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Tuesday 6 October 2015

The exhausted voyager makes landfall (from Chapman's Odyssey)

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A refugee sleeps outside an abandoned building at the port of Mytilini , Lesbos island , Greece on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. Austrian Chancellor and the Greek premier  visited Lesbos island Tuesday, to view first-hand the impact of the refugee crisis and tour facilities set up to handle the thousands of people who arrive daily

A refugee sleeps outside an abandoned building at the port of Mytilini, Lesbos island, Greece on Tuesday: photo by Santi Palacios/AP, 6 October 2015

Two nights yet, and daies,
‭ He spent in wrestling with the sable seas;
‭ In which space, often did his heart propose
‭ Death to his eyes. But when Aurora rose,
‭ And threw the third light from her orient haire;
‭ The winds grew calme, and cleare was all the aire,
‭ Not one breath stirring. Then he might descrie
‭ (Raisd by the high seas) cleare, the land was nie.
‭ And then, looke how to good sonnes that esteeme
‭ Their fathers life deare, (after pains extreame,
‭ Felt in some sicknesse, that hath held him long
‭ Downe to his bed; and with affections strong,
‭ Wasted his bodie; made his life his lode;
‭ As being inflicted by some angrie God)
‭ When on their praires, they see descend at length
Health from the heavens, clad all in spirit and strength;
‭ The sight is precious: so, since here should end
‭ Ulysses’ toiles; which therein should extend
‭ Health to his countrie (held to him, his Sire)
‭ And on which, long for him, Disease did tire;
‭ And then, besides, for his owne sake to see
‭ The shores, the woods so neare; such joy had he,
‭ As those good sonnes for their recover’d Sire.
‭ Then labourd feet and all parts, to aspire
‭ To that wisht Continent; [...]

George Chapman (1559-1634), from The Odysses of Homer (Book V), 1614



#migrants land on the Greek island of Lesvos. #AFP Photo by @ArisMessinis
: image via Aurelia BAILLY @AureliaBAILLY, 30 September 2015



Refugees and migrants live on the street after their arrival at the Greek island of Lesvos from Turkey: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 5 October 2015



Refugees and migrants at the port of Lesvos: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 6 October 2015


#migrants land on the Greek island of Lesvos. #AFP Photo by @ArisMessinis
: image via Aurelia BAILLY @AureliaBAILLY, 30 September 2015

ἔνθα δύω νύκτας δύο τ' ἤματα κύματι πηγῷ
πλάζετο, πολλὰ δέ οἱ κραδίη προτιόσσετ' ὄλεθρον.
ἀλλ' ὅτε δὴ τρίτον ἦμαρ ἐυπλόκαμος τέλεσ' Ἠώς, 
καὶ τότ' ἔπειτ' ἄνεμος μὲν ἐπαύσατο ἠδὲ γαλήνη
ἔπλετο νηνεμίη: ὁ δ' ἄρα σχεδὸν εἴσιδε γαῖαν
ὀξὺ μάλα προϊδών, μεγάλου ὑπὸ κύματος ἀρθείς.
ὡς δ' ὅτ' ἂν ἀσπάσιος βίοτος παίδεσσι φανήῃ
πατρός, ὃς ἐν νούσῳ κεῖται κρατέρ' ἄλγεα πάσχων, 
δηρὸν τηκόμενος, στυγερὸς δέ οἱ ἔχραε δαίμων,
ἀσπάσιον δ' ἄρα τόν γε θεοὶ κακότητος ἔλυσαν,
ὣς Ὀδυσεῖ ἀσπαστὸν ἐείσατο γαῖα καὶ ὕλη,
νῆχε δ' ἐπειγόμενος ποσὶν ἠπείρου ἐπιβῆναι.

Homer: Odyssey V, 388-399


A woman walks through a field after arriving to the Greek island of Lesvos. By @ArisMessinis #AFP: image via Sophie Chauveau @s_chauveauAFP, 4 October 2015
 

Refugees and migrants on their way to the Greek island of Lesvos while crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 4 October 2015 



Refugees and migrants arrive at the Greek island of Lesvos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 4 October 2015


Refugees and migrants arrive at the Greek island of Lesvos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 4 October 2015
 

Refugees and migrants arrive at the Greek island of Lesvos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey
: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 4 October 2015

A migrant girl looks at light illuminating the camp site of refugees on Lesvos. By @ArisMessinis #AFP: image via Sophie Chauveau @s_chauveauAFP, 5 October 2015


Refugees and migrants spend the night on the street after their arrival at the Greek island of Lesvos from Turkey: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 5 October 2015


Refugees spend the night on the street after their arrival on the Greek island of Lesvos. Photo @ArisMessinis: image via Stéphane Arnaud @StephaneArnaud, 5 October 2015


GREECE - Refugees have made themselves a night shelter on the street after arriving in Lesvos. By @ArisMessinis #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 5 October 2015


GREECE - A migrant looks at a smartphone at the camp site of refugees in the street of Lesvos. By @ArisMessinis #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 5 October 2015


Refugees and migrants live on the street after their arrival at the Greek island of Lesvos from Turkey: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 5 October 2015
 

Refugees and migrants live on the street after their arrival at the Greek island of Lesvos from Turkey: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 5 October 2015


Refugees and migrants arrive at the Greek island of Lesvos from Turkey and leave for Athens by ferry: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 5 October 2015
 

Refugees and migrants arrive at the Greek island of Lesvos from Turkey and leave for Athens by ferry: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 5 October 2015
 

Refugees and migrants arrive at the Greek island of Lesvos from Turkey and leave for Athens by ferry: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 5 October 2015
 

Refugees and migrants arrive at the Greek island of Lesvos from Turkey and leave for Athens by ferry: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 5 October 2015
 

Refugees and migrants arrive at the Greek island of Lesvos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey: image via Aris Messinis @ArisMessinis, 5 October 2015


The Aegean Sea, dotted with rubber rings used by migrants to come ashore on the Greek island of Lesbos: photo by Filip Singer/European Pressphoto Agency, 6 October 2015


People at a beach near Sydney during the Labour Day holiday in Australia: photo by Peter Parks/Agence France-Presse via New York Times, 6 October 2015


The start of the school year in Aleppo: image via baraa al halabi @baraaalhalabi, 6 October 2015

Embedded image permalink

#BreakingNews Russia extends air strikes to #Aleppo city. Su-24 attacks suburb Khan al-Asal
: image via Julian Röpcke @JulianRoepcke, 6 October 2015
 

Six RuAF airstrikes on Anadan NW @Aleppo few KMs from whr #ISIL attacked Tall Rifaat w/ VBIED: image via Stork @NorthernStork, 6 October 2015
 
Civilians inspect the aftermath of a car bomb explosion in Husseiniya, about 13 miles (20 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. Iraqi officials say a series of car bombings across Iraq Monday killed and wounded dozens of people.

Civilians inspect the aftermath of a car bomb explosion in Husseiniya, about 13 miles (20 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq today. Iraqi officials say a series of car bombings across Iraq Monday killed and wounded dozens of people: photo by Karim Kadim/AP, 6 October 2014
 
Civilians inspect the aftermath of a car bomb explosion in Husseiniya, about 13 miles (20 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. Iraqi officials say a series of car bombings across Iraq Monday killed and wounded dozens of people.

Civilians inspect the aftermath of a car bomb explosion in Husseiniya, about 13 miles (20 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq today. Iraqi officials say a series of car bombings across Iraq Monday killed and wounded dozens of people: photo by Karim Kadim/AP, 6 October 2014


IRAQ- A damaged building is seen in a reflection at the site of a bomb attack in Zubayr. By Haidar Mohammed Ali #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgeffardAFP, 6 October 2014


Syria’s one hope may be as dim as Bosnia’s once was: image via Reuters Opinion @ReutersOpinion, 6 October 2015 


Zenica, Bosnia. A woman walking in heavy smog in the early morning: photo by Dado Ruvic / Reuters via the Guardian, 19 November 2014
 
A refugee sleeps outside an abandoned building at the port of Mytilini , Lesbos island , Greece on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. Austrian Chancellor and the Greek premier  visited Lesbos island Tuesday, to view first-hand the impact of the refugee crisis and tour facilities set up to handle the thousands of people who arrive daily

A refugee sleeps outside an abandoned building at the port of Mytilini, Lesbos island, Greece on Tuesday: photo by Santi Palacios/AP, 6 October 2015

5 comments:

TC said...

From the Deep Keats Scrolls: On First Looking into Chapman's Homer

Hilton said...

Each montage/poem I'd like to say something - but I can't. The photos of horror just stun me - and then the words, Chapman/Homer/Keats, and I'm speechless. Keep going. Eventually we'll all reach shore.

TC said...

Thanks, Hilton.

Forever bailing...

Somebody who's keeping track pointed out Russia has become the thirteenth nation state to bomb in Iraq this year.

Possible candidate for #14 the new not so secret anymore shadow player in the global global global permanent arms race, China, which now has three warships in a Polish port, and an aircraft carrier that has passed through Suez into the Mediterranean.

Everybody who's anybody wants a piece of this action.

Mose23 said...

The shot of those Australians cultivating their melanoma on the beach was jarring.

Russia needs to keep its teeth sharp - all those troublesome states at the periphery.

TC said...

Yes, for them it's potentially a mare's nest worse even than was Afghanistan. But as it's now a year-zero, razed-ground, open-season, catch-as-catch-can situation, and as those are always going to be attractive not only to predators but to scavengers, every regional power player, and of course some from beyond, can be expected to have its nose under the tent. The Turks, for example. But in the end no co-prosperity sphere in history has ever really believed in sharing. Would Putin, while locking on their fighter jets, really throw Aleppo to the Turks as a consolation prize? Is there a Santa Claus?

At first glance I'd taken that Australia beach fun shot to be a vintage artifact from what used to be called The American Century. But no. Still, if the mantle fits... just saying.