Name: Ezra
Reference: Luke 1:4 and Acts 1:ff
Quote: "I am going to tell you the story of a love affair that took place in Syracuse"
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Time: 12:51:57
I am impressed with a short introduction by Chariton in Book One. Chariton has given a short summary in which he has explained the subject and focus of his writing, which is "to tell a story of a love affair that too place in Syracuse" Looking at this introduction I have observed a number of similarities in Chariton and Luke the writer of the Gospel. In the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, Luke introduced his writings to audience by explaining why he is writing his book and what the audience should know. In Luke 1:1-4 and Acts 1:1ff Luke laid a strong foundation upon which develop and build his story. Looking at Chariton's introduction and Luke's introduction this way, one can see these similatities.
Name: Ellen R.
Reference: Actss 9:8-9
Quote: Chariton page 22 Paragraph 2 and 3: At once they were both smitten with love.
Chaereas, so stricken, could barely make his way home; he was like a hero mortally wounded in battle, too proud to fall but too weak to stand.
Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Time: 16:52:41
Chaeras shows similar symptoms as those of Paul after Paul's conversion.
Name: Kathy
Reference: Mark 11:1-10; Matthew 21:1-9; Luke 19:29-38
Quote: Chariton page 23: "...the streets were filled with garlands and torches...."
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2006
Time: 15:19:58
Especially considering what happens soon after this in the story (allegations and trial), I was struck by the similarities of this festive street scene of rejoicing to those of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem which we recollect on Palm Sunday.
Name: David G
Reference: Acts 14:11, Acts 19:27
Quote: Chariton p23 When she [Callirhoe] appeared in public the whole crowd was struck with wonder, as when Artemis appears to hunters in lonely places; many of those present actually went down on their knees in worship.
Date: Friday, October 06, 2006
Time: 16:11:20
In Acts 14:11 the crowd shouted 'The gods have come down to us in human form'. In v12 they called Barnabus 'Zeus and Paul 'Hermes'. In Chariton Callirhoe is compared to the goddess Artemis and is worshipped by some of the people. There seems to be an expectation of the Greek people that their gods could and would take on human form. Artemis (in some versions Diana) also appears in Acts 19:23-41 when Paul at Ephesus upsets the tradesman who make a living out of her temple there. v27 says 'she will be deprived of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her'. This is confirmed to some extent in Chariton where Artemis is worshipped in Syracuse in Sicily - several hundred miles away across the Mediterranean Sea from Ephesus in Asia Minor.
Name: Steve
Reference: Titus 2:4-5
Quote: "Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Time: 18:05:40
Nothing terribly profound here, but I couldn't help but notice in the story the familiar theme regarding the role and expectations for women and men. After their initial encounter on the street, both go home and begin to yearn (lust) for each other. While the man is described as a "hero mortally wounded as in battle," the woman is described with the somewhat less heroic, perhaps even demeaning term of "the girl" as she falls at the feet of Aphrodite. In addition, the story explains that "the girl" suffered more because she could not bear to give herself away. Seems to me that she suffered more because of the prevailing societal expectation that it was not acceptable to "give herself away." Interesting that there is not such sentiment expressed by the male in this story. The passage from the New Testament (Titus 2:4-5) seems in keeping with the perceived appropriate roles for men and women. One more thing: did anyone else find it odd when at the top of page 25 (the top of the right hand page) the sentence includes: "he was even more distressed at having to go off by himself-because he could not yet take his bride out." Why do you suppose he could not yet take his bride out?
Name: Steve
Reference: Titus 2:4-5
Quote: "Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Time: 18:05:40
Nothing terribly profound here, but I couldn't help but notice in the story the familiar theme regarding the role and expectations for women and men. After their initial encounter on the street, both go home and begin to yearn (lust) for each other. While the man is described as a "hero mortally wounded as in battle," the woman is described with the somewhat less heroic, perhaps even demeaning term of "the girl" as she falls at the feet of Aphrodite. In addition, the story explains that "the girl" suffered more because she could not bear to give herself away. Seems to me that she suffered more because of the prevailing societal expectation that it was not acceptable to "give herself away." Interesting that there is not such sentiment expressed by the male in this story. The passage from the New Testament (Titus 2:4-5) seems in keeping with the perceived appropriate roles for men and women. One more thing: did anyone else find it odd when at the top of page 25 (the top of the right hand page) the sentence includes: "he was even more distressed at having to go off by himself-because he could not yet take his bride out." Why do you suppose he could not yet take his bride out?
Name: Sarah P-L
Reference: Mark 5:38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep."
Quote: So Callirhoe lay there unconscious, not breathing; she looked to everyone as if she were dead, and Rumor ran all over the town, spreading the news of the catastrophe and arousing cries of grief through the narrow streets right down to the sea: wailing was to be heard on all sides… (section 5 page 27)
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2006
Time: 01:14:28
Both passages indicate the customs surrounding death in late antiquity. Wailing and crying to express grief for the dead
Name: Gary
Reference: Mark 14:56-63
Quote: Chaereas and Callirhoe page 28
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Time: 12:02:22
Chaereas’ failure to defend himself in light of the false accusations made against him, and his evident self-condemnation I believe parallels Jesus’ discourse while on trial (see Mark 14:56-63). Jesus similarly refuses to defend himself against the false witnesses and his only statements point to his guilt in the eyes of the council and chief priest. Adding to that is the idea of Callirhoe being laid to rest in a vault draws one to see Jesus being laid to rest in a tomb hewn out of rock. Since I don’t have “the rest of the story” I have to wonder if her tomb will be found empty too.
Name: Eric R.
Reference:
Quote:
Date: Friday, October 06, 2006
Time: 12:25:47
In general the story did not keep my attn at all. The characters were flat and the story predictable--almost no development in either--so much so, it is a wonder to me that it has survived. It does, however, have some mild "archeological" interest, for example, the window it provides on Greek values and customs. On page 28, we learn that the "worst" thing to be is a temple robber or a perpetrator of parricide. In footnote 25 (page 33), we get a sense of the collective "self-image" of the Greeks -- that Athenians were considered "as being inquisitive and litigious." These kind of details make the ancient Hellenistic world come to life for me.
Name: Ellen R.
Reference: Mark 1:16-20
Quote: Chariton page 30; paragraph 1: who would be suitable, of the men you know? Zenophanes of
Thurii? Intelligent but a coward...And he assessed each one in turn, like a man testing coins. So at dawn he hurried to the harbor and began looking them out one by one
Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Time: 16:35:32
There is a parallel between Jesus's selection of his disciples in Mark 1 and Theron's selection of his robber's crew,
Name: Dave B
Reference: Acts 27: 4-8
Quote: Pg. 30 ""We ought to have it by rights--we're alive. My idea, then, is to open the vault at night, load our ship, sail wherever the wind takes us, and sell the cargo abroad as we can."
Date: Friday, October 20, 2006
Time: 15:29:54
Paul's travels are much complicated by the vagaries of the wind. It was an iffy thing to set sail for a particular destination.
Name: Eric G.
Reference: Mt 28:1-10; Mk 16:1-7; Lk 24:1-8
Quote: P. 31 par 2: "Shaking with fear he cried to his fellows, 'Let's get out of here! There's some sort of
spirit on guard that won't let us come in." Also, "Theron...told another man to go in and when nobody had the courage to do so, he went in himself."
Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Time: 22:19:54
The tomb stories in the 4 Gospels share similarities to this passage in Chariton. Matthew, Mark, and Luke each offer variations on the theme of someone/something being present at Jesus' tomb that either startles or causes the tomb's earliest visitors to be afraid. John records that "the other disciple" did not (or would not?) enter the tomb, but rather made (the slower running) Peter do it. Certaintly ancient superstitions are at work in both stories with the fear of burial tombs, protective spirits and the unwillingness to confront them as being a very real phenomenon.
Name: Sue K
Reference: John 20:3-9
Quote: pg 31 ..a robber put his head through and came a little way into the vault.... he was terrified...nobody had the courage to do so
Date: Thursday, October 19, 2006
Time: 22:07:00
no one wants to be first when going in to the tomb. There is definately a parellel here. I wonder if there will be a closer parellel further into the novel. There seems to be a theme of resurrection running though this book
Name: Steve
Reference: 1 Corinthians 11:7-9
Quote: Page 31: "She too, he said to himself, can be part of the funeral treasure. There's a lot of silver here, and a lot of gold, but the woman's beauty is more valuable than anything here." Also: "A fine brigand you are-scared of a mere woman!" Page 35: "As for deciding about the woman, a look at her will tell me whether she is fit for my master to possess or just suitable for people like us."
Date: Thursday, October 19, 2006
Time: 09:00:21
The "women as objects" from our assigned reading coincides with numerous passages from the New Testament. The 2 verses from 1 Corinthians 11:7-9 reflect the idea that women are a notch below men: "A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. Titus 2:5 when referring to women includes: "to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands..." Thankfully, Jesus sets us straight by acknowledging that in God there is no difference between Jew, Gentile, man, woman, etc. Yet there are many places in the New Testament that would lead the reader to believe that women are things to be owned, and this same theme can be found in the assigned reading from Chariton.
Name: Ann Y.
Reference: Mark 15:14 " Pilate asked them, why what evil has he done?"
Quote: p.32 "why, she's done us no harm, I suppose you"ll say. No, but she will do a great deal of harm."
Date: Sunday, October 15, 2006
Time: 18:32:38
The story goes on to say that she tell what happened if she is released and people will figure out what happened anyway. One of the robbers wants to kill her and "Not carry around the means of our own conviction." I am not sure but this whole notion of killing the threatening innocents ( Jesus and Callirhoe ) seem like somewhat parallel situations. The avengers are threatened by the existence of the two people ( character in the case of Callirhoe) and even more threatened by what the future holds if each one of them lives. What I think is interesting is that in each case it is the crowds and robbers involved who have gotten themselves into their precarious situations. In each situation the idea that no evil or harm has been done by either of the victims is expressed, that idea just washes over the mob. These are good examples of mob thinking taking over.
Name: Ezra
Reference: Mk 15:12 INV "..What Shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews? Pilate asked them.
Quote: Pg 32"...Theron told the men who was guarding the woman to stand a little way with her; then he brought forward for discussion the question of what to do with her.
Date: Friday, October 20, 2006
Time: 17:12:40
Pilate had Jesus in his court but did not know what to do with Him. Theron had a similar situation with Callirhoe and did not know what to do with her.
Name: Gary Cyr
Reference: 1 Cor. 7.21-24
Quote: p33--"I am being taken off to a foreign land; I must be a slave--I, who was born noble."
Date: Monday, October 16, 2006
Time: 07:42:30
I found these words from Chariton intriguing, and thought they sounded similar to Paul’s exhortation about being slaves of human masters versus a slave of Christ. Considering this part of the story comes on the heals of her “resurrection” from the tomb, it seems to parallel the idea that one is transformed into a new life through Christ. Though Callirhoe is “sold” into slavery, she is never violated; her virtue is intact, and her slavery constitutes service to others.
Name: Michael Kasevich
Reference: Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama
sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Quote: Page 33: "Father" she said, "in this very sea you defeated three hundred Athenian warships;a tiny boat has carried off your daughter, and you do nothing to help me.
Date: Friday, October 20, 2006
Time: 18:22:33
In both accounts, the character feels that they have been betrayed. Jesus asked His Father, why have You betrayed me. When in the past God the Father has destroyed cities and nations to protect His chosen people. Here is His Son dieing on a cross and God lets Him die. Callirhoe weeps to her Father, about being abandoned at sea, and in worst situations, her Father had defeated three hundred warships.
Name: David G
Reference: Acts 16:9-10
Quote: Chariton p34 When he [Theron] fell asleep he had a dream in which he saw a closed door, so he decided to wait for that day.
Date: Friday, October 06, 2006
Time: 19:01:45
Theron interpreted his dream to change his plans, deciding to stay and not go to his ship. Paul on the other hand had a vision in the night of a Macedonian calling him which he interpreted to mean he had to change his plans to go to Macedonia immediately. Both had no hesitation in assuming their dream or vision had meaning.
Name: Judy
Reference: Matth 2: 13-14 ".....an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is aboutto search for the child, to destroy him.". Then Joseph got up , took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt"
Quote: Page 34 "When mhe fell asleep he had a dream in which he saw a closed door, so he decided to wait for that day."
Date: Thursday, October 19, 2006
Time: 18:43:51
Name: Sue B
Reference: Acts 17:33-34 At that, Paul left the Council. A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was
Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Quote: P 35 - "All the better - Fortune is already leading you to
Dionysius."
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Time: 12:03:16
If this is the same Dionysius we read about in Acts, who became a follower of Paul and believed, then perhaps it is fortunate indeed that Callirhoe is sold into his hands.
Name: Judy
Reference: Matth 2: 13-14 ".....an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is aboutto search for the child, to destroy him.". Then Joseph got up , took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt"
Quote: Page 34 "When he fell asleep he had a dream in which he saw a closed door, so he decided to wait for that day." Also on page 35 " Why you are setting out before me in reality what I dreamed about"
Date: Thursday, October 19, 2006
Time: 18:49:24
In biblical time it seems that a great deal of faith was placed in dreams as prophecy or as direction for what to do. Today we analyze the psychological meaning of dreams but disregard even ridicule any truth to them as prophecy or directions to base actions on..
Name: SarahPL
Reference: Luke 7:37-38
Quote: P. 36/#14 As he approached the country house, Theron thought up the following
move: he uncovered Callirhoe's head, shook her hair loose, and then opened the door and told her to go in first.
Date: Friday, October 13, 2006
Time: 13:22:15
Luke 7:37-38 37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. and from Hebrew Scriptures Numbers 5:18 18 After the priest has had the woman stand before the LORD, he shall loosen her hair and place in her hands the reminder offering, the grain offering for jealousy, while he himself holds the bitter water that brings a curse. In both these texts it is assumed that a woman with "loose" hair is herself a loose woman. Although the men in Chariton regard Callirhoe with her loosened hair as an appearance of Aphrodite, they have no problem abusing her personhood by contracting to buy and sell her. Do they regard her loose hair as a sign that she is fair game, a sinner, unlike a true or virtuous lady who would not have been seen with her hair down?
Name: Judy
Reference: Matth 27: 3-5 "...brought back the thirty pieces of silver.....throwing down the peices of silver..." Also Lk22:21 " But see the one who betrays me is with me ...."
Quote: Page 37 " and page so he pressed on him a talent of silver.." and page 37 "She already knew she was being sold.."
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Time: 20:15:58
I saw references to Jesus and Judas. Jesus knew he would be betrayed but submitted anyway. Callirhoe knew what her captors were planning but submitted because she saw no other option. Both were betrayed/sold for silver.
Name: Deb
Reference: Esther 3-7 (OT)
Quote:
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Time: 06:29:02
I struggled with that first section and had a difficult time finding any Biblical connections, so I read on. In Book 2 (pg. 45) there is an incident where Callirhoe's attendant/slave Plangon goes to her and begs her to go to Dionysius on her behalf because she is concerned that he will harm her and her husband, Dionysius' slave, Phocas. Callirhoe was "reluctant to go to him" because she considered herself Dionysius' slave also and didn't think she had any more right to speak than Plangon. Dionysius did accept her when she came to him and said he would "gladly spare them as a favor" to Callirhoe. This reminded me of the Old Testament story of Esther (Esther 3-7). Like Callirhoe, Esther had remarkable beauty. She was asked by her uncle, Mordecai, to go into King Ahasuerus on behalf of the Jewish people to save them from a proclamation of death. Esther was concerned about the request because no one was allowed to go into the king unless he requested them to come and she could be put to death if he didn't hold out his golden scepter to her. Esther had the Jewish people fast with her for three days and then she went to the king and he accepted her and at first honored her request for a banquet, and during the banquet, Esther requests that the lives of her people be spared. Ahasuerus grants her request.
Name: Eric G
Reference: Matthew 25:1-13
Quote: Pg. 2 - Callirhoe, like the flame in a lamp that was on the point
of going out and has oil poured into it grew bigger and stronger.
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Time: 22:44:07
Mt 27 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ The story of the 10 virgins is peculiar at best. Did Matthew use the number 10 for affect? Is the pre-wedding story of the virgin Callirhoe and references in Matthew to virgins, oil, and lamps merely coincidence? A common expression of the day? Or perhaps a well-known story changed a little bit to stress the importance of the "bride" being prepared for Jesus' return?
Name: CBS
Reference: Mark 10: 17-22
Quote: Let the die be cast; I won't miss a chance like this
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Time: 18:22:10
To me this is what the rich man was doing in Mark's gospel. Regardless if the Rich man may have lived a clean life and the scoundrel in the story was corrupt from the beginning the end result was the motive. Both wanted the treasure without giving up anything.
Name: Ann Y
Reference: 1 Timothy: 9-10
Quote: " But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and
harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced
themselves with pain."
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Time: 18:15:42
I am referring to Theron and his army of thugs as they break into the vault and after finding Callirhoe alive Theron says " She too can be part of the funeral treasure...the women's beauty is more valuable that anything here.
Name: Sue
Reference: 1Peter 2:8
Quote: Callirhoe lay there unconscious not breathing
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Time: 17:43:56
Callirhoe "appears" to be dead after being rejected by her lover. The stone are those who were jealous. And the rock is Chaireas' own insecurity about his wife's fidelity. This sounds a set up for a resurrection story.
Name: Michael Kasevich
Reference: Luke 7:38
Quote:
Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Time: 14:39:27
This part of the story: . Is very similar to the woman in Luke 7:38 “and standing behind at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.” Both did not really know the person they loved. Both were anointed by oil in the name of love;
Name: Sue B
Reference: Matthew 27:20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barrabas
Quote: When day came, the council empaneled a jury to try the murderer ...The unsuccessful suitors incited the crowd to anger - especially the man from Arcagas
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Time: 21:09:15
I have always been amazed at how quickly a large audience can so easily turn from passive onlookers to "feeding frenzied participants" in the face of a few instigators. The public quickly turned on the handsome and beloved Chaereas as did the mob who called for the crucifixion of Jesus and the release of Barrabas.