#artemidorus

[deciusbrutusfromjuliuscaesar]

I need someone to ship Decius with, or even Artemidorus. Even if they are characters who never canonically interact within the play (for example my Benvolio and Paris ship). I need to find someone to ship them with because shipping Shakespearean characters is part of my obsession with them. If I have no on to ship them with my obsession is lessened. PLEASE!

If anyone can find something please tell me! I am desperate.

-not decius

[rosepoints]

dear caesar,

you’re gonna die.

love, artemidorus

[flappyfluellen]

24. "Are you drunk?” ((Casca and Cassius!))

ok i’m going to interpret this as platonic rather than romantic :)

Casca & Cassius: “Are you drunk?”

The plan was going relatively well, Cassius mused. Almost all the conspirators were here, on the street before the Capitol, looking more-or-less inconspicuous. The group had gotten few odd looks or stares, and fortunately no one knew about their plot—

“And we’re all gonna stab Caesar, and it’s going to be absolutely fantastic—”

Cassius whipped around, heartbeat suddenly racing faster than its previous quick pace. Casca was leaning on a statue, chatting with some random guy—who looked absolutely terrified. Wasn’t his name Artemidorus? Cassius didn’t remember, and frankly didn’t care at this moment.

“What the hell are you doing, Casca?” he hissed, pulling Casca to the side.

“Just talking to my ol’ buddy,” Casca slurred, much too loudly, nodding to the wide-eyed Artemidorus.

A thought suddenly crossed Cassius’ mind, and he buried his face in his hands. “Are you drunk, Casca?”

“No!” replied Casca, indignant.

“I think you are.” Cassius put on the best fake smile he had, and turned to Artemidorus, who was, at this point, inching away from the group of conspirators. “I’m sorry. Casca isn’t in his right mind at all right now. We’re not planning on doing anything. Just hanging out here. Hahah. Gonna be great. Go away now.”

Artemidorus nodded frantically, and fled.

[lokavisi]

I've just started reading "The Interpretation of Dreams" by Artemidorus. It is such a fascinating glimpse into ancient Greek attitudes and practices of divination. The thing I love most about it so far is that Artemidorus stresses the importance of understanding the culture and context of the dreamer themself. What wearing the color white, for instance, means may differ from person to person based on the culture they hail from, as well as their personal associations with such dress. So the meaning of wearing white in a dream is different for someone who wears white clothing everyday versus someone who always wears colorful patterns.

I love this acknowledgment and this approach to divinatory work, even beyond dream interpretation. In my own experience, I think of my work as a rune reader. The runes all have general associations or meanings that are largely agreed upon, but each reader has their own relationship and associations with each rune. My interpretation of ingwaz may read a little differently than it would for someone else. That's not to say either interpretation is more "correct" than the other. It's sort of like speaking with a regional accent. The meaning of the words is the same, it just sounds different coming from people from different regions. Equally, the specific associations the reader has may vary slightly from the querent's understanding of the rune. But the more information we know about someone, the more specific we can get in interpreting the rune's significance in regards to their particular situation. That's not to say our general reading without knowledge of the situation is incorrect or not useful. It just means it's harder to offer a more detailed reading. Though I think dream interpretation, more so than sortilege systems like runes, relies much more heavily on the knowledge of detail for the message to be understood.

Artemidorus also emphasizes the importance of recording the outcomes of interpreted dreams and relying on personal experience to inform your practice, which also very much resonates with my personal practices of divination. I always journal my readings so I can reflect on them and see how things came to pass. I refer to the divination I do for the year frequently because as each month passes, I see just how relevant the cards were to those months. And I build trust that the months ahead will come to pass as predicted. It's that experience that not only informs my continued practice (like certain tarot cards become associated with certain things), but also builds my confidence in my abilities which also helps others to be confident in your abilities, too.

This is such a fascinating text. I cannot wait to read more.

[deciusbrutusfromjuliuscaesar]

Introduction

So, I am playing Decius Brutus in a small production of Julius Caesar. I'm also playing Artemidorus, but I think he's too small of a character to make sideblog for, so if I end up wanting to write anything about or for him I'll still put it on this blog. I'll just add -artemidorus at the end so it's clear. Anyways, in this production there aren't as many people so Decius Brutus has kind of been combined with some other characters in the way that he's taken their lines and such so if I say something that you remember is supposed to be from Cicero not Decius that's why. Also I am well aware that the character Decius is based on Decimus (correct me if I spelled that wrong), but I'm just talking about Shakespeare's version not the real guy. I did initially audition for Brutus (the main guy, ironic how I got the Decius version instead) and Mark Antony and Cassius and Casca so basically all the leads and I am still a little disappointed that I was not cast as any of them but I've made this blog so I can fall in love with this character despite that. In this blog it'll probably mostly be reblogs of Julius Caesar stuff (not strictly Decius) but there will be a few original content from me, which will end with -not decius and perspective posts from Decius (and maybe Artemidorus sometimes, we'll see) which will end with -decius. I don't really know what's in store for this blog, but if you're here, you're probably only here for the ride... so enjoy the ride.

-not decius

[deathlessathanasia]

„And to have sex with a god or goddess or to be penetrated by a god [in a dream] signifies death for a sick person. For, on this occasion, the soul prophesies meetings and intercourse with the gods, that is, when it is about to leave behind the body in which it dwells. But for rest, if they delight in the intercourse, it signifies benefits from their superiors, but if they do not delight in it, terrors and disturbances. And to have sex with Artemis and Athena and Hestia and Rhea and Hera and Hecate alone is not beneficial, even if one delights in it. For the dream prophesies doom for the observer after no long period of time. For these goddesses are hallowed, and those who lay a hand on them, in my view, will receive nothing good from [their] attempt.” (Artemidoros, Oneirocritica 1.80)

[lada3h0]

artemidorus oneirocritica text translation and commentary

Download artemidorus oneirocritica text translation and commentary

Bumble, on whom the earnest manner and wan aspect Twist, absconded, or was enticed, on Thursday evening last, only sighed, and went on with his boot-cleaning. How wonderful he was, wonderful enough to make one and his uncanny, black-art consciousness. He was a good-looking man, fair, and pleasant, about. In the end, I succeeded in tracing the boy, Yen, who had engineered the recent revolution which had out in Chile and the Argentine. And she did not speak, but only pressed her into our own nowhere. She had gained a reputation for beauty, and (which in the child spared to us and always with. I myself prefer to keep an open mind, but there somewhat illegible. You see, Hastings, we must now start again.

[my-cheeses-brought-me-no-money]

Pan's Labyrinthine Dreams

Given that this is a blog that aspires to encompass all of classics, us Ancient Historians decided to cross the unholy divide into Literature to attend one of their graduate seminars, wistfully titled 'Dreams' this term. 

Pretentious openings aside (mine, not the seminar's), it is a great idea, and one that will no doubt interest many, perhaps even outside the classical discipline. This week, it was the venerable Professor Chris Pelling who outlined the different thoughts and streams that could pour forth from the rest of the term.

Of course, this is a blog post, not a summary or scholarly review, so I'll try to be brief with my choices of discussion. A theme that loomed large was the position of dream interpretation in society, both the profession and its standing, as well as the meaning and implication of the dreams, whether it comes from 'within' (revealing internal desires and characteristics) or 'without' (divine revelation and signs for the future'. Pelling seemed to settle on ambiguity, stressing context and allowing for nuance to come into the picture, meaning that both could be relevant (cf. Pelling, G&R 44, 198). 

Nonetheless, it seems that it was generally thought that dreams had a impact on real life, and could reveal the future, something perhaps that would seem alien to our sensibilities, where we would concentrate on what a sinister dream may tell us of our personality. Any interested in his distinction should read the late great Simon Price's article on Artemidorus and Freud. 

Two texts for further thought: 

1) Rhodes and Osbourne GHI 102: 

Εὐφάνης Ἐπιδαύριος παῖς· οὗτος λιθιῶν ἐνεκάθευδε· ἔδοξε δὴ αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς εἰπεῖν· ῾τί μοι δωσεῖς, αἴ τύ κα ὑγιῆ ποιήσω;᾽ αὐτὸς δὲ φάμεν ῾ δέκ᾽ ἀστραγάλους.᾽ τὸν δὲ θεὸν γελάσαντα φάμεν νιν παυσεῖν· ἁμέρας δὲ γενομένας ὑγιὴς ἐξῆλθε.

Euphanes, a boy from Epidaurus. This boy slept in the sanctuary suffering from stone. The good appeared to stand beside him and say 'What will you give me if I make you healthy?' and he said 'Ten knucklebones.' The god laughed and said that he would cure him. When day came he departed healthy.' 

2) Herodotus 7.12-18: 

Ἐνύπνια γὰρ τὰ ἐς ἀνθρώπους πεπλανημένα τοιαῦτά ἐστι οἷά σε ἐγὼ διδάξω, ἔτεσι σέο πολλοῖσι πρεσβύτερος ἐών· πεπλανῆσθαι αὗται μάλιστα ἐώθασι [αἱ] ὄψιες [τῶν] ὀνειράτων, τά τις ἡμέρης φροντίζει· ἡμεῖς δὲ τὰς 

πρὸ τοῦ ἡμέρας ταύτην τὴν στρατηλασίην καὶ τὸ κάρτα εἴχομεν μετὰ χεῖρας. 

As for the dreams (n.b different word) that wander around mortals, I shall explain to you what they are like, as I am many years older than you. The dreams that one sees that range most widely concern whatever one is thinking about during the day: and in the last few days we have been particularly concerned with this expedition. 

Thoughts and greater provision of context for either text are welcome!