I would begin by saying that I really enjoyed this course and I think it was a nice next step after having gone through the two introductory Greek semesters. One theme that I found sticking out after having read both Lucian and Herodotus in this condensed period of time was, unsurprisingly, the truth. I was constantly wondering what we could really take from Herodotus as truth, and what concepts from Lucian’s writings had some truth buried in them (not the cabbage people, to be sure). I quite enjoyed having that juxtaposition presented through explorations of worlds, one by an author who claims to have actually traveled the world he speaks about, and one whose world is confined to his mind but nonetheless expansive and rich. We trust Herodotus for many historical plot points and I find myself questioning even those that might be backed up by some circumstantial evidence. I’ve been listening to a podcast recently that had an episode featuring some of history’s biggest liars, some who even believed that all of history, including authors like Plato and Socrates, were faked in order to promote a religious concept. Of course this is most likely not true, but it got me thinking about what could be faked or even just what an author might believe that is not true. This still has value, of course–we get to see the perspective of someone living in the past who had their own opinions and views. I think this concept and taking everything with a grain of salt is interesting.
I also really enjoyed our discussion about queerness and relationships in the Mediterranean–by far my favorite class period. I think this is a topic I could see myself pursuing past college, and I am especially excited as I am enrolled in the Queer and Deviant Classics course next semester with Professor Kamil. Looking at a text in which otherness is the central focus, where our explorer spends his narrative encountering these strange beings and describing them to his reader, the presence of apparently queer relationships between these foreign beings can take on many connotations. Up front, as we discussed, it can seem just another factoid poking fun at the weird, different culture of a place other than home. Lucian’s context, which I had little knowledge about until our in-class conversation, brings a new possibility to the table. I remember texting my friends right after that class, telling them how cool the discussion was and how enthralled I was by the idea of focusing on something in that area in the future. There are so many modern conceptions and often misconceptions about queer people and existence in the ancient world, and I want to be able to see through that murkiness to what the source texts and evidence can show. This even goes back to Herodotus, as his narration is often also focused on a sense of otherness from the places he apparently visited. Unlike Lucian we can be inclined to believe some of his reports, but there is still a window display case feeling of looking from the outside at some alternate life. These ideas in this course have sparked in me a newfound interest in Queerness and Otherness as interpreted and displayed in the ancient Mediterranean.
