Open Access[Comment on “The Paradigm: Thomas Kuhn and the Trojan horse”] Comment: The finer points of mythology and science; Reply: Ajax, Hector, and Pandarus
Author(s) -
Advocate Dev L.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/98eo00308
Subject(s) - battle , mythology , trojan horse , legend , trojan , context (archaeology) , faust , advice (programming) , wife , allegory , metaphor , classics , history , literature , art history , law , philosophy , art , computer science , theology , ancient history , computer security , political science , archaeology , programming language
Kingsley Amis once (or perhaps twice) observed, “If you can't annoy somebody with what you write I think there is little point in writing.” Ajax L. East gives some very sound advice: “always verify your references.” This quote is not quite right and is taken out of context. Dr. Routh, when asked for some advice by a young man, replied, “I think, sir, since you care for the advice of an old man sir, you will find it a very good practice always to verify your references, sir.” This advice was offered thoughtfully and not gratuitously, out of the blue, or whatever color cyberspace is. So, it is good to verify your references. Ironically, in my account of the Trojan War, I did not refer to Homer, or the Iliad , and certainly not to an English translation or the long lost Nostoi. My sources were more eclectic and original, not that I have anything against Homer or Lattimore. Students of the Trojan War must distinguish between myth, legend, history, archeology, metaphor, parable, allegory, and geophysics. Homer, of course, takes liberties. Chieftains ride up to battle in chariots, dismount, and exchange quite long speeches before engaging in gruesome hand‐to‐hand combat.