The Iliad was a Documentary (2): Dancing## The Shield of Achilles
ἐν δὲ χορὸν ποίκιλλε περικλυτὸς ἀμφιγυήεις,
τῷ ἴκελον οἷόν ποτʼ ἐνὶ Κνωσῷ εὐρείῃ
Δαίδαλος ἤσκησεν καλλιπλοκάμῳ Ἀριάδνῃ.
ἔνθα μὲν ἠΐθεοι καὶ παρθένοι ἀλφεσίβοιαι
ὀρχεῦντʼ ἀλλήλων ἐπὶ καρπῷ χεῖρας ἔχοντες.
τῶν δʼ αἳ μὲν λεπτὰς ὀθόνας ἔχον, οἳ δὲ χιτῶνας
εἵατʼ ἐϋννήτους, ἦκα στίλβοντας ἐλαίῳ·
καί ῥʼ αἳ μὲν καλὰς στεφάνας ἔχον, οἳ δὲ μαχαίρας
εἶχον χρυσείας ἐξ ἀργυρέων τελαμώνων.
οἳ δʼ ὁτὲ μὲν θρέξασκον ἐπισταμένοισι πόδεσσι
ῥεῖα μάλʼ, ὡς ὅτε τις τροχὸν ἄρμενον ἐν παλάμῃσιν
ἑζόμενος κεραμεὺς πειρήσεται, αἴ κε θέῃσιν·
ἄλλοτε δʼ αὖ θρέξασκον ἐπὶ στίχας ἀλλήλοισι.
πολλὸς δʼ ἱμερόεντα χορὸν περιίσταθʼ ὅμιλος
τερπόμενοι· μετὰ δέ σφιν ἐμέλπετο θεῖος ἀοιδὸς
φορμίζων· δοιὼ δὲ κυβιστητῆρε κατ’ αὐτοὺς
μολπῆς ἐξάρχοντες ἐδίνευον κατὰ μέσσους.
On it the renowned lame god embellished
A dancing ground, like the one Daedalus
Made for ringleted Ariadne in wide Cnossus.
Young men and girls in the prime of their beauty
Were dancing there, hands clasped around wrists.
The girls wore delicate linens, and the men
Finespun tunics glistening softly with oil.
Flowers crowned the girls’ heads, and the men
Had golden knives hung from silver straps.
They ran on feet that knew how to run
With the greatest ease, like a potter’s wheel
When he stoops to cup it in the palms of his hands
And gives it a spin to see how it runs. Then they
Would run in lines that weaved in and out.
A large crowd stood round the beguiling dance,
Enjoying themselves, and two acrobats
Somersaulted among them on cue to the music.
— Iliad 18.590-18.606
At the community festival in Gavalou, there was a showcase of traditional Greek dancing. What competitive children’s swimming is to Greenville, South Carolina, traditional dancing is to Gavalou and all of the surrounding villages. There are innumerable clubs for children and adults of all ages. They came together on Friday night of the weekend dedicated to celebrating the local Makrúnia Monastery. The monastery was the focus of the festival, but mayor Andreas Goulas ensured that the weekend was packed with events.
Gavalou has a population of about 1,200, and I am sure that only the most gravely ill and bedridden were not out in the square or on the street Friday and Saturday, from 8:00 PM until 2:00 AM.
Here is a sample of the dancing, that went on for five hours, with group after beautifully, costumed group showing off the dances that they have practiced for years, and their ancestors for centuries.
I cannot for the life of me see any discontinuity between the idealized universe that Hephaestus put on Achilles’ new shield and this joyful evening.
Like a potter’s wheel!