5-26-06
5:30 is far to early to ask any human being to rise. But we made it to the bus in plenty of time, and I was even able to grab a croissant before meeting the bus.
The major equilibrium for an agrearian culture like that of Paestum was around 50,000 people. Paestum was one of the outlying cites which established Magna Greacia. Professor Martemucci suggested that this particular town was of interest because it is an early example of modern life. That is, all of the things we think about as natural parts of urban life are really just traditions we inherited from the Greeks. Like the idea of having two sidewalks on either side of a street lined with buildings.
Professor Martemucci also said something interesting which I have been puzzling over. He said that we have lost something of our patterns in terms of simultaneity. For example, in ancient Rome they were able to cut open a liver and discover the gods will, create a feast, and at the same time see if the water of a certain area was good to drink. Professor Martemucci suggested that this idea was also what allowed the Greeks in Paestum to build three of the most costly buildings to date that the majority of the community would never be able to enter. I thought this was very interesting, because I assumed that the decision to build the temples had to do with the power of the priests of that god. Poiseden’s temple, for example, is the largest of the three. The town was originally named after this god, and its livelihood depended upon the sea as well as upon the river which flowed nearby. Thus the priest who could please this god who had so much power over the town would be able to convince the towns people to build a nice big house for the god, and the priest at the same time. And even if the priest didn’t get to live in the temple, he was the only person who got to go inside of it, and he also received some of the glory and honor sent to the god because he was the intermediary.
Professor Martimucci explained that the idea of simultaneity included everyday life. That the Greeks of Paesum lived at a constant intersection of the physical and the cosmic perspectives, that is, they lived physically in line with a cosmic perspective. Professor Martimucci went on to say that we have lost the ability to build something like this, something that is not built for the base needs of humanity, but for a higher purpose. I thought that this connected with Maslow’s idea of the aesthetic as the highest need of mankind, but Professor Martimucci said that even the aesthetic seeks to meet a human need, and the Greeks were not trying to build something pretty. So I asked why a plan building would not have sufficed. That is, if the purpose of the building is not related to its aesthetics, or to any human need, why did it have to be big and expensive? (Mike later told me that this was a question breed of my protestant upbringing and I think that I agree with him.) Professor Martimucci replied that it was because the god deserved the biggest and best, he required it, and that was the way it was to be done. So I wonder if this is not the same idea we have in constructing the Oklahoma City monument. Or even more recently, the Twin Towers Monument, and the discussions about whether or not that space could ever be used as office space again, or if the entire area was to become a monument to the deceased.
After Paestum we went to the hotel Calypso. It was the most amazing place in the world. I went swimming in the Mediterranean and then sat down to at least a four course meal of cheese, cheese, and more cheese. It was fresh Mozzarella, I believe from the cheese making factory we will visit with the nutrition students tomorrow.
The major equilibrium for an agrearian culture like that of Paestum was around 50,000 people. Paestum was one of the outlying cites which established Magna Greacia. Professor Martemucci suggested that this particular town was of interest because it is an early example of modern life. That is, all of the things we think about as natural parts of urban life are really just traditions we inherited from the Greeks. Like the idea of having two sidewalks on either side of a street lined with buildings.
Professor Martemucci also said something interesting which I have been puzzling over. He said that we have lost something of our patterns in terms of simultaneity. For example, in ancient Rome they were able to cut open a liver and discover the gods will, create a feast, and at the same time see if the water of a certain area was good to drink. Professor Martemucci suggested that this idea was also what allowed the Greeks in Paestum to build three of the most costly buildings to date that the majority of the community would never be able to enter. I thought this was very interesting, because I assumed that the decision to build the temples had to do with the power of the priests of that god. Poiseden’s temple, for example, is the largest of the three. The town was originally named after this god, and its livelihood depended upon the sea as well as upon the river which flowed nearby. Thus the priest who could please this god who had so much power over the town would be able to convince the towns people to build a nice big house for the god, and the priest at the same time. And even if the priest didn’t get to live in the temple, he was the only person who got to go inside of it, and he also received some of the glory and honor sent to the god because he was the intermediary.
Professor Martimucci explained that the idea of simultaneity included everyday life. That the Greeks of Paesum lived at a constant intersection of the physical and the cosmic perspectives, that is, they lived physically in line with a cosmic perspective. Professor Martimucci went on to say that we have lost the ability to build something like this, something that is not built for the base needs of humanity, but for a higher purpose. I thought that this connected with Maslow’s idea of the aesthetic as the highest need of mankind, but Professor Martimucci said that even the aesthetic seeks to meet a human need, and the Greeks were not trying to build something pretty. So I asked why a plan building would not have sufficed. That is, if the purpose of the building is not related to its aesthetics, or to any human need, why did it have to be big and expensive? (Mike later told me that this was a question breed of my protestant upbringing and I think that I agree with him.) Professor Martimucci replied that it was because the god deserved the biggest and best, he required it, and that was the way it was to be done. So I wonder if this is not the same idea we have in constructing the Oklahoma City monument. Or even more recently, the Twin Towers Monument, and the discussions about whether or not that space could ever be used as office space again, or if the entire area was to become a monument to the deceased.
After Paestum we went to the hotel Calypso. It was the most amazing place in the world. I went swimming in the Mediterranean and then sat down to at least a four course meal of cheese, cheese, and more cheese. It was fresh Mozzarella, I believe from the cheese making factory we will visit with the nutrition students tomorrow.
posted by Harvy at 4:50 AM
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