One important aspect of all cultures around the world is their take on literature and how they approach the concept. There are different styles of writing everywhere, even in distinct cultures themselves. Along with the thought of literary style is the way that readers look at and analyze pieces of work. Also the importance and influence that literature has on a society is different around the world. These cultural influences may not be obvious at first but when one is able to see literature from another culture, and actually have someone from that culture express their view points and thoughts, then differences in thought become apparent. People approach and analyze a piece of literature differently based upon how they see things and what they find important. Two people can look at the very same poem and interpret it in totally different ways, and who is to say which interpretation is right?
Poetry in America compared to China has a smaller role. Something interesting about the Chinese is their involvement in literature at such an early age. Children from about age four already start to learn the classic poems and other pieces of work. There are some poems that almost everyone in China can recite by memory. In America we really do not have this dedication to literature. We see it in a different way. Poetry in America has more of a universal meaning. One is able to read a poem and get at least an idea of what the poet is feeling and thinking. This is not true for poems in China. They are much more difficult to understand. My partner said that in order to understand that poem one must first understand the poet and his background. The poet that I focused on was a first century poet named Du Fu. Du Fu’s poems focused on suffering and war because during this time war and riots were in full swing. This is a key element to understand the meaning of his works. Du Fu also implements a technique called yi xiang by the Chinese. This form of writing relates nature and scenery to the way the poet is feeling. The use of colors is also used to describe emotions and feelings.
One poem that I analyzed by Du Fu goes as follows:
Two yellowbirds chirp in the green willow
one row of egret fly into the blue sky
outside the window, a thousand years of snow lies on the western mountains
in front of the door, ten thousand miles of boats float in the Dong Wu harbor
The way that I analyzed this was with American influence and thinking. In the first two lines I thought of spring and happiness, which then turned into dark and gloomy due to the snow. I thought that this represented some onset of sadness. However this was the wrong meaning, quite the opposite. Really to understand this poem one needed to understand Chinese culture and history. This poem was written right after the end of a war and the soldiers were coming home in their ships. This was a happy time for Du Fu; this happiness was represented by spring and all its colors. Even the snow represented happiness because the day was so clear and bright that he was able to see the snow on top of the mountains. Although this just may be my way of thinking, there are differences in the way that we as Americans understand things versus the Chinese.
This second poem written by Du Fu was his first major piece of work. I learned that knowing this was a key element to the poem.
View of Mt. Tai
What shall I say of the Great Peak?
The ancient dukedoms are everywhere green
Inspired and stirred by the breath of creation
With the Twin Forces balancing day and night
My chest holds layers of clouds
I strain my sight to see the birds flying home
Once I get to the very top
All the other mountains will look very small
I thought that this poem was about his insignificance in the world which was related to how everything looked so small from on top of the mountain. Bu this poem was really about Du Fu wanting to succeed and reach the top. It was helpful to learn that Mount Tai was considered by the ancient Chinese to be the highest place in the world. So this poem is describing how he wants to be great and it shows his ambitions to be above everyone.
Through this project I was able to see the great contrast between views on literature and what kinds of ideas and things we focus on. But the thing that sticks out most was what my partner said about needing to know the poet in order to understand the poem. This struck me because this is not something that I think about at all when reading poems. I look more at the words to find out the meaning versus at the person themselves. I believe that culture has a great influence on the way we look at things and in turn the way we write. This is what creates such a diverse array of literature; each has greater focus on different ideas, themes, writing forms or something totally different. This factor is what makes the impact, importance and interpretation of literature different in every culture.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
I Believe
I Believe
In all societies around the world there is some form of a family unit. Most consist of a mother, father and children. I believe that the mother is one of the most important pieces in our world, and in the past was treated with less respect than she deserved. Women are a very influential force in society today. Over time woman have become the caretakers in our homes. Women traditionally are the ones who care for the children and maintain the home. They have what we call the sphere domesticity; the home traditionally is their domain while the men go off to work. In many societies, including America, women were oppressed. They were put on a lower level than men, robbed of opportunities and rights. One of the most horrible examples of this in the world was in Afghanistan with the Taliban. What occurred in Afghanistan was very similar to what happened in America, but it was to a much greater level. But now the status of being a woman is rising in stature. Women today are making great strides in society and in many cases surpassing the men. Soon they may be the driving force in the world of the future despite the setbacks that they have had.
In America and Afghanistan one of the ways women were oppressed was by being deprived of education and jobs. By not having education open to women, that hindered their thinking. This made them not wonder what the outside world was like, or what other kind of things they could be doing, it lead them to be less ambitious and stripped them of what they could potentially be. In America this was to limit the women to staying home because they felt that the family would fall apart without a woman there to maintain it. In Afghanistan this also occurred but due to the Taliban’s interpretation of their sacred scriptures. Either way, women were not given equal opportunity to show what they could do, or pursue what they wanted. A woman’s life was set once she was born. I feel that what happened was very unjust because were not given the opportunity to do what they wished, even though the men did. That made it so only half of the potential brain power was being utilized. Perhaps if women were able to be educated we would be living in a more advanced community.
In America women were eventually allowed to have an education and a job. This did cause huge changes in many aspects of life. Firstly there began to be more job competition. Also with the women away from home men have more responsibilities around the house. Most importantly would have to be the newly required sense of freedom. Women began to feel more independent, they began to rely less on men which led to more unmarried women. When women got the right to be educated it caused a complete transformation in American society. There were times in history when women became the driving force in the labor world. When men went off to war that left only the women to work and run businesses. During these times everything was held together, things often flourished. This shows how powerful education can be in a person’s life and also how influential women are in society. By introducing them to education, a commodity that men had taken for advantage, life for them and others totally changed. Today it is only natural to think that everyone deserves equal rights, but there was a time when it was not. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
In life today women are now on the same playing field as men. Meaning, anything a man can do a woman can do. Today there are more women in our colleges 58% to 42%, and not only are they beating men in enrollment but also in grades. Women maintain higher GPAs, have a greater number graduating with honors and are more likely to actually receive bachelor’s degree. In the past year women have also took the lead in receiving the top quarter of the highest paying jobs. So now they are making more money than men. Women are also beginning hold high positions in society, our governor is a strong woman, and quite soon we may have a woman president. They have great influence in our society by going to work and still maintaining the control over the home. However, there are some things that still remain unequal. Even today there is a substantial gap between men and women’s salaries, but the gap has been reducing over the years. This is due to discrimination which is not their fault, but things are improving. This does mean that they have more room to grow and improve their position in society. After all it has not been very long since the civil rights movement, and things have only been improving since then. In fifty years imagine what women’s role in society will be. Will their overall status eventually surpass the men? Maybe, they already are starting to and they sure have the opportunity to, but we will just have to wait and see.
In all societies around the world there is some form of a family unit. Most consist of a mother, father and children. I believe that the mother is one of the most important pieces in our world, and in the past was treated with less respect than she deserved. Women are a very influential force in society today. Over time woman have become the caretakers in our homes. Women traditionally are the ones who care for the children and maintain the home. They have what we call the sphere domesticity; the home traditionally is their domain while the men go off to work. In many societies, including America, women were oppressed. They were put on a lower level than men, robbed of opportunities and rights. One of the most horrible examples of this in the world was in Afghanistan with the Taliban. What occurred in Afghanistan was very similar to what happened in America, but it was to a much greater level. But now the status of being a woman is rising in stature. Women today are making great strides in society and in many cases surpassing the men. Soon they may be the driving force in the world of the future despite the setbacks that they have had.
In America and Afghanistan one of the ways women were oppressed was by being deprived of education and jobs. By not having education open to women, that hindered their thinking. This made them not wonder what the outside world was like, or what other kind of things they could be doing, it lead them to be less ambitious and stripped them of what they could potentially be. In America this was to limit the women to staying home because they felt that the family would fall apart without a woman there to maintain it. In Afghanistan this also occurred but due to the Taliban’s interpretation of their sacred scriptures. Either way, women were not given equal opportunity to show what they could do, or pursue what they wanted. A woman’s life was set once she was born. I feel that what happened was very unjust because were not given the opportunity to do what they wished, even though the men did. That made it so only half of the potential brain power was being utilized. Perhaps if women were able to be educated we would be living in a more advanced community.
In America women were eventually allowed to have an education and a job. This did cause huge changes in many aspects of life. Firstly there began to be more job competition. Also with the women away from home men have more responsibilities around the house. Most importantly would have to be the newly required sense of freedom. Women began to feel more independent, they began to rely less on men which led to more unmarried women. When women got the right to be educated it caused a complete transformation in American society. There were times in history when women became the driving force in the labor world. When men went off to war that left only the women to work and run businesses. During these times everything was held together, things often flourished. This shows how powerful education can be in a person’s life and also how influential women are in society. By introducing them to education, a commodity that men had taken for advantage, life for them and others totally changed. Today it is only natural to think that everyone deserves equal rights, but there was a time when it was not. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
In life today women are now on the same playing field as men. Meaning, anything a man can do a woman can do. Today there are more women in our colleges 58% to 42%, and not only are they beating men in enrollment but also in grades. Women maintain higher GPAs, have a greater number graduating with honors and are more likely to actually receive bachelor’s degree. In the past year women have also took the lead in receiving the top quarter of the highest paying jobs. So now they are making more money than men. Women are also beginning hold high positions in society, our governor is a strong woman, and quite soon we may have a woman president. They have great influence in our society by going to work and still maintaining the control over the home. However, there are some things that still remain unequal. Even today there is a substantial gap between men and women’s salaries, but the gap has been reducing over the years. This is due to discrimination which is not their fault, but things are improving. This does mean that they have more room to grow and improve their position in society. After all it has not been very long since the civil rights movement, and things have only been improving since then. In fifty years imagine what women’s role in society will be. Will their overall status eventually surpass the men? Maybe, they already are starting to and they sure have the opportunity to, but we will just have to wait and see.
The Iliad
Translations of the Iliad
In most societies, stories and story telling are an important part of the people’s culture. Stories passed are down from generation to generation so many times that it is a part of their history. As these stories become popular on a global level, then the factor of translation comes into play which has a great effect of the tone and meaning behind the story. An example of this is the Iliad, written by Homer. The Iliad is a story of an ancient Greek battle, written in poetic form. When translating the poem into English, it is very difficult to maintain that poetic form and still maintain the literary context that the original had. Translations differ greatly from one to another, for example, the translation by Robert Fagles attempts to find a middle ground between a straight forward English translation and the literary meaning and style behind the story. The translation by Richmond Lattimore seems to focus less on the style and more on the story. These two translations have both their pros and cons. With Fagles’ translation, he maintains some of the essence that the original poem had by using more descriptive words, keeping to the idea of a poem. However, this does make it slightly harder to comprehend. While in Lattimore’s version he selects less descriptive and powerful words which make the Iliad sound less like a poem and more like a novel. I feel that Fagles version is better because it keeps in mind the idea of a poem and is fuller and more authentic version than Lattimore’s.
Starting from the first few lines there is great contrast between the styles of Lattimore and Fagles even though they are translating the same story. Fagles’ version starts off, “Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses, hurling down to the House of Death so many souls” (77). The language that Fagles uses is powerful and impactful and the words flow smoothly together, showing that it is indeed meant to be a poem. I feel that this creates a more vivid image in the readers mind.
Lattimore’s version is slightly different, beginning with, “Sing goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achileus and its devastation, which put pains thousand fold upon the Achaians, hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls” (5). Already one can see contrast between the two. The first thing that comes to mind is the difference in word choice. Rage versus anger; murderous and doom versus devastation. Fagles’ version stands out more than Lattimore’s version. In Fagles’ version the rage and suffering is more pronounced while in Lattimore’s version this feeling is toned down.
Another example comes from the scene where Achilles is talking to Athena after Patroklos’ death. Fagles interprets this with, “Patroclus—the man I loved beyond all other comrades, loved as my own life—I’ve lost him—Hector’s killed him, stripped of the gigantic armor off his back, a marvel to behold—“ (470).While Lattimore’s version is, “Patroklos, whom I loved beyond all other companions, as well as my own life. I have lost him, and Hektor, who killed him, has stripped away that gigantic armor, a wonder to look on” (23). This, like the first example, there are a number of similarities, the beginnings of the passages are almost identical. But again, Fagles adds more description to some areas and more vivid diction.
An interesting aspect of Lattimore's translation is that he does not fully translate the story. He omits lines and sections, and paraphrases certain areas. Throughout his version he inserts recaps on what had happened between events that he had omitted. Fagles is much more inclusive with his version, creating a much more complete story. Fagles gives you the whole feeling of the book while Lattimore's is more for the story.
Although Lattimore’s version is overall less vivid than Fagles, he does take advantage of one type of style and that is the use of the stock epithet. For example, Lattimore may refer to Achilles as "swift footed Achilles" and by doing this it makes it easier for the readers to remember the characters. The stock epithet is one of the styles that Lattimore took from the original poem while Fagles didn’t focus on this as intently. Another aspect that Lattimore kept was the Greek spelling of names. This makes his version more authentic, while Fagles translates the names into an English interpretation.
Along with the idea of interpretation comes meaning. These two translations stemmed from the very same piece of literature and ended up with similar yet different versions. Thinking about this brings to mind the bible. In order for the bible to be spread around the world it needs to be translated into different languages. Through the translations, ideas or meaning may have been lost or altered, and examples used to explain events in one culture could make no sense to someone from another culture. Also, people can interpret the very same piece of literature and find see different meanings. That is what makes literature such as the bible very controversial, meanings are subjective to the reader’s interpretations.
Translation and interpretation are very important when literature is brought to other cultures. Meanings and feelings can be altered which can change the message. Sections can be omitted or distorted in order to make sense to the readers, but that means that you are not getting the full story. That is why it is sometimes hard for translations to be truly effective, and it can alter our perception.
In most societies, stories and story telling are an important part of the people’s culture. Stories passed are down from generation to generation so many times that it is a part of their history. As these stories become popular on a global level, then the factor of translation comes into play which has a great effect of the tone and meaning behind the story. An example of this is the Iliad, written by Homer. The Iliad is a story of an ancient Greek battle, written in poetic form. When translating the poem into English, it is very difficult to maintain that poetic form and still maintain the literary context that the original had. Translations differ greatly from one to another, for example, the translation by Robert Fagles attempts to find a middle ground between a straight forward English translation and the literary meaning and style behind the story. The translation by Richmond Lattimore seems to focus less on the style and more on the story. These two translations have both their pros and cons. With Fagles’ translation, he maintains some of the essence that the original poem had by using more descriptive words, keeping to the idea of a poem. However, this does make it slightly harder to comprehend. While in Lattimore’s version he selects less descriptive and powerful words which make the Iliad sound less like a poem and more like a novel. I feel that Fagles version is better because it keeps in mind the idea of a poem and is fuller and more authentic version than Lattimore’s.
Starting from the first few lines there is great contrast between the styles of Lattimore and Fagles even though they are translating the same story. Fagles’ version starts off, “Rage—Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus’ son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses, hurling down to the House of Death so many souls” (77). The language that Fagles uses is powerful and impactful and the words flow smoothly together, showing that it is indeed meant to be a poem. I feel that this creates a more vivid image in the readers mind.
Lattimore’s version is slightly different, beginning with, “Sing goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achileus and its devastation, which put pains thousand fold upon the Achaians, hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls” (5). Already one can see contrast between the two. The first thing that comes to mind is the difference in word choice. Rage versus anger; murderous and doom versus devastation. Fagles’ version stands out more than Lattimore’s version. In Fagles’ version the rage and suffering is more pronounced while in Lattimore’s version this feeling is toned down.
Another example comes from the scene where Achilles is talking to Athena after Patroklos’ death. Fagles interprets this with, “Patroclus—the man I loved beyond all other comrades, loved as my own life—I’ve lost him—Hector’s killed him, stripped of the gigantic armor off his back, a marvel to behold—“ (470).While Lattimore’s version is, “Patroklos, whom I loved beyond all other companions, as well as my own life. I have lost him, and Hektor, who killed him, has stripped away that gigantic armor, a wonder to look on” (23). This, like the first example, there are a number of similarities, the beginnings of the passages are almost identical. But again, Fagles adds more description to some areas and more vivid diction.
An interesting aspect of Lattimore's translation is that he does not fully translate the story. He omits lines and sections, and paraphrases certain areas. Throughout his version he inserts recaps on what had happened between events that he had omitted. Fagles is much more inclusive with his version, creating a much more complete story. Fagles gives you the whole feeling of the book while Lattimore's is more for the story.
Although Lattimore’s version is overall less vivid than Fagles, he does take advantage of one type of style and that is the use of the stock epithet. For example, Lattimore may refer to Achilles as "swift footed Achilles" and by doing this it makes it easier for the readers to remember the characters. The stock epithet is one of the styles that Lattimore took from the original poem while Fagles didn’t focus on this as intently. Another aspect that Lattimore kept was the Greek spelling of names. This makes his version more authentic, while Fagles translates the names into an English interpretation.
Along with the idea of interpretation comes meaning. These two translations stemmed from the very same piece of literature and ended up with similar yet different versions. Thinking about this brings to mind the bible. In order for the bible to be spread around the world it needs to be translated into different languages. Through the translations, ideas or meaning may have been lost or altered, and examples used to explain events in one culture could make no sense to someone from another culture. Also, people can interpret the very same piece of literature and find see different meanings. That is what makes literature such as the bible very controversial, meanings are subjective to the reader’s interpretations.
Translation and interpretation are very important when literature is brought to other cultures. Meanings and feelings can be altered which can change the message. Sections can be omitted or distorted in order to make sense to the readers, but that means that you are not getting the full story. That is why it is sometimes hard for translations to be truly effective, and it can alter our perception.
Ancient Voices
Pavalos the Small One
It was anything but a normal day in the city state of Corinth. There was a vigorous feeling in the air; the sky was a brilliant blue laced perfectly with satin white clouds and the sun beamed down gloriously on the city. King Krios of Corinth had proclaimed a holiday throughout the land because it was the day his first child was to be born. His wife Aglea was in the palace with her loyal maiden Medeia preparing for the glorious birth. All of the gods were peering down from Mount Olympus, even the great Zeus, for it was prophesized that this child would have immense strength and intellect. When the child was born, King Krios was elated because it was a big, healthy boy. Aglea and Krios named their child Eukleides, meaning good glory.
For the next three years Eukleides was given the best clothes, food and caretakers in all of Corinth. Krios and Aglea adored him and loved him with all of their hearts. But to their surprise, they would soon have another child. A few weeks after Eukleides’ third birthday Aglea was preparing to give birth to her second son. None of the gods were watching except for Athena because she sensed something special about him. But when he was born he was much smaller than Eukleides and did not look healthy at all. They named him Pavalos, meaning small one. For the next eighteen years Pavalos lived in the shadow of his mighty brother. Eukleides grew up learning from the greatest teachers and trained with the most skilled warriors and athletes. Eukleides was a natural at everything that he did; he learned things very quickly and picked up moves and tactics with ease. Pavalos always received the second best teachers and trained with mediocre opponents because he was so small and weak. He struggled through school and could never do anything right. Whenever they went into town together the citizens would cheer Eukleides’ name and completely ignore Pavalos.
By the age of seventeen Eukleides was already established as the most powerful warrior and wrestler in Corinth. Pavalos also trained to become a warrior and loved to wrestle, but he was pitiful at best, struggling against the weakest of opponents. He practiced harder than anyone else but got nowhere. Every night before he went to bed he would place a glass of dark ruby red wine and fresh lamb on his old nightstand for the gods and would pray to them to give him strength, and to one day be better than his brother, bringing glory to his family and city.
Years passed and nothing changed, Pavalos grew into a thin pale man while Eukleides became a dark skinned burly warrior. Eukleides’ favorite sport was wrestling and he had been training for the past few years to enter the upcoming Olympics, which he was favored to win. Pavalos also loved to wrestle but never dreamed of ever competing in the Olympics.
One day the horns were sounded, meaning that Corinth was going to war. Word was it that Corcyra, Corinth’s greatest enemy, was planning to launch an attack on Corinth. Corcyra was fearful of Corinth’s growing power and wanted to impede its growth. King Krios was aware of the situation and he planned to launch a surprise attack on Corcyra before they came to Corinth. He assembled all his warriors and gathered a fleet of ships. Both Eukleides and Pavalos returned to the palace to get ready for battle. Eukleides put on his shining copper armor, crafted perfectly as if Hephaestus himself had forged it. Pavalos also donned his armor. It was a hand me down of Eukleides and had become old and dull over time. Then he headed off to the docks where they were to meet.
Fifty ships sailed towards the docks as if hovering above the water, they were long and sleek and completely unaffected by the ocean’s choppy current. By the time the brothers arrived all the supplies were loaded and everyone was ready to go. Right as they were to board the ships Eukleides walked up to Pavalos and said, “Please Pavalos, do you really expect to go into battle? You stand no chance out there with those men, you will surely get killed. For me, please stay here.”
“Are you kidding?” Pavalos replied. “I want to fight and represent our city as much as you do.”
“Please Pavalos, just stay; it is certain that you will die.”
“I do not care; it has been my dream to fight for our city.”
As the last men were boarding the ship Eukleides picked up Pavalos, hoisting him above his head and threw him to the ground with a great thud. Pavalos was left there in a cloud of dust, unable to move due to the pain he felt deep within his stomach. Eukleides quickly hopped on the ship and shouted out, “I will see you when I return brother!”
Pavalos sulked as he wandered back to the palace. He removed his armor, and flopped onto his bed and drifted off to sleep. In the following days he continued to live his life just as before, but he was now more determined with his training. He wanted to prove to Eukleides that he was not a failure. A month passed and the word was out that the Corinthians had defeated the Corcyrians and were returning home. However, Poseidon had other plans. He favored the Corcyrians and was enraged when they were defeated. He conjured up a massive storm. The sky turned into an endless black and the ocean began to rumble. Waves bashed onto the Corinthian ships and tossed them out of control. Eventually Poseidon’s rage subsided and all but five ships had been destroyed and many of the men were injured. Pavalos was first to see the ships over the horizon and ran to the docks to greet his brother. But when he got there he was distraught to see that only five battered ships had made it back. He frantically searched for his brother. Eukleides had made it back in one piece but was seriously injured from the storm and needed to be carried off the ship in a stretcher.
After spending some time with Eukleides, Pavalos returned to the palace and begun his nightly ritual. He set out some wine and meat, and began to pray to the gods. To his surprise he heard a loud ominous voice above him:
“Pavalos, it is I, Athena. I have come to help you become stronger, just as you have always wanted. It is now your turn to be the pride of Corinth. Now that Eukleides is unable to wrestle in the upcoming Olympics, you will represent Corinth.”
“But I could never do that. I am not strong enough nor skilled enough. Why are you only answering me now?” Pavalos replied.
“Just leave that to me. Get a good night’s sleep and meet me in the clearing just before the forest tomorrow,” answered Athena.
With that, Pavalos went to bed. He was excited for the next day. Unbeknownst to Pavalos, Athena actually favored him. Ever since birth she had been watching him, waiting for the right time to finally help him. While Pavalos slept, Athena went to Heracles and asked him if he would train Pavalos. Heracles agreed because he felt sorry for Pavalos.
The next day Pavalos woke up and was completely energized. He hurriedly put on his clothes and had a quick breakfast of yogurt and fresh fruit. Then he rushed out to meet Athena. He arrived at the forest and saw two figures standing in a small circular dirt patch surrounded by a bed of cool green grass. It was Heracles and Athena in their human form. Athena wore an elegant white robe with golden fastenings, her shining black hair was braided underneath her beautifully decorated helmet. In her right hand she held her sturdy shield. Heracles’ muscles glistened in the sun’s morning rays. He wore the impenetrably thick tawny skin of the Nemean Lion; the beast that he defeated in his first labor. Pavalos nervously walked up to them and Athena said, “This is Heracles, he will train you physically to wrestle in the Olympics. You will do everything that he tells you. I will be training you mentally, and teaching you strategy and tactics. You will be ready in four months for the Olympics.”
“Sure, anything,” replied Pavalos.
“Alright then, let’s begin,” said Heracles.
The hardest four months of Pavalos’ life had just begun. By day, Heracles would push Pavalos to his breaking point. They ran through the forest and mountains, did hundreds of push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups, and drilled until the sweat poured off of his body like a flowing river. By night Athena would test his mental capabilities and sharpen his mind. Results began to show quite quickly, and why not? Pavalos was being trained by the gods themselves. Pavalos began to thicken up, his strength increased, his movement became quicker and more fluid, and for once in his life he was doing things right. By the time the Olympics rolled around he was an absolute beast in the wresting arena.
On the last day before the Olympics, Athena had a surprise for Pavalos. She handed him a box and inside were Hermes’ winged sandals. Athena said, “Hermes has allowed you to borrow these for tomorrow’s competition. They will give you incredible speed when you wrestle.”
“Wear them proudly,” spoke Heracles, “and leave them on your nightstand tomorrow night after the competition is over.”
“Thank you so much,” replied Pavalos, and then Athena and Heracles vanished.
The next day Pavalos traveled to the massive stone stadium in Olympia where the Olympics were held. He was so nervous he felt as if he was going to faint. His heart was pounding like a band of bass drums. There were thousands of spectators watching, but Athena had taught him to clear his mind and focus. When his first match came he was ready to go. He strapped on the sandals he had received from Athena and walked out into the arena. He had tough matches the whole day, one after another. All of them took a great deal of heart and focus. At the end of the day Pavalos was victorious. The crown of olive branches was placed upon his head. It was proof of his victory in the Olympic Games. Pavalos looked into the crowd and all of the spectators were cheering his name. To his surprise, he saw his older brother in the stands cheering as well. Pavalos was overjoyed to see his brother supporting him and that he had finally accomplished his dreams of bringing pride to Corinth and had proven that he was not a failure. From then on he was no longer overshadowed by his brother Eukleides and received the respect that he deserved.
It was anything but a normal day in the city state of Corinth. There was a vigorous feeling in the air; the sky was a brilliant blue laced perfectly with satin white clouds and the sun beamed down gloriously on the city. King Krios of Corinth had proclaimed a holiday throughout the land because it was the day his first child was to be born. His wife Aglea was in the palace with her loyal maiden Medeia preparing for the glorious birth. All of the gods were peering down from Mount Olympus, even the great Zeus, for it was prophesized that this child would have immense strength and intellect. When the child was born, King Krios was elated because it was a big, healthy boy. Aglea and Krios named their child Eukleides, meaning good glory.
For the next three years Eukleides was given the best clothes, food and caretakers in all of Corinth. Krios and Aglea adored him and loved him with all of their hearts. But to their surprise, they would soon have another child. A few weeks after Eukleides’ third birthday Aglea was preparing to give birth to her second son. None of the gods were watching except for Athena because she sensed something special about him. But when he was born he was much smaller than Eukleides and did not look healthy at all. They named him Pavalos, meaning small one. For the next eighteen years Pavalos lived in the shadow of his mighty brother. Eukleides grew up learning from the greatest teachers and trained with the most skilled warriors and athletes. Eukleides was a natural at everything that he did; he learned things very quickly and picked up moves and tactics with ease. Pavalos always received the second best teachers and trained with mediocre opponents because he was so small and weak. He struggled through school and could never do anything right. Whenever they went into town together the citizens would cheer Eukleides’ name and completely ignore Pavalos.
By the age of seventeen Eukleides was already established as the most powerful warrior and wrestler in Corinth. Pavalos also trained to become a warrior and loved to wrestle, but he was pitiful at best, struggling against the weakest of opponents. He practiced harder than anyone else but got nowhere. Every night before he went to bed he would place a glass of dark ruby red wine and fresh lamb on his old nightstand for the gods and would pray to them to give him strength, and to one day be better than his brother, bringing glory to his family and city.
Years passed and nothing changed, Pavalos grew into a thin pale man while Eukleides became a dark skinned burly warrior. Eukleides’ favorite sport was wrestling and he had been training for the past few years to enter the upcoming Olympics, which he was favored to win. Pavalos also loved to wrestle but never dreamed of ever competing in the Olympics.
One day the horns were sounded, meaning that Corinth was going to war. Word was it that Corcyra, Corinth’s greatest enemy, was planning to launch an attack on Corinth. Corcyra was fearful of Corinth’s growing power and wanted to impede its growth. King Krios was aware of the situation and he planned to launch a surprise attack on Corcyra before they came to Corinth. He assembled all his warriors and gathered a fleet of ships. Both Eukleides and Pavalos returned to the palace to get ready for battle. Eukleides put on his shining copper armor, crafted perfectly as if Hephaestus himself had forged it. Pavalos also donned his armor. It was a hand me down of Eukleides and had become old and dull over time. Then he headed off to the docks where they were to meet.
Fifty ships sailed towards the docks as if hovering above the water, they were long and sleek and completely unaffected by the ocean’s choppy current. By the time the brothers arrived all the supplies were loaded and everyone was ready to go. Right as they were to board the ships Eukleides walked up to Pavalos and said, “Please Pavalos, do you really expect to go into battle? You stand no chance out there with those men, you will surely get killed. For me, please stay here.”
“Are you kidding?” Pavalos replied. “I want to fight and represent our city as much as you do.”
“Please Pavalos, just stay; it is certain that you will die.”
“I do not care; it has been my dream to fight for our city.”
As the last men were boarding the ship Eukleides picked up Pavalos, hoisting him above his head and threw him to the ground with a great thud. Pavalos was left there in a cloud of dust, unable to move due to the pain he felt deep within his stomach. Eukleides quickly hopped on the ship and shouted out, “I will see you when I return brother!”
Pavalos sulked as he wandered back to the palace. He removed his armor, and flopped onto his bed and drifted off to sleep. In the following days he continued to live his life just as before, but he was now more determined with his training. He wanted to prove to Eukleides that he was not a failure. A month passed and the word was out that the Corinthians had defeated the Corcyrians and were returning home. However, Poseidon had other plans. He favored the Corcyrians and was enraged when they were defeated. He conjured up a massive storm. The sky turned into an endless black and the ocean began to rumble. Waves bashed onto the Corinthian ships and tossed them out of control. Eventually Poseidon’s rage subsided and all but five ships had been destroyed and many of the men were injured. Pavalos was first to see the ships over the horizon and ran to the docks to greet his brother. But when he got there he was distraught to see that only five battered ships had made it back. He frantically searched for his brother. Eukleides had made it back in one piece but was seriously injured from the storm and needed to be carried off the ship in a stretcher.
After spending some time with Eukleides, Pavalos returned to the palace and begun his nightly ritual. He set out some wine and meat, and began to pray to the gods. To his surprise he heard a loud ominous voice above him:
“Pavalos, it is I, Athena. I have come to help you become stronger, just as you have always wanted. It is now your turn to be the pride of Corinth. Now that Eukleides is unable to wrestle in the upcoming Olympics, you will represent Corinth.”
“But I could never do that. I am not strong enough nor skilled enough. Why are you only answering me now?” Pavalos replied.
“Just leave that to me. Get a good night’s sleep and meet me in the clearing just before the forest tomorrow,” answered Athena.
With that, Pavalos went to bed. He was excited for the next day. Unbeknownst to Pavalos, Athena actually favored him. Ever since birth she had been watching him, waiting for the right time to finally help him. While Pavalos slept, Athena went to Heracles and asked him if he would train Pavalos. Heracles agreed because he felt sorry for Pavalos.
The next day Pavalos woke up and was completely energized. He hurriedly put on his clothes and had a quick breakfast of yogurt and fresh fruit. Then he rushed out to meet Athena. He arrived at the forest and saw two figures standing in a small circular dirt patch surrounded by a bed of cool green grass. It was Heracles and Athena in their human form. Athena wore an elegant white robe with golden fastenings, her shining black hair was braided underneath her beautifully decorated helmet. In her right hand she held her sturdy shield. Heracles’ muscles glistened in the sun’s morning rays. He wore the impenetrably thick tawny skin of the Nemean Lion; the beast that he defeated in his first labor. Pavalos nervously walked up to them and Athena said, “This is Heracles, he will train you physically to wrestle in the Olympics. You will do everything that he tells you. I will be training you mentally, and teaching you strategy and tactics. You will be ready in four months for the Olympics.”
“Sure, anything,” replied Pavalos.
“Alright then, let’s begin,” said Heracles.
The hardest four months of Pavalos’ life had just begun. By day, Heracles would push Pavalos to his breaking point. They ran through the forest and mountains, did hundreds of push-ups, pull-ups and sit-ups, and drilled until the sweat poured off of his body like a flowing river. By night Athena would test his mental capabilities and sharpen his mind. Results began to show quite quickly, and why not? Pavalos was being trained by the gods themselves. Pavalos began to thicken up, his strength increased, his movement became quicker and more fluid, and for once in his life he was doing things right. By the time the Olympics rolled around he was an absolute beast in the wresting arena.
On the last day before the Olympics, Athena had a surprise for Pavalos. She handed him a box and inside were Hermes’ winged sandals. Athena said, “Hermes has allowed you to borrow these for tomorrow’s competition. They will give you incredible speed when you wrestle.”
“Wear them proudly,” spoke Heracles, “and leave them on your nightstand tomorrow night after the competition is over.”
“Thank you so much,” replied Pavalos, and then Athena and Heracles vanished.
The next day Pavalos traveled to the massive stone stadium in Olympia where the Olympics were held. He was so nervous he felt as if he was going to faint. His heart was pounding like a band of bass drums. There were thousands of spectators watching, but Athena had taught him to clear his mind and focus. When his first match came he was ready to go. He strapped on the sandals he had received from Athena and walked out into the arena. He had tough matches the whole day, one after another. All of them took a great deal of heart and focus. At the end of the day Pavalos was victorious. The crown of olive branches was placed upon his head. It was proof of his victory in the Olympic Games. Pavalos looked into the crowd and all of the spectators were cheering his name. To his surprise, he saw his older brother in the stands cheering as well. Pavalos was overjoyed to see his brother supporting him and that he had finally accomplished his dreams of bringing pride to Corinth and had proven that he was not a failure. From then on he was no longer overshadowed by his brother Eukleides and received the respect that he deserved.
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