you stand up close, you can even see the veins in his arm.

David was one of the most significant characters in the Old Testament. Michelangelo chosen to focus on a singular turning point in David's life, his battle with the giant Goliath. Up till that moment he was a shepherd. True, he had killed powerful predators, including a lion, to protect his sheep and was no novice when it came to fighting adversaries. This was different. He was going face to face with a professional soldier, and a giant one at that. (You can read the story of this confrontation in I Samuel 17:26-50.)

Note the muscles, tendons and veins in the arm.

David's confidence in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, made him a symbol of hope and inspiration.*

The room where David has been placed is called the Sala Del David. It's a large rectangular room with a high arched ceiling where a dome of windows allows diffused light to filter in from above. The statue of David is located in the center of the room, on a raised pedestal, making it even more imposing. The manner in which the light flows in helps to highlight the details. The location enables visitors to view it from all sides. There are also benches along the wall behind it where one can take a seat and reflect on it.

When you first enter the Accademia the corridor is lined with statues on the left and right, six by Michelangelo. These are variations on the theme of characters breaking out of their rock enclosures. They are essentially unfinished works that have been preserved to show how the artist chipped his characters out of their confines.

EdNote: Before traveling to Italy I did spent a couple months in planning my trip. I was greatly helped by Rick Steves Pocket Florence, which I purchased after deciding what cities I would be visiting on this adventure. What I learned is that to avoid lengthy lines one is at advantage by purchasing tickets in advance. There were two lines outside the entrance. One was for people who did not buy a ticket in advance. That line stretched around the corner. The line I was in had six or eight people in it.

Michelangelo's David isn't the only Renaissance masterpiece in Florence. This city filled with an overabundance of awe-inspiring art and architecture. Even though I was brain-numbed by all I'd seen beforehand, the site of this David struck me with unexpected force.

* * * * 

*David's significance extended far beyond the slaying of Goliath. In addition to being Israel's second king, he wrote many of the Psalms. There's a sense in which he was like a real life. action hero. He was a complex man who made mistakes but was deeply devoted to God. There's evidence outside of the Bible that David was an actual historical figure who lived about a thousand years before Christ. 

Renaissance Art

This past week I was in a store that sells used computers and related paraphernalia. A couple of the walls were decorated with motherboards. I have frequently thought all these broken computers would make interesting wall art, so it was a nice surprise to see my idea fleshed out, so to speak.

The name of the store is Computer Renaissance, hence the title of this column, Renaissance Art.

By the way, isn't paraphernalia the weirdest word? Nowadays it most commonly refers to equipment or apparatus or junk associated with a certain activity, but the original meaning of the word, according to Webster, is, "the separate real or personal property of a married woman that she can dispose of by will and sometimes according to common law during her life." It's origin is a Greek word that means, "beyond the dowry."

The word renaissance is also interesting. The origin of the word is a combine of two words, "ri" which means "again" and "nascere" which is "to be born." So Renaissance means to be born again, and was probably coined in reference to the flowering of culture that was occurring at that time in the arts, philosophy and culture from the 14th to 17th centuries.

So in a sense, a broken circuit board that ends up as wall art might be said to truly have been "born again." Can this be what happens to a broken life as well when it is taken from the trash heap and turned into a work of art?

It's a thought. Have a nice weekend.