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Queensland Friends of the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens

Inc.

NewsletterNo70December2016

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BursaryWinner’s

RewardingYear

Firstly,Iwouldliketoexpressmyappreciationand

gratitudetoyouallforawardingmethisbursarylast

year.Ispentthemoneyonvariousbooksrelatingto

ancientGreek,andeachoneassistedme,insomeway

oranother.Thisbursaryhaswithoutadoubtbeenan

immensehelpformystudiesinAncientGreekwhileI

wasundertakingmyhonoursinClassicalLanguages

thisyear,whichIjustcompleted.

Inmythesis,Idiscussedtheuseofmaritime

materialsinmagicaltextsfromtheGreekMagical

Papyri.Ithoroughlyenjoyedresearchingthistopic,

andthroughouttheyearIlearntsomuch.Itranslated

andanalysedsixteentextsfromtheGreekMagical

Papyri,allofwhichhadtheirownuniqueand

interestingqualities,whetheritbethelanguageused,

thematerialsrequired,ortheformulaitself.

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Throughthestudyofthesetexts,Ialsohad

theopportunitytoinvestigateawholenew

sectionofhistorythatIhadnotpreviously

studied,inregardstobothtimeandplace.The

textsthatIlookedatwerefromRomanEgypt,

datedtothe2nd–5thcenturyADanddealt

withGreek,Egyptian,Jewish,andNearEastern

cultures.Thiswasindeedsuchaninteresting

timeperiodtolookatandIhavelearnedso

muchaboutthistinybutfascinatingareaof

history.

ThefirstbookIboughtwasHansDieter

Betz’seditionofTheGreekMagicalPapyriand

thiswasthebookthatstartedoffmyhonours

year!Ireadthroughthewholebookacouple

oftimeswhileselectingthesectionsthatI

neededandwithoutadoubtitisafascinating

collectionoftexts.Itismadeallthemore

interestingassomanyofthespellsand

charmsinitrelatetothesameconcernsthat

peoplehavetoday.Therearemanylove

charms,spellsforvictoryorsafetyandalso

cursestoperformuponone’senemies.

Althoughthesespellsandcursesarenot

practisedorusedtoday(Iespeciallyhopethis

istrueinregardstothecurses),they

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demonstratethattheunderlyingemotions

thatdrivepeoplehavenotchangedthatmuch

in2000yearsandIfeelthisprovidesa

connectiontothesepeopleinAntiquity,soas

nottoviewthemaspeoplefromadifferent

timeandculture,butpeoplewhohavethe

samedreamsandfearsaswedotoday.

PossiblythemostimportantbookIbought

thisyearwastheLiddellandScottGreek

Lexicon.Thislexiconwasabsolutelyessential

formyhonoursyearanditwouldhavebeen

impossibletotranslatethetextsofthepapyri

withoutit.Ihavecomeacrossmanyobscure

words,somebeingingredientsforspells,

othersnamesofplantsormaterialsandsome

justbeingverbsIhadneverheardof.Ithink

everytextItranslatedformythesishadwords

thatwerenotinmysmallerabridgedlexicon,

sowithoutthepurchaseoftheproperGreek

LexiconIwouldn’thaveevenbeenabletoget

pastthefirststageofmyhonours.

Asidefromwritingmythesisthisyear,Ialso

hadtotaketwosemestersofthirdyearGreek.

Inthefirstsemester,wecoveredthemajority

ofbooksoneandtwoofXenophon’sHellenica,

whichIthoroughlyenjoyed.IboughttheLoeb

editionofXenophontouseinclassandfor

weeklytranslations,aswellasusingittowrite

myassignmentsforthesemester.Xenophon

wroteaboutsuchaninterestingpartof

history,indeedoneofmyfavouritepartsof

historyandIverymuchenjoyedimmersing

myselfinhisworkforthatfirstsemester.

Insemestertwo,wecoveredbooks6and7

oftheOdysseyandIboughtJanetWatson’s

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editionofthesebookstoonceagainuseinclass

andformyassignments.TranslatingHomeris

absolutelywonderfulandheisoneofmyfavourite

authorstotranslate.Homer’suseoflanguage,

throughadjectives,verbs,similesandepithets,is

beautifulandallthemoreimpressivethat

everythingfitsperfectlyintohexameter–whichis

anotherenjoyableaspectoftranslatingHomer.Itis

throughreadingHomerintheoriginalGreekthatI

believethetruebeautyofhisworkisrevealed.

Becauseofthis,Ialsoboughtcompleteversionsof

theIliadandtheOdysseyandamhopingtooneday

readthroughthembothfromstarttofinish.

TranslatingXenophonandHomerthisyearalong

withthetextsfromtheGreekMagicalPapyrihas

beenreallygreat,asI’vegainednotonlymore

experienceintranslatingAncientGreek,buthave

alsohadmoreexperienceintranslatingavarietyof

textsfromdifferentliteratures,authors,andtime

periods.

ApartfrombuyingtheOdysseyandtheIliadfor

myreadingpleasure,IalsoboughtHarryPotterin

AncientGreek–ἍρειοςΠοτηρκαὶἡτοῦφιλοσόφου

λίθος.However,Ihaven’thadachancetostartit.

HopefullyI’llgetintoitovertheholidays!

IalsopurchasedGoodwin’sGreekGrammarand

TheSyntaxoftheMoodsandTensesoftheGreek

Verb.Thesebookswereusefultohaveathand

whenIneededsomeclarificationofacertain

grammarpointandhavehelpedmebyproviding

specificexamplesofhowsuchacertaingrammar

pointmightbeused–whichwasveryusefulfor

translatingHomeraswellassomeofthetextsfor

mythesis.

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Finally,touseuptherestofthebursary,Iam

abouttobuytheHistoriesofHerodotus,aswell

ascommentariesthataccompanyhisworkfor

mystudiesnextyearwhenIwillbestartingmy

MPhil.Iwillbediscussingtheevidenceof

maritimereligionfoundinHerodotus’Histories,

aswellasresearchinganddiscussingthe

maritimereligionofGreeknavalforces,sacred

prostitutionofthecultsofAphrodite,the

relationshipofGreekmaritimereligiontothatof

CyprusandtheNearEastandtheroleof

maritimereligioninfifthcenturyBCGreek

coloniesandtheirGreekmothercities.Thisis

suretobeaveryinterestingtopic,whichI’m

veryexcitedtobegin.

Ibelievethatthisyearhastaughtmetheskills

tosetmeupformyMPhilandhasgivenmealot

moreexperienceintheGreeklanguage,in

translating,inresearchandwritingandIam

veryexcitedtobeundertakingthisnewtopic

andresearchadventureoverthecomingtwo

years.

Yourgenerouscontributionhasenabledthis

andprovidedmewithmanymoretranslating

toolsintheformofgrammarbooksandthe

GreekLexicon.Ithasalsobeenagreathelpfor

buyingbooksformystudies,forcoursework,my

HonourstopicandmyMasterstopic,aswellas

beingabletobuybooksinAncientGreektoread

andenjoyinmyowntime,whilestillgaining

experienceindifferentgenresofGreekwriting.

Sooncemore,thankyouallsomuchfor

awardingmethebursary,itreallywasagreat

helptomeandIgreatlyappreciatethisgenerous

contributiontomystudiesinAncientGreek.

Ed.ThankstoNileDeJongforallowingthe

reproductionofherspeechfrom27Nov.

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Fromthepresident…….

2016willfinishasamemorableyear.Thehigh

pointwastheverysuccessful30thanniversary

lunchattheGreekClubwith3guestsfromthe

Instituteand40friendsandguestsfromBrisbane’s

Greekcommunity.WeenjoyedhearingScott

McPherson&BeatriceMcLoughlinrecounttheir

experiencesfromTorone&recalltheexperiences

ofstudentsfromUQwhilstonthedig.These

studentsnowhavesuccessfulcareersinClassical

archaeology&otherfields.

DrStavrosPaspalas,actingdirector,spokeonthe

historyofToroneandtheprojectsundertakenby

theInstitutesubsequently.ThevisionofProf.

Cambitoglouwasthedrivingforcebehindthisdig&

thefoundationofourgroup.

TheGreeklanguagebursarywenttoDerekScott,a

secondyearstudent.Theothercandidate,Rachel

Dowe,isundertakinganMPhil.Bothhadexcellent

academicrecords.Theselectioncommitteehada

difficultjobdecidingawinner.Congratulationsto

both.Wewillfollowyourprogresswithgreat

interest.(belowltor:Rachel,Derek,ProfMilns,and

DrBrown)

Theyearendedwiththe‘Bob&ConShow’.The

themewas‘Air’.Thepairpresentedworksfroma

rangeofsourcesincludingOvid,Lucretius,William

Golding,RussellSchweikart(anastronaut)&Jena

Woodhouse(AAIAcreativeresidentawardee

2015).

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Theshowconcludedwiththeperformance

of‘Pyramus&Thisbe’from‘AMidsummer

Night’sDream’.Thiswasatributetoourdear

friendJacqueNoyeswhodiedthisyear.

Noshowwouldbecompletewithouta

selectionofartworktoaccompanythestory

telling.Againtherangeofsourceswas

inspiring.AristideMaillol‘L’Air’,William

Robinson‘CreationLandscape’,Antiquemaps

showingthe‘WindRose’,Titan’s‘Diana&

Callisto’&Boccaccio’s‘Pyramus&Thisbe’.

OurthanksgotheBob&Conwhowere

accompaniedbyLynMilns&RoseO’Brienin

thefinale.Congratulationstoallfour.May

yourenergy&inspirationcontinueformany

moreshows.

Onbehalfofthecommittee,Iwishallour

membersapeacefulandsafeChristmas&

NewYearandlookforwardtoseemanymore

ofyouin2017,our31styear.

ImportantDatesfor2017

Pleasenotethesedatesfornextyear.

19February:ProfBobMilns,Cavafythepoet

30April:PossiblespeakerDrStavros

Paspalas.

25June:AGM+guestspeaker

Aug/Sept:AAIAvisitingprofJimWrightfrom

theAmericanSchoolatAthens

15October:Guesttobeannounced

3December:‘Bob&ConShow’

Atasteofthe‘Bob&ConShow’.AirAirfromyourlipsmakesmevibrate,Whoamatubeofair,AndImakerippleswhereSinging,singing,Ispeakofjoyandsoothetheerraticpulseofhate.Airfromtheskypastmyarms,AndbuoysmytubeofairAndthrustsmeforwardwhereWinging,wingingIsoaraboveallearthlyfrenziesandalarms.Iamthestuffofdeathandbirth,Ofwreckandofdespair,Theunseenskinofair-Clinging,clingingTowrapandsaveforlifetheinjuredcrustofearth.VikramSeth

Conread‘NoFrames,NoBoundaries’byUS

astronautRussellSchweikartwhowasorbitingthe

EarthinMarch1969.

Itisnotpossibletoreproduceitall.

Ifyousearchfor‘NoFrames,NoBoundaries’onthe

Internetyoucanreadthisinsightfulprose.

Theseareitsopeningsentences;

BUT UP THERE you go around every hour and a half, time after time after time. You wake up usually in the mornings, over the Middle East and over North Africa. As you eat breakfast you look out the window and there’s the Mediterranean area, Greece and Rome and North Africa and the Sinai, that whole area. And you realize that in one glance what you’re seeing is what was the whole history of humankind for years – the cradle of civilization.