During my Junior year fall break, I and two of my good buddies made the four-hundred mile trek to Gettysburg. It took three full days to tour the battlefield in historical, chronological order. As southerners, we re-enacted Pickett's charge and crossed into the Union lines over the rock boundary. We stood in silence for long spaces of time, imagining the history. It's strange, but the trip still holds a significant "spiritual," if you will, hold between the three of us. I can't wait to return. Great lecture!
Athens is Athens, much like Philadelphia is Philadelphia; but when the songs of man, the songs of a nation, are written and sung, Gettysburg, much like Marathon, or Ilium, is a beast of its own, unparalleled by the forces of history conceptualized as civilization.
Interesting thesis, but.... Horace, commenting upon epic literature, believed that all good epics begin in media res, in the middle of things. Perhaps your position should me modified with the Civil War as the epic tale with Gettysburg as the middle point from which your thesis evolves. The Iliad is an epic poem, but is not about the Trojan War. The War serves as a backdrop, but the tale is about the “wrath of Achilles”. I think also you have to proceed cautiously when referring to the Aeneid as an epic poem. Whereas the other epics you mention were indeed written as epic poetry, the Aeneid is a lengthy piece of political propaganda commissioned by Augustus Caesar as a means of “justifying/marketing” his autocratic government to a population tired of war and political unrest. Virgil just so happened to elect to use the epic format as the medium to convey the message. It added a degree of gravitas to the story. The program was interesting, thought provoking, and well presented. I just think the Civil War in its entirety represents the epic tale with Gettysburg being the logical starting point in the Horatian scheme. The Civil War and not just Gettysburg defined who we became and, in your terms, is central to our national identity. Kudos to your and your fellow NPS colleagues who effectively keep the spark of this event alive.
@@leebranch1228 The Trojan War serves as the backdrop for the Iliad. It’s not an epic about war and warfare. It’s all about Achilles and his personal problems. Homer even tips you off in the first lines of the work telling the reading he will be singing about the wrath of Achilles.
While Troy is an excellent speaker I could not get into this "lecture". It may have been the a great presentation at a college but would be curious as to how it went over in this venue?
During my Junior year fall break, I and two of my good buddies made the four-hundred mile trek to Gettysburg. It took three full days to tour the battlefield in historical, chronological order. As southerners, we re-enacted Pickett's charge and crossed into the Union lines over the rock boundary. We stood in silence for long spaces of time, imagining the history. It's strange, but the trip still holds a significant "spiritual," if you will, hold between the three of us. I can't wait to return. Great lecture!
Athens is Athens, much like Philadelphia is Philadelphia; but when the songs of man, the songs of a nation, are written and sung, Gettysburg, much like Marathon, or Ilium, is a beast of its own, unparalleled by the forces of history conceptualized as civilization.
I like ranger Harmen’s lectures
Interesting thesis, but.... Horace, commenting upon epic literature, believed that all good epics begin in media res, in the middle of things. Perhaps your position should me modified with the Civil War as the epic tale with Gettysburg as the middle point from which your thesis evolves. The Iliad is an epic poem, but is not about the Trojan War. The War serves as a backdrop, but the tale is about the “wrath of Achilles”. I think also you have to proceed cautiously when referring to the Aeneid as an epic poem. Whereas the other epics you mention were indeed written as epic poetry, the Aeneid is a lengthy piece of political propaganda commissioned by Augustus Caesar as a means of “justifying/marketing” his autocratic government to a population tired of war and political unrest. Virgil just so happened to elect to use the epic format as the medium to convey the message. It added a degree of gravitas to the story.
The program was interesting, thought provoking, and well presented. I just think the Civil War in its entirety represents the epic tale with Gettysburg being the logical starting point in the Horatian scheme. The Civil War and not just Gettysburg defined who we became and, in your terms, is central to our national identity.
Kudos to your and your fellow NPS colleagues who effectively keep the spark of this event alive.
"..NOT about the Trojan War." ? Whaaa!?
@@leebranch1228 The Trojan War serves as the backdrop for the Iliad. It’s not an epic about war and warfare. It’s all about Achilles and his personal problems. Homer even tips you off in the first lines of the work telling the reading he will be singing about the wrath of Achilles.
While Troy is an excellent speaker I could not get into this "lecture". It may have been the a great presentation at a college but would be curious as to how it went over in this venue?
Oh we of this country. Our ego is Roman, like we rule history.